The Ruvalcaba Lineage Report
Lessons in Tracing Aguascalientes Lineages
The following lineage report traces the ancestors of Jose Geronimo Ruvalcaba (1817-1884) who lived in Rincón de Romos, Aguascalientes. As is the case for many inhabitants of Aguascalientes, he was a descendant of the Ruiz de Esparza and Rubalcava families that came to Mexico in the Sixteenth Century. The origins of the González de Rubalcava family will be discussed in greater detail at the end of the report.
According to the geographer Peter Gerhard, in 1794, the population of Aguascalientes was at 27,874, of which 12,136 were classified as Indians, 6,646 were Spaniards, and 4,258 were mulattoes. The ancestors of Geronimo Ruvalcaba included people of many different classifications, but the farther back we go, the more people of Spanish extraction we are able to identify. Earlier generations of indigenous people did not have surnames, making their lineages difficult to trace. Several observations about the Lineage Report are:
Baptisms, Marriages and Burials are provided for many of the ancestors.
Throughout the 1600s, some people within La Asunción Parish were probably married or baptized in small chapels on private haciendas. Although the bulk of the Aguascalientes Parish records have been preserved, some of the church events that took place on private residences were not preserved in the parish.
Before 1620, the records for Aguascalientes and the adjacent settlement of Lagos de Moreno become scarce and less detailed. The marriages in Aguascalientes began in 1601, while the baptisms began in 1616. Some Lagos de Moreno records go back to the 1580s, but there are many gaps of missing records over the first few decades.
Most of the early Spanish families of Aguascalientes have been chronicled in various publications, but few paper documents for the 1500s exist in Aguascalientes and the surrounding areas. In some cases, published resources have been quoted.
There are numerous variant spellings of Ruvalcaba, including Rubalcava and Robalcava. When the family first came to Mexico, they were known as González de Rubalcava.
Aguascalientes
The historical geographer Peter Gerhard (1920-2006) discussed the various Spanish jurisdictions in Colonial Mexico in his book, “The North Frontier of New Spain” (Princeton University Press, 1982). He has described the early history of the Mexican state of Aguascalientes (“Hot Waters”), which is located in central Mexico.
Arrival of the Spaniards
When the Spaniards arrived in the 1520s, this area was located in Chichimec Indian territory and represented a frontier region between three indigenous groups: the Caxcanes, Zacatecos, and Guachichiles. The population of the Chichimecs at the time of contact has been estimated at about 8,500. Caxcán farmers inhabited the southwestern portion of present-day Aguascalientes. In the north lived the nomadic Zacatecos Indians. And to the east in the largest part of the state lived the warlike Guachichile Indians. The Caxcanes territory spread south and west through the Three-Fingers Border Region of present-day Zacatecas and Jalisco. The Zacatecos inhabited most of what is now known as Western Zacatecas. The widespread Guachichiles inhabited large portions of eastern Zacatecas, western San Luis Potosí, northeastern Jalisco (parts of Los Altos), western Guanajuato and parts of Aguascalientes.
A Land of War (1540-1590)
The Mixtón Rebellion of 1540-41 and the Chichimeca War of 1550-1600 made Nueva Galicia a war zone for many years. For the better part of four decades, the indigenous population of Aguascalientes and surrounding areas waged an unrelenting guerilla war against Spanish entrepreneurs and military forces and Indian laborers who traveled through the area. As a result many settlements were depopulated and the historian Peter Gerhard called the period from 1561 to 1589 a “period… of retrenchment when some haciendas were abandoned.”
The Founding of La Villa de Aguascalientes (1575)
From 1568 to 1580, Martin Enríquez de Almanza, serving as the Viceroy of Nueva España, decided to establish military outposts along the merchant routes to protect merchants and merchandise passing through the area from Zacatecas to Mexico City. The Viceroy believed that the garrisons would stand as a buffer against the hostile Indians occupying the area. This led to the founding of La Villa de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Aguascalientes (The Village of Our Lady of the Assumption of Aguascalientes) on October 22, 1575 by Doñ Gerónimo de Orozco, the President of the Royal Audiencia and Governor of Nueva Galicia. The founding of the villa was approved by King Felipe II, the ruling monarch in Spain.
