Juan de la Cámara

Juan de la Cámara or Juan Gómez de la Cámara (Alcalá de Henares, Spain, 1525 - 1602) Spanish conquistador and hidalgo was born in Alcala de Henares Spain in 1525. In 1539, Cámara arrived in New Spain, current day Mexico, from Spain. He joined the Spanish Conquest of Yucatán in 1541, and he was one of the founders of Mérida Yucatán.

Juan de la Cámara was member of the Conquest and Pacification of “Las provincials de Grimel de Chetumal de los Zubeniques y de los Chaulacas” under direct orders of Captain Gaspar Pacheco. This phase was one of the most bloody and most difficult of the conquest of Yucatan. Juan de la Cámara was the founder of the City of Salamanca de Bacalar on the shores of the lagoon of Bacalar, nearby of the actual City of Chetumal, Capital of the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Juan de la Cámara also participated in the Conquest of the Province of the Sweet Golf (Provincia del Golfo Dulce) next to Lake of Izabal, today Guatemala, under the order of the Captains Don Francisco de Montejo ("el Mozo") and Don Cristobal Maldonado, he also was the founder of the City New Seville (Nueva Sevilla).

Juan de la Cámara participated in the General Rice and rebellion of the Mayan Indians and was under the orders of the Captain Francisco Bracamonte.

After the Conquest and Foundation of the City of Salamanca de Bacalar, he was given by the Spanish Crown the Encomienda the town of Cahabon today Guatemala and the town of Tituz, When he returned to Mérida after the Rice and Rebellion of the Mayan, the Crown gave him the Encomienda of the towns of Euan and Sinanche.

Coat of Arms

De la Cámara had the following encomiendas:

• Town of Cahobon today Guatemala
• Town of Titus today Guatemala
• Town of Euán today Yucatán
• Town of Sinanche today Yucatán

Juan de la Cámara was one of the most prominent members of Mérida, Yucatan, because he was Mayor (Alcalde) of Mérida Yucatan, Alguacil Mayor of the Province, as well as Perpetual Regidor de Mérida Yucatan.

The Gubernator of Yucatan Don Gillen de las Casas give him the Title of Lieutenant General of State (Teniente General de Govierno) in Yucatan.

Don Juan de la Cámara was married in 1563 to Doña Francisca de Sandoval, daughter of the Conquistador and hidalgo Don Gonzalo Méndez y Dona Ana Sandoval, and his descendants have lived in Mexico for 13 generations and they belong to the Mexican nobility.

• Juan de la Cámara - Baptized in Alcala de Henares, Spain the 14 of April 1525
• Juan Suares de la Cámara y Sandoval- Baptized in Mérida Yucatan the 14 of May 1565
• Juan de la Cámara y Aldana - Baptized in Mérida Yucatan the 12 of March 1598
• Juan de la Cámara y Osorio - Baptized in Mérida Yucatan the 13 of June 1650
• Cristobal de la Cámara y Duarte - Baptized in Mérida Yucatan. The 12 of November 1685
• Juan de la Cámara y Dominguez - Baptized in Mérida Yucatan the 31 of December 1711
• Jose Alcantara de la Cámara y del Castillo - Baptized in Mérida Yucatán the 29 of October 1744
• Felipe de la Cámara y Valdés - Baptized in Mérida Yucatan the 5 of May 1793
• Camilo de la Cámara y Zavala - Baptized in Mérida Yucatan the 23 of July 1817
• Enrique de la Cámara y Zavala - Baptized in Mérida the 14 of November 1860
• Enrique de la Cámara Peon y Zavala - Baptized in Mérida the 8 of January 1893
• Enrique de la Cámara Peon y Peon - Baptized in Mérida the 4 of November 1921
• Juan Enrique de la Cámara y Lara - Baptized in Mexico City. and Rodrigo de la Cámara y Lara. Baptized in Mexico City the 23 of June 1962
• Juan Enrique de la Cámara Thomas - Baptized in Mexico City & Fernando Alonso de la Cámara Thomas. Baptized in Mexico City

• Lic. Juan de la Cámara (Father)
• Bernardino de la Cámara (Grandfather)
• Alfonso Ruiz de la Cámara (Great-Grandfather)
• Pedro de la Cámara "El Tio" (Great-Great-Grandfather)
• Fernando Alonso de la Cámara "El Viejo"(Great-Great-Great-Grandfather)
• Gómez Ruiz de la Cámara(1371-?) (Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather)

• Alfonso Ruiz de la Cámara - the great-grandfather of Don Juan de la Cámara, who was a Spanish nobleman, was knighted Caballero de Espuelas Doradasthe 15 of August 1487 by king Ferdinand II of Aragón, king of Castile. King of Naples and king of Navarre. Then he was given a record of nobility, confirmation of Caballero de Espuelas Doradas, and a letter of privileges by the Queen Joanna of Castile (Juana la Loca) the 23 de April 1505.

• Juan Rodríguez de la Cámara (1390–1450) - Galician writer born in Padrón, he was born to a hidalgo family. He may have served as a page to Juan II of Castile, and may have attended the Council of Florence in 1434 as secretary to the cardinal Juan de Cervantes, a respected jurist and a friend of Pero Tafur.
• Gómez Ruiz de la Cámara was the Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather of Don Juan de la Cámara.

The King Henry III of Castile (El Doliente ) in the year of 1393 gave the title knight of the Chamber to Gomez Ruiz, who was later known as Gomez Ruiz de la Cámara. Then the king Henry III of Castile married him to an English Lady, who was lady in waiting of the Queen Catherine of Lancaster (Doña Catalina) daughter of the John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (Alencastre).

• Gómez Fernández de la Cámara - the first cousin of Pedro de la Cámara "El Tio" (Great-Great-Grandfather of Juan de la Cámara). He was given by Royal Decree,the titles of Secretary and Royal Scribe and Royal notary of the Court by the King John II of Castile the 9 of March 1453.
• Gonzalo de la Cámara - in 1227 in the city of Baeza, Spain, King Ferdinand III of Castile (Fernando Tercero de Castilla el Santo) by Royal Decree, ordered that the Coat of Arms of the knights who were with him in the battle, were displayed in the city, one of the Coat of Arms that was displayed belonged to Don Gonzalo de la Cámara,