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Cristóbal de Olid
(1488–1525)

Biographical

Regidor of Veracruz

Olid was a Spanish conquistador who arrived in Cuba under the service of lieutenant governor Diego Velázquez. He took part in the 1518 expedition in search for Juan de Grijalva, whose whereabouts were unknown. The next year, he betrayed Velázquez, and entered the service of Hernán Cortés, who made him a captain during the conquest of Mexico. He later took part in the conquest of Michoacan in 1522. Sent by Cortés to conquer Honduras in 1524, Olid travelled through Cuba, and there, he switched his allegiance back to Velázquez. An enraged Cortés launched a military expedition against him. Olid was eventually captured at Naco, and after a trial, he was executed. Olid had another daughter in Spain named Antonia by a possible first wife before he left for the Americas.

Place of birth: Baeza, Jaén
Place of marriage (second?): Mexico
Place of death: Naco, Honduras

He was married to Felipa de Araos (or Zarauz, who married secondly to Diego López Pacheco), and had issue, including a daughter, María de Olid y Viedma, who married Alfonso de Carvajal.

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