However, even with the founding the Aguascalientes, the intensity of the Chichimeca War became overwhelming, and by 1582, the population of Aguascalientes had dwindled to one military commander, 16 soldiers and two citizen residents. In effect, the small settlement - located in the middle of the war zone - was under siege. But in the late 1580s, the threat of Indian attack started to diminish, as the Spanish authorities started peace negotiations with the indigenous groups of the region. The last Indian attack took place in 1593, after which the threat of hostile attack disappeared entirely and the region experienced a new peace.
An Era of Peace
The new-found peace of the 1590s, according to Peter Gerhard, “brought a tide of Spanish settlers beginning in the 1590s, mostly cattlemen and farmers, together with Indian and Negro retainers.” Because epidemics and war had reduced the indigenous population of the area, many slaves were brought into to labor alongside the Indians as the small village of Aguascalientes grew in size and stature.
The Early Years of La Villa
Gaspar de la Fuente claims that in 1610, he found 24 or 25 Spanish vecinos, about 50 families of mestizos, over 100 mulatos, 20 Negro slaves and only 10 Indians in La Villa. He explained that "most of these people worked on neighboring haciendas." It is likely that the twenty-five Spanish inhabitants may been included members of the Ruiz de Esparza, Alvarado, Tiscareno de Molina, and Luebana families.
The first marriages recorded in the parish at Asunción de Aguascalientes took place around 1601, and the first baptisms were recorded in 1616. However, marriages and baptisms of land-owners in the area may have taken place in some of small private chapels. Today, the Registros Parroquiales (Parish Registers) for La Parroquia de la Asunción (Assumption Parish) are available through the Family History Library are contained on 458 rolls of film and range from 1601 to 1961.
During the first decades that these registers were kept, dozens of marriages and baptisms were conducted for mestizos, negros, mulatos, and indios, who made up the majority of the population. It is interesting to note, however, that in some cases, the padrinos (sponsors and godparents) at these marriages and baptisms of mixed-race and African persons were Spanish individuals, most notably the Ruiz de Esparza family.
Asientos
Many families in this report lived in the area of Asientos, which is about 27 miles (44 kilometers) to the north of the City of Aguascalientes. In 1647, mining exploitation began near Asientos. From that time, Asientos experienced economic and demographic progress that was reaffirmed with the arrival of Agustín Mejía, a mestizo Gambusino native of San Luis Potosí, who certified the mining potential in 1706. By 1713, Asientos was granted the title of Villa.
Because of the Spanish colonial casta system, we are get an idea of what our ancestors looked like. According to Sindy Valdez, in “Understanding the Mexican Casta System: A Historical and Cultural Perspective”:
“The Casta system, with its complex layers and implications, was a product of colonial rule that deeply influenced societal structures and racial perceptions. Studying this part of history is not an endorsement of its principles but a recognition of its significant impact on the formation of modern Mexican society and culture. Understanding our past, however uncomfortable, is essential for appreciating the diversity and resilience of cultures shaped by historical events.”
She further states that, “In colonial Mexico, the Casta system was a rigid socio-racial classification imposed by Spanish colonial rule, designed to maintain a hierarchy based on ancestry. This system intricately categorized individuals based on their racial makeup, profoundly influencing their social status, rights, and opportunities. It is within this context that the primary categories of the Casta system emerged, each reflecting a specific racial mixture and societal position.”
Lessons for Tracing Your Own Family Tree
Each person who traces their lineage in Mexico has their own objective. Many of them want to:
1. Trace themselves back to indigenous ancestors;
2. Trace themselves back to the Spanish or French ancestors who came to Mexico many generations ago;
3. Want to learn more about the origins of their surnames;
4. Want to learn more about the history of the area where their ancestors lived.
Some people are only interested in tracking back to their indigenous ancestors. When they come across an ancestor in the earlier part of the Nineteenth Century who is classified as “Español,” they are inclined to quit tracing that branch and focus on other branches that will bring them to the long-sought after native ancestor.
However, if you ignore that “Español” person, you may be missing out on a fascinating story. The variation in skin tone within a family can be attributed to genetics. In fact, skin color can be determined by multiple genes, and the various combinations of genes from parents can result in a wide range of skin tones among siblings. As you will see in this Lineage Report below, the subject family had multiple siblings who received different casta classifications. As one example, after their 1782 marriage, Antonio Raphael Robalcava / Masias and Francesca de Herrera had at least seven children. Two were classified as Indians, three were considered to be mestizos, one was a mulata libre, and the last one was Española.
