Talk:Luis de la Torre

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What other information is available?[edit]

There is very little information on this individual on the Internet, and virtually none in my printed sources.

The Spanish Wikipedia says the following, in the article on Tabaco:

Rodrigo de Jerez y Luis de la Torre, compañeros de Cristóbal Colón, fueron los primeros occidentales en conocer su existencia. Rodrigo, a su vuelta a España, fue encarcelado por la Inquisición acusado de brujería, ya que sólo el diablo podía dar a un hombre el poder de sacar humo por la boca.^[1]
Translation: Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de la Torre, companions of Christopher Columbus, were the first westerners to know of its [tobacco's] existence. Rodrigo, on his return to Spain, was imprisoned by the Inquisition, accused of witchcraft, for "only a devil could give to a man the power of exhaling smoke from the mouth".

The problem is, there is nothing else about Luis de la Torre in the Spanish Wikipedia. It might be the same man — the dates fit well enough — but I can't be sure.

Here is another fact: In 1530 a Luis de la Torre brought a civil suit in New Spain against Francisco Davila for illegal imprisonment.^[2]

Here is something similar:

La construcción del Palacio bajo la dirección general de Hernán Cortés, y al parecer quizás de dos de sus maestros Luis de la Torre, Juan Rodríguez y el cantero Estrabas Aguas, que ya habían participado en otras obras en la ciudad de México, estuvieron a cargo de la dirección de un numeroso contingente de canteros indígenas.... “Tampoco resultaría muy aventurado pensar que, quizá Luis de la Torre, Juan Rodríguez y el cantero Entrabas Aguas fueran quienes se encargaron de dirigir las cuadrillas de obreros indígenas de Texcoco, Otumba Tlatelolco y Coyoacán en la construcción del castillo-palacio en Cuernavaca”.^[3]
Translation: The construction of the Palace under the general direction of Hernán Cortés and apparently two of his teachers [master builders?], Luis de la Torre, Juan Rodríguez and the stonecutter Estrabas Aguas, who had already participated in other works in Mexico City, was the responsibility of a large contingent of Indigenous stonecutters.... "It would not be unreasonable to assume that perhaps Luis de la Torre, Juan Rodríguez and the stonecutter Entrabas Aguas were those who were in charge of directing the Indigenous workers from Texcoco, Otumba Tlatelolco and Coyoacán in the construction of the castle-palace in Cuernavaca.

Again, I don't know if this is the same individual. The palace was constructed about 1535, so it's still possible.^[4]

There was another lawsuit in 1540-42:

1540-1542 Alonso de Andrade y Leonor de Andrade, su hija, vecinos de México, contra Luis de la Torre y su mujer Beatriz de Marmolejo, de la misma vecindad, sobre derecho a la encomienda del pueblo de Pahuatlán. Nota: va remitido al Consejo.^[5]
Translation: Alonso de Andrade and Leonor de Andrade, his daughter, residents of Mexico City, against Luis de la Torre and his wife Beatriz de Marmolejo, also of Mexico City, concerning the right of the encomienda of the town of Pahuatlán. Note: the suit was sent to the Council.

Here is an interesting one:

El mercader Luis de la Torre, era hijo de Alonso de la Torre, quien fue regidor y alcalde del cabildo en varias ocasiones, al igual que sus hermanos, Luis y Juan de la Torre, encomenderos y primos del primer tesorero de la Real Hacienda, Alonso de Estrada. PORRAS MUÑOZ, 1982, pp. 142, 144, 151, 276, 301, 441, 445, 446 y 450.^[6]
Translation: The merchant Luis de la Torre was the son of Alonso de la Torre, who was regidor and alcalde of the city council on various occasions, as were his brothers, Luis and Juan de la Torre, agents and cousins of the first Royal Treasurer, Alonso de Estrada.

This is interesting, because it shows there were two Luis de la Torres, uncle and nephew, and that they were related to Alonso de Estrada. Porras Muñoz is a reference that should be investigated.

And there is this:

Luis de la Torre, alcalde ordinario en ¡538 y alcalde de mestaen 1539. G. PORRAS MUÑOZ: El gobierno de la Ciudad de México en el siglo xvi. Univ. Nacional Autónoma, México. 1982, Pp. 444 y 445.^[7]
Translation: Luis de la Torre, ordinary alcalde in 1538 and alcale de mestaen 1539. [With a citation]

Finally, he or his uncle or another relative was an encomendero:

Durante la década de 1520 Cortés hizo la asignación oficial de encomiendas de estos territorios, poniéndolas en manos de conquistadores y primeros pobladores. Así,... Acasuchitlán fue encomendado al poblador Luis de la Torre....^[8]
Translation: During the decade of the 1520s, Cortés made the official assignments of encomiendas in those territories, putting them in the hands of the conquistadors and the first settlers. Thus,... Acasuchitlán was granted to settler Luis de la Torre....

If we assume he was 16 (say) when he accompanied Columbus to the New World, he would have been born between 1476 and 1487. He could of course, have been older than 16, so he could have been born earlier. That would presumably be the uncle, but I don't know if this article is about the uncle or the son.

If anyone has any more information, or has access to Porras Muñoz's book, please make additions to the article.

Rbraunwa 19:28, 22 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]