Juan Sebastian del Cano

July 22, 1526

The Victoria

Original of the testament of Juan Sebastian del Cano made on board the ship, Victoria, one of the ships of Comendador Garcia de Loaysa on its way to the South Sea.

Aboard the ship, Victoria, on the Pacific Ocean, at one degree of the equinoctial line, on the 26th of July, the year of the Lord, 1526, and in the presence, Iñigo Cortes de Perea, accountant of the flagship of Your Majesties. Captain Juan Sebastian del Cano, resident of Guetaria³, bedridden, sick, but sound of mind and judgement as granted him by our Lord; fearful of death as in natural, and with the undersigned present as witnesses, submitted this document closed and sealed, which he said was his last will of testament as which he declared is what he authorizes as his final and last will. And he order each and every part of this will to be complied with and effected. Witnesses to his signature were Martin Iñiquez de Carquizano, Andres de Gorostiaga, Martin de Uriarte, Juan de Cabala, Hernando de Guebara, Andres de Aleta, Andres de Urdaneta, who affixed their signature to his in this testament.

Juan Sebastian del Cano
Hernando de Guebara Martin de Uriarte
Martin Iñiquez de Carquizano Andres de Gorostiaga
Juanes de Cebala Andres de Aleta
Andres de Urdaneta

In my presence:
Iñigo Cortes de Perea
In the name of God, amen. That all who read this testament may know:

That I, Captain, Juan Sebastian del Cano, resident of Villa Guetaria, being sick but sound of mind and judgement that God our Lord granted me, knowing that man is mortal, death most certain though the hour of its coming is very uncertain so that every Christian Catholic, as a faithful Christian, must be ready for whenever God wills that time to come. Thus, firmly believing in all that the Holy Mother Church truly stands for, I order and make my last will and testament as follows:

First, I give my soul to God who created me and redeemed me by his sacred blood on the Holy Cross. I ask and pray His blessed Lady Mother, Mary, to be my advocate before Her precious Son that He might pardon me my sins and take me to His holy glory.

Moreover, I order that funeral rites or and obsequies to be made in Villa Guetaria in the church of San Salvador, as befits a person of my stature, and that I be buried in a grave in the same place where my father and ancestors are interred.

Moreover, I leave to the three orders of Redención, for the redemption of infidels, six ducats, two for each of them. These six ducats I order to be paid after His Majesty and his treasurers will have settled all that is due me. Till then, my estate and my heirs are not to be made to pay these six ducats nor any legacy or donation I make except after the said money is paid me by His Majesty.

Also, I leave six ducats for the construction of the San Salvador Church of Villa Guetaria.

Moreover: I leave twelve gold ducats to the St. Martin Church in the jurisdiction of Villa Guetaria for chasubles for a deacon and subdeacon and a red cape of good cloth, each yard costing a gold ducat. If the twelve ducats are not sufficient, more should be added to complete the total amount needed.

Moreover: I leave a gold ducat to the church of San Provencia of the same villa.

Moreover: I leave a gold ducat to the church of the Magdalena of the same villa.

Moreover: I leave a gold ducat to the poor of Señor San Lazaro.

Moreover: I leave a gold ducat to the Church of San Anton of the same villa.

Moreover: I leave a gold ducat to the church of San Pedro of the same villa.

Moreover: I leave a gold ducat to the hermitage San Gregorio of the same villa.

Moreover: I leave two gold ducats to the hospital of the same villa.

Moreover: I leave one ducat to Santa Cruz of the same villa.

Moreover: I leave forty gold ducats to the Church of Nuestra Señora de lciar, for ornaments to be estimated by the executors of my will at that amount.

Moreover: I leave six gold ducats to Santa Maria de Guadalupe.

Moreover: I leave one gold ducat to Nuestra Señora de Aranzasu.

Moreover: I leave one gold ducat to Nuestra Señora de Truniranza.

Moreover: I leave ten gold ducats to the Monastery of Sasiaola.

Moreover: I leave a gold ducat to Santa Engracia de Aitarne.

Moreover: I order set aside the amount needed for a pilgrimage to Santa Veronica of Alicante which I had promised to make but failed to do and so, I leave six ducats for whoever will do this for me. In addition, I order that this person be given twenty-four ducats for those serving the church of Santa Veronica and that he obtain a receipt from the rector and stewards who will receive the twenty-four ducats.

Moreover: I leave a ducat to San Pelayo de Carauz.