THE FIRST GENERATION: JOSE GERONIMO RUVALCABA AND HIS SIBLINGS
The Children of Simon Ruvalcaba and Maria Magdalena Ortega
A baptism for Jose Geronimo Ruvalcaba has not been located. However, his parents, Simon de Ruvalcaba and Maria Magdalena Ortega, had at least nine children between 1810 and 1824, including:
1. Jose Asencion Robalcava Ortega, baptized 24 May 1812, San José de Gracia
2. Maria Apolonia Robalcava, baptized 16 February 1814, Rincon de Romos
3. Maria Prudencia Robalcava, baptized 1 May 1815, Rincon de Romos.
4. Anacleto Pablo Robalcaba, baptized 12 July 1817, Rincon de Romos
5. Jose Eulogio Robalcaba, baptized 18 March 1820, Rincon de Romos
6. Maria Francisca Robalcaba, baptized 13 October 1822, Rincon de Romos
7. Jose Carlos Robalcaba, baptized 6 November 1824, Rincon de Romos
It has been determined that many people in Colonial Mexico changed their baptism name to another name by the time they were married, and it appears likely that Jose Geronimo Ruvalcaba had changed his name at some point, most likely from Anacleto Pablo.
A Note About the Spelling of the Surname Robalcava
The surname Robalcava has been spelled in many ways through the centuries. There are several variant spellings: Robalcava, Robalcaba, Rubalcava, and Rubalcaba. Different priests officiating at baptisms or marriages may have spelled the name as they saw fit.
The Baptism of Anacleto Pablo (1817)
In the Margin: Veguilla. Anacleto Pablo, Español, legitimate son.
Text: In the Parish of San Jose de Gracia, on the 15th of July of 1817, I, Father Jose Eufrano Carrillo, substitute priest… Baptized solemnly and poured holy oil and chrism on ANACLETO PABLO, Español, three days from birth in La Veguilla, Sunday at 3 in the morning, legitimate son of Simon Robalcaba and Maria Magdalena Ortega.
Abuelos Paternos: Jose Antonio Robalcaba and Francesca Guerrero [actually Herrera].
Abuelos Maternos: Felipe Ortega and Dolores Ramirez.
Context: Although it can’t be proven by any documentation, Simon Robalcava was most likely baptized as Anacleto Pablo in 1817.
Document Location:
The Baptism of Jose Eulogio Robalcaba (1820)
Context: This is another brother of Geronimo Robalcaba, most likely a younger brother: Note that the abuelos are given. However, the abuela materna was Luisa de Los Dolores Ramirez, not Dolores Ruiz. However, she was generally known simply as Dolores Ramirez.
In the Margin: Boguillas. Jose Eulogio. Mestizo: Legitimate Son.
Text: On the 18th of March [March 18, 1820], I baptized, pour holy oil and chrism on Jose Eulogio, mestizo eight days after birth in Boguillas on Saturday at 2 in the afternoon, legitimate son of Simon Robalcaba and Magdalena Ortega.
Abuelos Paternos: Jose Antonio Robalcaba and Maria Francisca Herrera.
Abuelos Maternos: Felipe Ortega and Dolores Ruiz.
The Marriage of Jose Jeronimo Robalcaba (1838)
In the Margin: Hozmigas. Jose Jeronimo Robalcaba with Maria Celsa Rodriguez.
Text: In Rincon de Romos, on the 12th of May of 1838, I, the proper priest married and veiled JOSE JERONIMO ROBALCAVA, widower from his first marriage to Francisca Martinez, buried in this Campo Santo eight months ago at 23 years of age, originally from and a resident of this parish in Las Hozmigas, legitimate son of Jose Simon Robalcaba and Margdalena Ortega (deceased) with MARIA CELSA RODRIGUEZ, celibate and 18 years of age, originally from and a resident of the same parish on the same Rancho Las Hozmigas, legitimate daughter of Jose Honorato Rodriguez and Maria Josefa Muro…
The Death of Jose Jeronimo Rubalcava Ortega (1884)
In Rincon de Romos. 23rd of February 1884, a 5 in the afternoon, the citizen Santiago Rubalcava, married, 34 years of age, laborer and resident of La Cueva de Ladoba, declared that yesterday at 2 in the afternoon, his father Doñ Jose Geronimo Rubalcava, 65 years of age, laborer, married with Celsa Rodriguez for 50 years, died of fever in this same rancho…
Document Location:
THE PEDIGREE OF JOSE JERONIMO RUVALCABA
THE SECOND GENERATION: THE PARENTS OF JOSE GERONIMO RUVALCABA
The Baptism of Simon de la Encarnacion Robalcava (1791)
In the Margin: 527. Simon de la Encarnacion, Mestizo.
