FIU Cuban Genealogical Research Library

Document of Mr. Enrique Hurtado de Mendoza

CAPITULO VI

GONZALEZ DE MENDOZA

During the last years of the XV Century, this family is first recognized living at the “Villa de Campanario de la Serena”, Province of Badajoz, impersonated by Alvaro González de Mendoza. The latter’s great grandson, Diego González de Mendoza, with his wife and children, then moved to Villa de Pruna, located in the Province of Sevilla. In their quality of neighbors of Pruna,  Diego’s sons proved their nobility and honorableness  in the year of 1611, and were granted a “Carta Ejecutoria de Hidalguía” (Royal Charter Executory of Honorableness letter) from “La  Real Chancellería de Granada” in the year 1615. This document was  later ratified by another Royal Charter Executory of Honorableness dated 1619. One of his siblings, Juan González de Mendoza, changed residence to Villa de Olvera, in the Province of Cádiz. His third grandchild, Don Juan González de Mendoza yRuiz from Valdivia, born in Olvera in the year  1722, married in the Island of San Fernando de Cádiz in 1757, to María Marina Salvadores y Benavides, from  Osuna, Province of Sevilla. Their son, Antonio González de Mendoza y Salvadores was born in San Fernando de Cádiz, in 1769. He was the first member of the family who moved to Cuba, performing various jobs in Havana, as Naval Ship Accountant (Contador de Navío), and Assistant Accountant to the Supreme Audit Institution of the Island of Cuba (Ordenador Agregado al Tribunal Mayor de Cuentas de la Isla de Cuba).  He married in Havana, in the year 1798, to Doña María de los Dolores Gavantes Ledesma, hence being, the truthful grandparents, on the fathers side, of Don Antonio González de Mendoza y Bonilla, who isgreat grandfather to The Great Duchess Heiress of Luxembourg, who’s succession will be expressed in the following paragraphs.

The Coat of Arms belonging to this family lineage proceeding from the Ancient House of Mendoza:

On a single space, a band of gold carrying a list of files, which are embroidered and stitched with gold trimmings. This Gules Embroidery is adorned by eight blades of the same metal.

Don Antonio González de Mendoza y Bonilla, Gavantes y Calvera, was born in Havana, where he was baptized in the Parrish of the Guadalupe, (today Caridad o Cevidad), on the 21 of April, 1828. He was a Lawyer, Mayor of this City, Member of the Economic Society “Amigos del Pais”, and first President of the Supreme Court of Justice of Cuba. Don Antonio died in Havana on the 14th of January, 1906. He married in this same city, at “Parroquia Espíritu Santo”, on the 30th of March, 1855, to Doña María de las Mercedes Pedroso y Montalvo, Echevarría y Nuñez del Castillo, natural of Havana; and baptized in the “Parrish of Santo Cristo”,  on February 16th, 1835.                           

Antonio is a descendant of one of Cuba’s oldest and most noble colonial families, as can be confirmed by the genealogy ( Árbol de Costados), which belongs to his great granddaughter, the Great Duchess Heiress of Luxembourg.