Moreover: I declare that I asked the superior and friars of the monastery of San Francisco de la Coruña, to say a daily misa de concesion; and take charge of praying to God for my soul and for all those with me in the Armada for the Armada itself until I return to Spain. For this purpose, I leave my sixty ducats, care of Cristobal de Polo, notary of the said city, for payment to be made to the superior and friars of the monastery upon the armada's arrival at La Coruña.

Moreover: I leave six ducats to the Church of Señor Santiago de Galicia.

Moreover: I order that thirty of the most needy within the jurisdiction of the Villa Guetaria each be given a white corded woolen skirt as chosen by my executors.

Moreover: I order that a mass be said for my soul and for that of my father every year in the Church of San Salvador to be celebrated by Don Lorenzo de Foratabal. That another be said in the Magdalena of the same Villa by my brother Don Domingo and still another, in the Church of San Sebastian by Don Rodrigo de Gainta, my nephew. I order that they be paid for this as is customary in the said Villa.

All of the aforesaid bequests should be paid from the funds that His Majesty owes me and until such a time, none of them shall be paid out of my other assets, and the commissaries of the Santa Cruzada with regards to the six ducats for the said redemption of infidels, nor any steward treasurer, or official of all the said churches or any other person may not ask for payment of these bequests.

Moreover: I bequeath one hundred gold ducats to Mari Hernandez de Hernialde (a virgin when I had her), mother of Domingo del Cano, my son, to be paid within two years after this testament of mine reaches Spain.

Moreover: I order that the daughter I had in Valladolid whose mother is Maria de Vidaurreta, if she is alive, be taken to Villa Gustaria when she is four years old and that she be provided for till she is of marriageable age. She is then to be given four hundred gold ducats and her dowry and trousseau on condition that she marry with the consent of my executors and of my heir. If she marries without their consent, she is not to be given (blank) nor (blank) and from thereon, I disinherit her (just as if I were alive and present then). If my daughter should die before she is married, she is not to get anything. Instead, the four hundred ducats, her dowry and trousseau I leave to my heir. If she should die after being married and without children or if her children should die before coming of age, in such a case, I leave her dowry to my heir or heirs.

Moreover: I leave forty ducats to Maria de Vidaurreta, mother of my daughter, to provide for her and satisfy my conscience. These are to be paid her within a year after my testament reaches Spain.

Moreover: I leave my cousin, Isabel del Puerto a skirt that costs four ducats.

Moreover: I leave twenty ducats to my nephew, son of Sebastian del Cano, my brother.

Moreover: I leave twenty ducats to Domingo del Cano, my nephew son of Sebastian. In order to cover and pay for the above mentioned bequests, I declare as my assets, the amount of one thousand seven hundred fifty ducats which His Majesty owes me in the Trading House of Spices. And for the said one thousand seven hundred fifty ducats. His Majesty gave me for my investment funds in this armada, one hundred thousand maravedis, fifty thousand maravedis was paid to me for a certain need I had and the other fifty thousand maravedis are in the account of Cristobal de Haro and entrusted to him and in addition eleven or twelve thousand maravedis which were given to me. And this amount appears in a receipt of the said Cristobal de Haro such that the said eleven or twelve thousand maravedis are in the account of Cristobal de Haro in addition to the said fifty thousand maravedis. Furthermore, I declare as my assets, the fifty thousand maravedis I invested in the fitting out of the armada which are to be receive by me as profit or loss in the same way as the other investors. From this fifty thousand maravedis, the said eleven or twelve thousand maravedis should be deducted for the note made out to Cristobal de Haro. Having therefore invested the one hundred thousand maravedis in the fitting out of the armada, as aforesaid, His Majesty still owes me one thousand seven hundred fifty ducats by the end of this month July, 1526. And for my salary, he owes me one thousand four hundred eighty four ducats.

Moreover: I declare as my assets, the one thousand ducats which His Majesty pays me as salary and I have received from His Majesty and from Cristobal de Haro, in his behalf, fifty thousand maravedis in cash, and another fifty thousand maravedis as investment in the out fitting of the armada.

Moreover: I declare as my assets, eight hundred axes more or less.

Moreover: And nine quintales of iron which are seventy-nine cabos of this iron.

