Hello,
Regarding the Cadena's of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and South
Texas.
The Pedro de
Alvarado link to the Cadena's is presumed to be illegitimate. Genealogical records only list Pedro's children from his European wife. It is said that Pedro was given a Tlascalan princess by
Cortez as a reward for helping conquer the Aztecs. As you know Tlascalan's were subservient and bitter enemies of the Aztec. They helped the Spaniards defeat Montezuma. Her Christian name was Maria Luisa. It's said she and Pedro were happy together, and she traveled with him.
Regarding the
Cadena crest:
A line of African slaves (a cadena) was protecting the
Moor Mohammad ben
Josef in the
Battle of
Navas de
Tolosa in Summer of 1212. The
Cadena ancestor (a
Gonzalez) was the first to break the line of defense protecting the moorish king and was rewarded a new crest. The family became
Gonzalez de la
Cadena, then
Cadena alone.
It's presumed that the family is descended from
Fernan Gonzalez,
Counts of
Barcelona, thereafter
Kings of Majorca. This needs confirmation.
Even before this, books state that the Cadenas were of the highest nobility in Burgos, Spain and resided
Covarrubias, the outskirts of the city.
In the 1300s (or so),
Garcia Martinez de
Lerma was ambassador (and a Knight of
Santiago?) to
Venice (a city state) and Maria
Cadena was his wife. The family assumed the surname
Cadena, perhaps because was more prestigious, but the reason is unclear. One didn't necessarily have his father's surname in those days.
