Enrique Enríquez the Younger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Enrique Enríquez the Younger
Arms of Infante Henry of Castile.svg
Died	1366
Nationality	Castilian
Occupation	Nobleman
Known for	Lord of Villalba de los Barros

Enrique Enríquez the Younger (died 1366) was an important nobleman from Castile, a kingdom in what is now Spain. He was the son of Enrique Enríquez the Elder. Enrique the Younger was the lord of several towns, including Villalba de los Barros, Nogales, Almendral, La Parra, and Begíjar. He also held many important jobs for the king, like being the main judge of the King's House and a military leader in the border region of Andalusia. He was also a Knight of the Band.

Family Background

Enrique Enríquez the Younger's parents were Enrique Enríquez the Elder and Estefanía Rodríguez de Ceballos. His father was a nobleman and lord of Puebla de los Infantes. His mother was the Lady of Villalba de los Barros.

His father's parents were Prince Henry of Castile the Senator and Lady Mayor Rodríguez Pecha. Prince Henry was the son of King Ferdinand III of Castile.

His mother's parents were Rodrigo González de Ceballos and María Fernández de Caviedes. Rodrigo was a mayor of Toledo and a military leader in Murcia. María was the lady of several towns like Caviedes.

Early Life

We don't know exactly when Enrique Enríquez the Younger was born. In 1307, his mother, Estefanía Rodríguez de Ceballos, gave him the lordship of Villalba de los Barros. His father agreed to this gift.

King Alfonso XI of Castile officially approved this gift in 1320. Enrique's father died sometime before 1323. We know this because his mother mentioned being a widow in a document from that year.

During King Alfonso XI's Rule

In 1331, Enrique Enríquez the Younger became a Knight of the Band. This was a special group created by King Alfonso XI that same year.

Two years later, in 1333, the King gave him the town of Almendral. This town is in the area known today as the province of Badajoz. In 1335, King Alfonso XI also gave Enrique the village of Espechilla. At this time, Enrique was serving as the chief judge of the king's household.

Battle of Villanueva de Barcarrota

In 1336, Enrique Enríquez the Younger led Castilian-Leonese troops. They joined forces with Pedro Ponce de León the Elder and Juan Alonso Pérez de Guzmán y Coronel. Together, they defeated the troops of King Alfonso IV of Portugal. This important battle was called the battle of Villanueva de Barcarrota. Their victory made the King of Portugal stop trying to take the city of Badajoz.

Fighting in the Battle of Río Salado

In 1340, Enrique was the military commander for the area of Jaén. He fought in the Battle of Río Salado, where Christian armies won against the Muslims. After this battle, King Alfonso XI gave Enrique and his sons, Alonso and Fernando, the Order of Santiago. This was a special honor.

Changes in Royal Appointments

On December 1, 1341, King Alfonso XI removed Enrique Enríquez the Younger from his job as Judge of Baeza. The city council of Baeza had asked for this. The king gave Baeza back the right to choose its own judges and mayors. This right had been given to the city by King Ferdinand III of Castile a long time ago. On the same day, King Alfonso XI also took back the village of Mozo Begíjar from Enrique. He had given it to Enrique earlier in 1341, but now returned it to the city council of Baeza.

Acquiring More Lands

In 1343, King Alfonso XI gave Enrique Enríquez the Younger the village of La Parra. This town is also in the modern province of Badajoz.

In 1344, Enrique took control of the town of Nogales. This town had been sold to King Alfonso XI in 1340. The king then gave it to Pedro Carrillo. Pedro Carrillo needed money for a war against the Muslims. He borrowed money from Enrique Enríquez the Younger and used Nogales as a guarantee. Pedro Carrillo could not pay back the loan, so Nogales became Enrique's property in 1344.

Besides the lands he inherited or received from the king, Enrique also bought more lands. He bought them in the Tierra de Barros region to increase his wealth. These lands were in areas like Salvatierra de los Barros and La Parra.

Enrique Enríquez the Younger served as the chief judge of the King's House from March 1345 to March 1348.