Moreover: In addition, I declare the merchandise that I share with Diego del Cobarrubias and which are contained in a box:

First
Seven bolts of coarse cloth.
Nine pieces of fine cloth.
Two pieces of fine linen.
Three pieces of fine linen al carqo.
A tablecloth of eight cuarteles.
Fifty one chamber pots, big and small.
One hundred bundles of matamundo.
One hundred bundles of glass beads.
One hundred pounds of blue crystal, ordinary.
A piece of coarse linen of twenty seven with a total value of fifty thousand and sixty two maravedis.
And, in the same box, one hundred pieces of chamber pots that weighed one hundred forty two and a
half pounds.
Thirty nine plates that weighed one hundred forty four and a half pounds.
Fifty bracelets that weighed twenty five pounds.
Twenty water jugs.
Fifty salt shakers.
One hundred pounds of crystal, ordinary.
A ream of paper.
Two hundred bundles of matamundo and glass beads.
Six pounds of small pearls.
Two hundred medium-sized bells and fifty of the small ones.
Twenty dozen knives.
And another six dozen knives.
Four dozen scissors.
Twelve skeins of thread of mernicordio.
Eighteen woolen caps.
One piece of coarse linen that has twenty-seven, a hundred forty two for one hundred thirty
eight yards.
Seven pieces of very coarse wool...
Nine pieces of fine woolen cloth which had...
Two pieces coarse linen that had forty...
Three pieces of linen with thirty six...
One piece of table cloth with eight cuartelec which has forty three...
And ten pieces of Brittany⁴ cloth with a shirt that came from the bag owned by Diego de Cobarrubias
which we divided between the two of us. His men received their share of three hundred fifty two
and two-thirds yards which are in the box of clothes.
And eight dozen knives, Martin Perez has them.

And one more box with the following items in it; all of which are solely mine:
Twenty strings of yellow glass beads.
And twenty-three strings of large pearls.
And nineteen strings of small pearls.
Five small packs of yellow matamundo.
Nine short strings of small beads.
One box of handkerchiefs.
Nine yards of red woolen cloth all in one piece.
Another piece of red woolen cloth, two and three-fifths yards.
Six and one-third yards of yellow coarse woolen fabric.

And another bag that contain the following:
One piece of fine yellow cloth, four and one-third yards long.
Another piece of fine, red cloth six yards long.
Another piece of yellow woolen cloth.
Another piece of fine red cloth of seventeen and 1/5 yards.

And another bag with the following contents:
A piece of media linen cloth, thirty-four yards long,
Another piece of media linen cloth thirty-two and one-half yards long.
Another piece of media linen cloth thirty and two-thirds yards long.
And one silver jars that weighs more than two and one-half marks.
And one big bowl that weighs more than two marks.
Another big bowl weighing one and a half marks.
Three silver spoons each weighing twelve reales.
And forty hats, woolen, stocked in the Trading House for merchandise are mine.
And two gold rings with their stones.
And one stone worth four ducats.

Clothes for wearing:
One raincoat from Granada⁵.
One jacket of green wool.
One jacket, camlet, yellowish brown.
One lumber jacket green, woolen sairo, fine.
One knee-length satin shirt lined.
One knee-length shirt dark bluish-violet with its silver arespo.
One knee length shirt, black, from Valencia, with velvet sash; used
One knee-length shirt, violet, old.
One doublet of taffeta, double.
One doublet of velvet, silver; used.
One doublet of velvet, black; used.
One doublet of velvet, yellow brown.
One doublet of red satin covered with taffeta cutouts; used.
One doublet embroidered; used.
One white cotton jacket; used.
One jacket of green wool, sairo lined; used
One jacket of red cloth.
One pair breaches of fine scarlet cloth with brocade belt; used.
Another pair of breeches, black; used.
Another pair of breeches, white, new.
Another pair of breeches, argentine; used.
Another pair of breeches made of silver woolen cloth; used.
Another pair of trousers, red; used.
A pair of red knee length stockings; used.
Two pieces of knee length stockings,red
one red caps of new cloth
one red sack, used
one papaizo of black velvet; used
Silver cloth for a pair of breeches
one pair knee length stocking; black
Two caps of scarlet cloth and one black cloth.
One gold headgear of silk, new.
Some caragueles of green serge.
One French hat of silver taffeta.
Two red bonnets.
One piece fine red cloth.
Two mattresses.
One white blanket, thick.
One cape.
Two pillows.
Seven bed-sheets.
One red jacket.
Nineteen shirts.
Three pillowcases.
Three copper pots, one with its cover.
One tin pot.
Eight tin plates.
Two pairs of iron trivets.
Three iron frying pans and three roasters and some gridirons.
A globe of the world.
One book, Latin Almanac.

