Ancestors of the Counts of Siruela

Pedro Fernandez de Velasco (born ca. 1330, died 19 June 1387, married to Maria Sarmiento) was a Camarero mayor, a senior chamberlain of the king. This position was an essential one that demanded management of the many stewards and chamberlains in his charge to fulfil the daily needs of the king's residence. The position of a senior chamberlain could be passed down to their children.
Serving one's king and queen faithfully gained the servant many coveted rewards of land, palaces and titles which enabled the servant to petition the king to create mayorazgo and senorios for their eldest son. The latter formed a strong foundation for marriage contracts between noble families.
The mayorazgo has three significant definitions. The first involves a right of succession in family estates. It also infers that the first-born son possesses the right of primogeniture. More loosely interpreted it concerns the family estate which devolves to the first-born son by right of inheritance. When there was no first-born son the mayorazgo passed to the first-born daughter. When she married the mayorazgo then passed to her husband. As the court system evolved in medieval Spain the courts began hearing pleitos, litigations brought forward by sons and daughters who had been formally legitimized by the father via the church or by royal decree. Some pleitos continued on for years until a final judgement was made by the court.
The Velasco family group bore the titles of Camarero mayor, Constables of Castile, Counts of Haro, Counts of Frias, and the Counts of Siruela. These titles were acquired via service to the kings, and were eventually enhanced even more by way of marriage contracts and alliances between important families: The Carillo, de la Cueva, de Toledo, Enriquez, Herrera, Luna, Manrique, Mendoza, Montemayor, Pimentel, Ponce de leon, the Zuniga and many others. And in this way, the families extended themselves in Spain, into the rest of Europe and eventually into the Caribbean and the New World.
Children of Pedro and Maria:
1: Pedro Fernandez de Valasco y Sarmiento born ca. 1367. died 1458. Married to Beatriz Manrique. They had children:
i Pedro Fernandez de Velasco y Marique who married, Isabel Ponce de Leon y Baenza, the daughter of Pedro Ponce de Leon Lauria and Sancha Baenza de Haro.
Pedro Fernandez de Velasco y Manrique and Isabel Ponce de Leon had children:
i Pedro Fernandez de Velasco Ponce de Leon who married, Mencia de Mendoza the daughter of Inigo Lopez de Mendoza.
Pedro Fernandez de Velasco y Ponce de Leon was the II Count of Haro the title was conceded to him during the year of 1425. His wife Mencia de Mendoza held two titles, Countess of Haro and Condesa de Miranda.

