Francisco Ceinos

Francisco Ceinos (* around 1500 in Spain ; † after 1568 ) was a Spanish lawyer and colonial administrator who served as viceroy of New Spain on an interim basis .

Origin and career in Europe

Ceinos was from Spain and must have proven legal experience as a judge before King Charles V summoned him to the Real Audiencia in Mexico.

Term of office at the Audiencia of Mexico

The first Audiencia in New Spain, which began its work in 1529 under the direction of Nuño de Guzmán, did not meet the moral and legal requirements. The judges were soon removed from office and punished for their arbitrary judgments and their cruelty.

The Council of India convened a second Audiencia chaired by Sebastián Ramírez de Funleal . Other oidores , besides Ceinos, were Alonso de Maldonado , Juan Salmerón and Vasco de Quiroga .

The judges of this Audiencia were certified to judge fair and wise - especially against the local population, who was exposed to the arbitrariness of the Conquistadores .

Tenure as viceroy

Ceinos served as a member of the Audiencia for over thirty years. When Viceroy Luis de Velasco died in 1564, as the eldest Oidor, he temporarily took over the rule of the Viceroyalty until the arrival of his successor from Spain.

In 1566, Spain changed the legal position in the encomienda fiefdom system - the fiefdoms could no longer bequeath their extremely lucrative businesses after their death as they saw fit, but instead reverted to the crown. This aroused the resentment of the colonists.

The Audiencia sensed a conspiracy by high-ranking Spaniards - including two sons of the conqueror Hernán Cortés . The judges feared that the enraged feudal takers would seek independence from the Spanish crown in order to rule Mexico for themselves (and for their own account).

Ceinos prepared for a civil war; he had soldiers posted and cannons on the streets of Mexico City . The Audiencia, chaired by Francisco Ceinos, arrested numerous Spaniards and sentenced several alleged conspirators, including Martín Cortés and Luis Cortés , to death.

Before the sentence was carried out, the new viceroy Gastón de Peralta had landed in Veracruz . He withdrew the death penalty and had the Cortés sons brought to Spain.

Conflict with Viceroy Peralta

Ceinos handed over the official business to Gastón de Peralta. The mildness that Peralta showed towards the condemned made the Audiencia suspicious. They became convinced that Peralta was also secretly opposing the king. They tried to get hold of him - but the viceroy escaped arrest by moving to Metrópoli . The Oidores formulated their allegations in a letter of complaint that they sent to the Crown in Spain.

The king - in the meantime Charles V had died and Philip II on the throne - sent two auditors to investigate the case. The auditors, Alonzo de Muñoz and Luis Carrillo, removed Peralta from office and sent him to Spain to answer his questions. (He was later acquitted and rehabilitated.)

The two auditors temporarily carried out the official business. In April 1568, however, the two received orders from Spain, which ordered them back to Spain - together with the deposed viceroy. Until the arrival of the new viceroy, they were to place the administration of the viceroyalty in the hands of the audiencia.

Ceinos served as dean of the Audiencia for a further six months as viceroy on an interim basis until Martín Enríquez de Almansa took office in November 1568.

Nothing is known about Francisco Ceinos' further life.

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• Role and occupation of the Audiencia in the 16th century (Spanish)
• Role of Ceinos in the deposition of Viceroy Peralta (Spanish)

predecessor	Office	successor
Luis de Velasco	Viceroy of New Spain 1564–1567	Gastón de Peralta
Gastón de Peralta and Auditors Alonso de Muñoz and Luis Carrillo	Viceroy of New Spain 1568	Martín Enríquez de Almansa