Beatriz Enríquez de Arana
Beatriz Enríquez de Arana (1465–1521?) was the mistress of Christopher Columbus and mother of Ferdinand Columbus, Columbus's natural son, whom he later officially recognized. Biography In Rafael Ramírez de Arellano's history of Córdoba he explains that she and her brother Peter took the name of their maternal aunt Mayor Enríquez de Arana. She was one of the relatives who took them in (with possibly Francisco Enriquez de Arana, a wine maker) when they became orphaned in 1471. Relationship with Columbus When Columbus died he left some provision for her in his will, directing his son Diego to hold her in respect and continue an annual allowance. Diego appears to have been a bit remiss with payments; Beatriz' last recorded act in 1521 was hiring an attorney to collect some money, and Diego's will written in 1532 contained a directive that any unpaid monies from the last three or four years were to be paid out to Beatriz' heirs. Neither her cause of death, or the exact date have been recorded, but it is assumed to have taken place shortly after 1521. Notes References Brinkbäumer, Klaus, The voyage of the Vizcaína: the mystery of Christopher Columbus's last ship, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,