Antonio de Espejo and His Journey to New Mexico

Antonio de Espejo was born in the village of Torre Milano, a suburb of C6rdova. Nothing is known concerning his parentage and his early life. He came to Mexico in 1571 with Archbishop Moya y Contreras as one of the officials of the Inquisition to be put in force by Moya. In 1575 he petitioned that his three-year-old daughter Juana be declared legitimate and be made his heir. The legitimaci6n was granted. The daughter later married Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza, brother of Fr. Juan Gonzalez de Mendoza, author of the famous Historia de la China (1585),
which contains an account of the Espejo expedition to New Mexico. It now appears that the historian was given an independent relacion by his brother, Pedro Gonzales, who went to Spain in 1584 as agent for Espejo.”