[1] During the administration of Luís de Velasco as Viceroy of New Spain, several towns came into being in the Kingdom of Nueva Galicia for the primary purpose of consolidating their defenses against the Chichimec raids.

The Audience requested that the "Most Illustrious Lord, Don Hernando Martel, Mayor of Teocaltiche and the Plains of Zacatecas," carry out the foundation with seventy-three noble families from Spain as colonists.

He was a devout Catholic and a man dedicated to Christian principles and ideals, as well as a faithful servant of his Majesty, King Philip II.

On multiple occasions he appealed to his Majesty for additional funds to help pacify the region, making it safe for arriving colonists.

The name of his wife remains unknown, but at least one child is known, his son Don Hernando Gallegos who married María de Frías.