This marriage has an interesting story attached to it. Pedro de Velasco built Mencia de Menoza a special palace, The Casa del Cordon, the House of the Cord, is the most important building of Burgos civil architecture and was constructed in the 15th century. It is located at the Plaza de la Libertad. It was built for the Constable of Castile Pedro Fernandez and his wife Mencia de Mendoza, and its architect was Simón de Colonia. The main door of the Casa del Cordon has a Franciscan waist cord that frames the doorway, giving the building its name. Above the doorway there are two coats of arms of the Constables of Castile, Pedro's blazon is on the right and Mencia's is on the left.
The Casa de Cordon has hosted some very notable personalities during its hey day. King Ferdinand and Isabella during the year of 1457, Cristobal Columbo after his return from his second voyage to the Caribbean and during the year of 1506, Prince Phillip, "the Handsome", died at the Casa, he was son of the emperor, Maximillian of Austria. Phillip was the husband of Princess Joana, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella. Carlos V, son of Joana also stayed at the Casa del Cordon.
Children of Pedro Fernandez de Velasco II Count of Haro and Mencia de Mendoza were:
# Pedro de Velasco y Mendoza; married Juliana Angela de Velasco, the daughter of Inigo Fernandez de Velasco Ponce de Leon II duke of Frias, and his wife, Agueda de Guzman y Aragon Inigo was the son of Pedro Fernandez de Velasco Manrique and Isabel Ponce de Leon y Baenza.
# Juana de Velasco y Mendoza; married Juan de Luna y Pimentel.
# Catalina de Mendoza, Condesa de Miranda; no issue. Died 1498.
# Maria de Velasco y Mendoza; married Juan Pacheco, the son of Pedro de Pacheco and Beatriz Enriquez.
# Leonor de la Vega Velasco; married Juan Tellez Giron, 2nd Count of Urena.
# Mencia de Velasco y Mendoza.
Continuing with the next child of Pedro Fernandez de Velasco and Maria Sarmiento:
2: Juan Fernandez de Velasco y Sarmiento (born ca. 1368, died 1418); married Maria Solier.
In a document from the National History Archives, Enrique III of Castile confirms Juan Fernandez de Velasco's rights as were confirmed by Juan I to Pedro Fernandez de Velasco to receive the lands of Otanes, Cereceda in the valley of Ampuro as well as in the valley of the river Tuero as a gift for the service his ancestor provided to the king.
Children of Pedro de Velasco and Maria de Sarmiento continued:
3: Fernando de Velasco y Sarmiento born ca 1369, married to Leonor Carrillo.
Child of Fernando de Velasco y Sarmiento and Leonor Carrillo:
i Juan de Velasco y Carrillo who became the first Count of Siruela after his marriage to Leonor de Mendoza, Countess of Siruela.
Their children were:
i Francisco de Velasco y Mendoza, ii Maria de Velasco y Mendoza, iii Leonor de Velasco y Mendoza.
In order to avoid any confusion, regarding Maria de Velasco y Mendoza, since there are so many Maria de Velasco within the family tree; I will share who she married with: Alfonso Fernandez de Montemayor Alfonso Fernandez de Montemayor's father was:Martin Alfonso de Montemayor y Ponce de Leon, and his wife, Maria Fernandez de Cordova. Martin Alfonso de Montemayor y Ponce de Leon's parents were: Alonso de Montemayor and Elvira Ponce de Leon y Gonzalez, the daughter of Juan Ponce de Leon y Ayala the II Count of Arcos and his wife, Catalina Gonzalez de Oviedo, the grandparents of the Adelantado of la Florida, Juan Ponce de Leon [http://books.google.com/books?idJcDGZgKtWG4C&printsecfrontcover&dq=Juan+ponce+de+leon+his+new+and+revised+genealogy&hlen&saX&eiGzRBT-bfBcSG2gXvmcyVCA&ved0CEEQ6AEwAA#vonepage&qJuan%20ponce%20de%20leon%20his%20new%20and%20revised%20genealogy&f=false Juan Ponce de Leon].
Second source data on Elvira Ponce de Leon
To continue with Maria de Velasco's brother:
(Ayes, sic: Correcting an error made by historians and genealogists:)
# Francisco de Velasco y Mendoza; married Francisca Carrillo, the daughter of Martin Alfonso de Montemayor and Maria Carillo.
Historians and genealogists have stated that Francisco Alfonso de Montemayor and his other wife, Maria Fernandez de Cordova were the parents of Francisca Cariilo but this is an error.
Francisca Carrillo married Francisco de Velasco y Mendoza, the second count of Siruela. They had a child:
* Leonor de Velasco y Carrillo, 3rd Countess of Siruela (died 8 November 1527); married on 1 January 1502, Cristobal de la Cueva y Velasco (born ca. 1472), son of Beltran de la Cueva and Maria de Velasco y Ponce de Leon.
Juan de Velasco de la Cueva y Pacheco (born ca. 1621)
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Juan de Velasco La Cueva y Pacheco, was the 8th Count of Siruela, a title awarded initially by King Henry IV of Castile in 1470. Juan de Velasco was Governor of the Duchy of Milan from 1641-1643, deceased 1651, no issue.
Juan de Velasco de la Cueva y Pacheco was the son of Gabriel de Velasco de la Cueva y Zuniga the VII Count of Siruela and his wife Victoria Pacheco y Colonna the Countess of Siruela.
Gabriel de Velasco de la Cueva y Zuniga, was the son of Gabriel de Velasco de la Cueva Porras y Medrano who died 1454, and his wife, Teresa de Zuniga. Gabriel de Velasco de la Cueva Porras y Medrano had an illegitimate child with Francisca de Villanueva, Magdalena Angela de Velasco.
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Cristobal de Velasco de la Cueva's mother and father were:
Cristobal de la Cueva y Velasco and Leonor de Velasco Carrillo.
Counts of Siruela
# Juan de Velasco y Carrillo, 1st Count of Siruela.
# Francisco de Velasco y Mendoza, 2nd Count of Siruela.
# Cristobal de la Cueva y Velasco, 3rd Count of Siruela.
# Juan de Velasco de la Cueva, 4th Count of Siruela.
# Gabriel de Velasco de la Cueva Porras y Medrano, 5th Count of Siruela.
# Cristobal de Velasco de la Cueva Porras y Medrano, 6th Count of Siruela.
# Gabriel de Velasco de la Cueva y Zuniga, 7th Count of Siruela.
# Juan de Velasco de la Cueva y Pacheco, 8th Count of Siruela.

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