This article contains information and a link to the 1638 will of Lorenzo Perez the father of Alonso de Leon. For years researchers have attributted the wrong parents for Lorenzo Perez, and to be honest I once did to.
When I published my De Leon book, I started to question if the document that everyone used as proof of parentage was really a document that belonged to our Lorenzo Perez. His will clarifies that it is not his.
I say "to our" since Lorenzo Perez is my 10th great grandfather. I recently visited the facebook group Familias Leal y De Leon Descendientes de Alonso De Leon y Floreano De Leon and saw a post by Alejandro Gomez letting everyone know that he had located the will of Lorenzo Perez. Unfortunatly he did not provide a link to it but using the clues that he provided I was able to locate it.
Recap of 1638 Will of Lorenzo Perez
The will was made in Puebla Mexico, is dated the 6th of February 1638, 12 pages long, hard to read and thus here is the important genealogical information. Lorenzo states that he is a native of Cartaya in the kingdoms of Castilla, the legitimate son of Alonso Perez and Ana de Almonte, residents of Cartaya.
He declared to have had been married with Adriana de Leon, his first wife, with whom he had the following children: Alonso de Leon, Juan Perez, Jose de Leon, and Marcela de Leon.
He also declared that he married a second time to Beatriz de la Paz with whom he had the following children. Lorenzo Perez, Ana de la Paz, Manuel Perez, Tomas Perez and Sebastian Perez(1).
Additional Information Not in the Will
Lorenzo and Beatriz married on the 16th of June 1618 at Santa Catarina Virgen y Mártir (Centro), Districo Federal, Mexico (2). Thus, that means that Adriana de Leon died prior to that date. I have yet to see a document that mentions the names of her parents.
Lorenzo's son ALonso de Leon was baptized on the 31st of August 1608 at Asunción Sagrario Metropolitano (Centro), Distrito Federal, Mexico (3). He married Juana Josefa Gonzalez on the 23rd of September 1635 at San Mateo Apostol, Huichapan, Hidalgo, Mexico (4). Just three years before his father made his will in Puebla, Mexico.
Last year I was very fortunate to visit Lepe and passed through Cartaya, without even knowing that I had an ancestor that was from there. On the same note, early this year I visited Puebla, enjoyed local foods and visited the main Plaza and the adjoining Catedral without knowing that Lorenzo lived there at one point.
I trully want to thank Alejandro Gomez for finding the will of Lorenzo Perez and sharing it with us. This is a very important document that adds to our shared ancestry and history of Northeastern Mexico.
Get a Copy of the Will Here
Use the link below to get your own copy. The will starts on Image 280 and ends on image 286.
FamilySearch link to Will: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSDF-LSCP-3?lang=en
Sources:
- FamilySearch: Mexico, Puebla, Protocolos, 1559-1847, Protocolos 1638, Testamento de Lorenzo Perez, Image 280 to 286 - Accessed May 22, 2026 - URL: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSDF-LSCP-3?lang=en.
- FamilySearch: Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1514-1970, "México, Distrito Federal, registros parroquiales y diocesanos, 1514-1970," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939D-859B-7?cc=1615259&wc=3PZ1-2NP%3A122585001%2C132377901 : 20 May 2014), Santa Catarina Virgen y Mártir (Centro) > Matrimonios 1589-1639, 1664-1671 > image 180 of 548; parroquias Católicas, Distrito Federal (Catholic Church parishes, Distrito Federal).
- FamilySearch: Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1514-1970, "México, Distrito Federal, registros parroquiales y diocesanos, 1514-1970," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-65BX-6C?cc=1615259&wc=3PX8-168%3A122580201%2C125502002 : 20 July 2015), Asunción Sagrario Metropolitano (Centro) > Bautismos de españoles 1590-1611 > image 566 of 716; parroquias Católicas, Distrito Federal (Catholic Church parishes, Distrito Federal).
- "México, Hidalgo, registros parroquiales, 1546-1971," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9396-M8YK-4?cc=1804358&wc=MC7Z-P29%3A147073501%2C147073502%2C159673901 : 20 May 2014), Huichapan > San Mateo Apóstol > Matrimonios de españoles 1622-1703, 1743-1769 > image 16 of 287; paróquias Católicas (Catholic Church parishes), Hidalgo.