During King Peter of Castile's Rule

On May 19, 1358, King Peter of Castile made Enrique Enríquez the Younger the main military leader, or adelantado mayor, of the Andalusia border. He replaced Fadrique Alfonso de Castilla in this role. Enrique also left his job as mayor of Seville.

Battle of Linuesa

In 1361, Muslim forces from Granada attacked the kingdom of Castile and León. They burned the town of Peal de Becerro. When Enrique Enríquez the Younger, along with other leaders, heard about this, they gathered troops. They went to block the crossings of the Guadiana Menor River. Later, on December 21, 1361, they fought the Battle of Linuesa. The Christian troops won a complete victory against the Grenadans. Many Muslims were killed or captured.

King Peter I promised to pay for each captured Muslim soldier. However, the king did not pay the promised amount. This made the soldiers who fought in the battle very angry and suspicious of the king.

Battle of Guadix

On January 15, 1362, Enrique Enríquez the Younger fought against Muslim troops again in the Battle of Guadix. This time, the Muslims won. It was a big loss for the Castilian and Leonese troops. The master of the Order of Calatrava, Diego García de Padilla, was captured by the Muslims. But he was released a few days later.

Supporting King Peter's Campaigns

On May 29, 1364, King Peter of Castile ordered the city council of Murcia and Enrique Enríquez the Younger to help Pedro Fernández el Niño. Pedro Fernández was defending the castle of Alicante, which the Aragonese had taken from King Peter. Enrique was still the adelantado mayor of the Andalusia border at this time.

As the main military leader of Andalusia and Jaén, Enrique gave orders on June 28, 1364. He told the city council of Murcia to send soldiers and workers to the city of Elche and then to Alicante. On August 16, 1364, Enrique Enríquez the Younger also ordered the council of Murcia to have Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán and his men cut down the orchards of Orihuela. This area belonged to Pedro IV of Aragon, who was an enemy of King Peter.

Enrique Enríquez the Younger died before March 20, 1366. After his death, many of his lands and lordships in the province of Badajoz went to his daughter, Leonor Enríquez. She received towns like Nogales and Villalba de los Barros.

Burial Place

Enrique Enríquez the Younger was buried in the monastery of San Francisco in Seville. Sadly, this monastery was damaged and burned by French soldiers during the Spanish War of Independence. It was later torn down in 1841. Several of his family members were also buried there.

Family and Marriages

Enrique Enríquez the Younger married three times and had children from each marriage, plus two natural children.

First Marriage

His first wife was Juana de Guzmán. She was the daughter of Pedro Núñez de Guzmán. Juana was also the granddaughter of King Alfonso IX of Leon. She was the sister of Leonor de Guzmán, who was the mistress of King Alfonso XI and the mother of Henry II of Castile.

Enrique and Juana had two sons:

• Alonso Enríquez de Guzmán. He was buried in the monastery of San Francisco in Seville.
• Fernando Enríquez de Guzmán. He became the main military leader of the Andalusia border. He married Sancha Ponce de Cabrera. She was the granddaughter of King Alfonso IX of León. Fernando was also buried in the monastery of San Francisco in Seville.

Second Marriage

Enrique's second wife was Urraca Ponce de León. She was the daughter of Pedro Ponce de León y Meneses, who was a lord and an important official for King Ferdinand IV of Castile.

Enrique and Urraca had one daughter:

• Leonor Enríquez y Ponce de León. She became the Lady of several towns, including Villalba de los Barros and Nogales. She married twice. Her first husband was Alonso Pérez de Guzmán y Ponce de León. Her second husband was Fernán Ruiz de Castro.

Third Marriage

Enrique's third wife was Teresa de Haro. She was the daughter of Alfonso López de Haro.

Enrique and Teresa had one daughter:

• Isabel Enríquez de Haro. She married Garci III Fernández Manrique de Lara, a Castilian nobleman. Their family later included important nobles like the Counts of Castañeda.

Enrique also had two natural children with a woman named Sevilla.

See also

In Spanish: Enrique Enríquez el Mozo para niños