Martín Cortés

Martín Cortés (; 1522 – 1569) was a Spanish noble and soldier. He was the first-born son of conquistador Hernán Cortés and La Malinche, the indigenous interpreter and mistress of his father. He is considered to be one of the first mestizos of New Spain and is known as "El Mestizo" . He was recognized by his father, and was legitimized in 1529 by a bull of Pope Clement VII (along with his siblings Catalina and Luis).

By influence of his father, he lived a cosmopolitan life between America and Europe. He became Knight of the Order of Santiago, the highest status that could be achieved in Spain, and received a first level education in the Spanish court, where he became a page for Holy Roman Empress Isabella and future king Philip II of Spain.

He served in several military campaigns for Emperor Charles V, including the Schmalkaldic War and the last Italian War. In 1566 he and his brothers were arrested in their return to New Spain, accused of rebellion, probably falsely so. They were tortured and exiled to Spain before being exonerated by King Philip. He then served under John of Austria and participated in suppressing the Second Alpujarras Rebellion, where he was killed in action in 1569. When Martín was only two years old, his parents led an expedition to Honduras and left him in the care of Juan Altamirano, a cousin of his father. In 1526, when Martín was four, his mother married Juan Jaramillo, a trusted lieutenant of his father, although "his father never seemed to cast her aside." His father continued to leave him in the custody of Altamirano since that was the home that he had known best. Two years later, he saw his mother one last time before his father took him to Spain. He probably had time to learn some Náhuatl.

In 1529, Hernán Cortés hired a lawyer to petition Pope Clement VII to legitimize Martín. The pope agreed since he himself had been illegitimate. Martín was inducted into the Order of Santiago on July 19, backed by fellow conquistador Diego de Ordaz, and became a page under Empress Isabella and Prince Philip. In October of the same year his half-brother Don Martín was born, Martín fell ill. According to letters between Hernán Cortés and his cousin, Francisco de Núñez, he was suffering from lamparones, a disease that was called "the king’s evil" because some thought that the king could cure it. In turn, Martín el Mestizo was to receive an annual income of one thousand gold ducats from the marquisate. His brother was also a guest, as recorded by William Segar. In March 1566, Brothers Gil and Alonso de Ávila held a party at their home in Mexico. This was the spot where what would become known as the "marquis plot" supposedly occurred.

On 16 July 1566, guards came to arrest Martín Cortés and bring him to the royal houses. He learned that his brothers, the Ávila brothers, and eighteen other friends had been taken prisoner too. They were being charged with plotting to anoint the Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca as the king of New Spain. After being exiled from his father's land and his birthplace, he served under Don Juan de Austria, an illegitimate son of Charles V.

Martín never returned to Mexico. In 1569, he engaged in the suppression of Second Alpujarras Rebellion in the ranks of Juan de Austria, where he was killed in action later into the year. He left two children with Doña Bernaldina de Porras: a daughter, Ana Cortés, and a son, Fernando Cortés. Details and dates of Martín's family life do not exist.