Peraza family

[4] Gonzalo Martel also owned rights and interests in the Canary Islands, thanks to a royal grant by King Enrique III of Castile to him in 1390 allowing him to conquer them.

Martel would lead a successful expedition in 1393 which returned to the court of Castile with many riches and slaves, laying the foundation for further involvement in the islands by his descendants.

[7] During this period Peraza began to become actively involved in the Canary Islands, first by inheriting from his father Gonzalo Martel the royal right to conquest in them.

Additionally Peraza received further rights from his wife's father and uncle, Guillén and Juan de las Casas, who also owned territories there.

It sparked sadness and outrage among nobles in the Castillian mainland and drove his father Hernán to an increasingly brutal repression of the native people.

[13] In addition to unifying the lordship and establishing the Peraza family in the islands, Hernán the Elder also founded the towns of Valverde and San Sebastián de La Gomera as well as built the historic military structure and landmark now known as “Torre del Conde” - The Tower of the Count.

After inheriting the unified lordship her father built, Inés styled herself the “Queen of the Canary Islands” for over 20 years until the seigneury was permanently splintered.

In 1454 the Peraza-Herrera's received from King Enrique IV of Castile the return of the island of Lanzarote to their lordship by way of a court order confirming their ownership.

[16] However, following a revolt against the Herrera-Perazas that same year, the islands of La Palma, Gran Canaria and Tenerife were then sold to the Catholic Monarchs in 1477, formally ending Inés’ claim as “Queen of the Canary Islands.”[1] As a result of her tumultuous reign, Inés was the last head of the unified seigneury, though the Peraza family would remain a prominent force in the governing and shaping of the Canary Islands through the following century.

[16] However in 1482, following Pedro's attempts against the life of his parents as well provoking revolts in the family domain, he was disinherited by Inés, who then favored the second-born Hernán The Younger, giving him control of El Hierro as well.

[17] This marriage significantly expanded the Peraza's diplomatic alliances beyond Castile to include the Kingdom of Portugal, which further strengthened the key position of the Canary Islands throughout the Age of Discovery as it was the final stop for other conquistadors crossing the Atlantic to the New World in the coming years.