As to my deals and receivables, I declare that to my knowledge I owe four persons. Should any person appear and demand payment of a debt of mine, after having proven himself credible and making a sworn statement, he should be paid out of my assets. And regarding my receivables, the notes I referred to in the documents and decrees, I order that they be collected.

And another book of astrology. If anyone should run into Andres San Martin the two books should be given to him.

I order that three yards of red London cloth for a jacket be given to the said Andres San Martin.

I order the designated executors of my will to sell all the merchandise on this ship declared and listed in the Indies in the manner that things are sold for men of my class.

I order that the clothes for wearing be disposed of as follows:
the silver jacket be given to Andres de Urdaneta.

Moreover: the purple jacket with the cutout taffeta goes to Hernando de Guebara.

I leave three pairs of trousers to Esteban, and Martin Perez is to have the best three pairs of breeches. He is also to have the green jacket, a cotton jacket, a red one, and the small red cloak.

Martin Perez and his brothers are to share all the other clothes equally. If they do not meet here in the Indies, then the said Martin can have all of them. Guevara is one of the four.

Moreover: He said had four and a half ducats redeemed from Juan Ortiz de Vildosola. I order that Juan de Iraeta be paid four and a half ducats from the proceeds of the sales at the price obtaining in La Coruña and Juan Ortiz, two ducats also from them. If they are not in the Indies, I order that they be credited for the fitting out of the ships with my other money and that they be paid as they paid me in La Coruña.

I also order that the jar, the two bowls and the three spoons be sold just like the other merchandise.

I order that Martin Perez, my brother, be given all that he should earn as a pilot wherever they arrive. Whenever there are gold, pearls, precious stones, silk, drugs, spices, and other to be sold, from the sale of these, he should get the two and one-fourth of freight due him.

I order that from the sale of spices coming to me be deducted for Andres de Urdaneta, Hernando de Guevara and Esteban, my nephew, the percentage of freight due them.

I leave forty ducats, to my nephew, Esteban, which I order be paid him from the first sale of the gold that belongs to me. I pray the commander to see to it that this is complied with.

I order that from the wheat and flour that I have here, a bushed of wheat, another of flour and four gallons of oil be given to Andres de Urdaneta and Hernando de Guevarra, in addition to the cuttlefish and thirty three pieces of cheese.

I order that the Captain General be given barrel which contains ten pieces of cheese.

I order that the other pieces of cheese be given to Martin Perez and Esteban, that the cheese be served with the wheat and flour and cuttlefish and crabs for them and their companions to eat.

I declare that I bought three barrels of white wine, one of which went to the pantry of His Honor. Another of the three went to Martin Perez, Juan and Martin Coysa. I order Martin Perez to take his share and to give his companions their share. And the other barrel I give to Martin Perez for him to drink. The wine that I gave Diego de Cobarrubias and which Rodrigo Montemayor brought, I ask His Honor to accept it for himself.

I order that Ayala be given coarse red wool and lining for a pair of trousers that I owe him, I also order that one half arroba or two gallons of oil each be given to Ven Hernandez, to the pharmacist and to the barber. I also order that Torres, the chaplain, be given one half bushel of flour and one half bushel of wheat and two gallons of oil; also two shirts. I declare that I brought two barrels of nails on the ship Sto. Espiritu, one is mine and the other belongs to Francisco de Burgos. We took this with our own risk. When the said ship was lost, two thousand nails fell out of one barrel and the other was completely lost. I ask that this be refunded and that half of the amount be given to de Burgos. I order that all food and wine be shared by Martin Perez with his brothers if he should meet them and that he should eat these with his companions. And having complied with all the orders and settled all the said debts, all of the rest, I leave to my universal heir. All my assets, real as well as personal, everything I own, I leave to Domingo del Cano, my son, mine and Mari Hernandez de Hernialde under this condition: that my mother, Catalina del Puerto be administratrix and beneficiary of all my assets in her lifetime, that she receive all said assets that I have and will have as inventoried, for all of her life or as long as she wishes to keep them. When she dies, I will that she leave everything to Domingo my heir.

Should God will that Domingo should die before my mother, his mother or any close relative of his will not have any claim on what he leaves. Under such circumstances, I leave my mother as heiress of all my assets. As my legitimate mother, she can inherit and dispose of all my estate as she wishes. All I have has been earned as a military man, in the service and by the grace of His Majesty and so I can dispose of them as I please. I declare that the inheritance that I leave to my mother, in the absence of an heir, she may have as her heiress, my daughter, granted that she is alive, under terms and conditions she might herself impose, without any objections from her sons. I pray and ask my mother, that should my daughter prove obedient to her, that she make my daughter her heiress in lieu of my son. To this end I give her full power, in the best way I can give her such power.

If my mother should die and my son should have no children, and should she die and should my said son also die, in this case, I make my daughter my universal heiress provided that she does what my executors tell her to do: to marry with their consent. Should she die without having any children, I leave as my heir, Martin Perez del Cano, my brother.

To comply with and order and pay and effect all aforesaid bequests, I appoint as executors and cabezaleros and administrators of my son and of my daughter, and of my assets, the Most Honorable Captain General of this armada of His Majesty; my mother, Catalina del Puerto; and the said Martin Perez del Cano, my nephew, Rodrigo de Cainta; Santiago de Guevarra, my brother-in-law and the maestre Inquidla, Domingo Martinez de Gorostiaga, jointly and severally to administer my assets. I leave my mother and my brother, Don Domingo, my nephew Rodrigo de Cainta, to administer the personal assets of my children till they are of age, and marry them off and I pray and ask that, as good administrators and managers, they will look after them and take care of their affairs. And for all the aforesaid, I give them full power to do all the above mentioned persons.

I also pray and ask my mother and all the other executors to accept and take charge of this testament and of my children in accordance with all that has been aforesaid; for them to make use of and enjoy.

I leave my mother a maximum of 500 ducats of my assets to dispose of as she wills and which she does not have to account for to my heir or anyone at all.

I revoke all and any testament or testaments, testimony supplements to any will, that I have made to date. I order that they be considered invalid and without effect. I declare that they are of no value. And I wish and will that this testament of mine be valid and binding for all time and I order that it be valid as a testament. If it should not be valid as testament, then as a supplement to a will, as my last will for all I want and will. Thus, I leave this as my testament as best and most fully I can, by deed and right.

I ask the most Honorable commander who is in charge of the Court of His Majesty in this place, to look into my affairs here as well as in the Court as someone of whom I expect help; and that he protect Martin Perez, my brother.

This testament was made and given on the ship, Victoria while in the South Seas, at one degree of the Equinoctial, on 22 July, 1526. Witnesses present were: Martin Iñiguez de Carquizano, Andres Gorostiaga, Hernando de Guebara, Andres de Aleta. All of them signed their names, as I did in this testament.

Juan Sebastian del Cano
Juanes de Cabala Andres Gorostiaga
Martin Iñiquez de Garquizano Martin de Uriarte
Hernando de Guebara Andres de Aleta
Andres de Urdaneta

I, Esteban de Metio, declare that I received from Martin Perez del Cano pilot of the Victoria, flagship of the armada of His Majesty, which is bound for the Moluccas Islands: three pairs of breeches, a cotton jacket, a red cloak and a green leather jacket, lined with yellow cloth, given me as inheritance by captain Juan Sebastian, (may he rest in peace). Said captain left me these in his testament for services rendered him. This certifies that I have received the above-mentioned items. I feel happy and deeply grateful. With true affection and without any fraud in the presence of Martin Iñiguez de Garquizano, general auditor of the armada and Miguel de Montoya, Notary of His Majesty who sign here as witnesses to the above.

Done on the flagship, 22 September 1526.

Martin Iniquez de Garquizano Esteban de Metio
Miguel de Montoyo

View of 16th century Sevilla showing the Cathedral, the Torre de Oro and Guadalquiwi river

1. The authors selected the documents that are considered of great importance, and other documents of the same topic are not included in the series because they were already published and translated many times before.

2. This project was undertaken under the auspices of the National Trust for Historical and Cultural Preservation of the Philippines and the International Fund for the Promotion of Culture (IFPC) UNESCO with the assistance of the Toyota Foundation and the American Express Foundation, The University of the Philippines

3. Guetaria, or Getaria, is a town of Gipuzkoa Province, in Northern Spain.

4. Brittany is a province of and former independent kingdom and duchy of France. At present, it is divided to two regions – Bretagne and Pays-de-la-Loire.

5. Granada is a province in the eastern part of Andalusia, an autonomous community of southern Spain.