Text: in the Parish Church of the Pueblo of San Jose de Gracia, on the 1st of April of 1791, I, Father baptized and poured holy oil on Simon de la Encarnacion, mestizo seven days after birth in the Ranchito de Culezas, legitimate son of Jose Antonio Robalcaba and Francesca Faustina de Herrera…
Context: At his birth and at his first marriage, Simon was classified as a mestizo. At his second marriage, he was an “indio.” When his parents were married, his father Antonio was an Español and his mother was a “mulata libre.”
Document Location:
The Marriage of Simon Ruvalcaba (1809)
In the Margin: Sausillo. Simon Rovalcava with Magdalena Ortega, Españoles.
Text: In the Chapel of San Jose del Rincon, on the 30th of August of 1809, having preceded information and warnings on three festive days, according to the Holy Council of Trent, on the 13th, 14th and 20th of August, and no impediments [to marriage] resulting, I Father Mariano Sagrero, deputy priest of this parish, proceeded with the marriage by the words of those present, SIMON ROVALCAVA, in the face of the church, a mestizo, originally from Sausillo, legitimate son of Jose Antonio Rovalcava and Maria Francisca Herrera, with MARIA MAGDALENA ORTEGA, Española, originally from the Rancho of Piedras de Amolar, Jurisdiction of San Juan and resident in this hacienda for a period of six years, legitimate daughter of Felipe Ortega and Dolores Ramires…
The Second Marriage of Simon Robalcaba (1825)
The second marriage of Simon Robalcaba took place in San Jose de Gracia on the 3rd of August of 1825. Father Juan Jose Cabrera then married Simon Robalcava, Indio 30 years of age and a resident of Rincon, widower of Magdalena Ortega, who was buried in Rincon, legitimate son of Antonio Robalcaba and Francisco Errera, with Maria Josefa Peres, also an Indian who was 20 years of age.
THE PEDIGREE CHART OF JOSE SIMON RUVALCABA (5 Generations)
The Baptism of Maria Magdalena Ortega (1791)
In the Margin: Piedras de Amolar. Maria Magdalena, mestiza, Legitimate.
Text: On the 7th of August of 1791, I, Father Miguel Gonzalez, deputy priest… of the Pueblo of San Juan, baptized and poured holy oil and chrism on Maria Magdalena, Mestiza, 15 days after birth in Las Piedras de Amolar, legitimate daughter of Jose Felipe de Ortega and Dolores Ramirez…
Document Location:
The Baptism of Maria Magdalena Ortega’s Sister
Felipe de Jesus Ortega and Dolores Ramirez had at least six children born between 1782 and 1802 in San Juan de Los Lagos, Jalisco. The baptism of her sister, Maria Juliana, Española, took place on January 22, 1800, stating that she was the daughter of Felipe Ortega and Dolores Ramirez. She was classified as Española, even though her sister was called a mestizo.
Context: Note that Magdalena was classified as a mestiza, while her younger sister, Maira Juliana, was described as Española. This testifies to their mixed ancestry which would have included both Spanish and indigenous ancestry, as well as African.
Document Location:
The Burial of Magdalena Ortega (1824)
When Magdalena Ortega died at the age of 30 in 1824, she was last person to be buried in the year 1824 in the parish of Rincon de Romos. Her burial on Nov. 6, 1824 described her as the legitimate daughter [h.l. or hija legitima] of Felipe Ortega and Dolores Ramirez and she left behind her husband Simon Robalcaba as a widower. She was described as an “india adulta” [Indian adult], although she has been classified as Español at her marriage.
Document Location:
THE THIRD GENERATION: THE GRANDPARENTS OF GERONIMO ROBALCABA
The Baptism of Manuel Antonio Rubalcava (1746)
In the Margin: Manuel Antonio, Español. 30.
Text: In the Parish Church of the Villa of Aguascalientes on the 14th of June of 1746, as deputy priest, I, Manuel Colon de Larretique, priest of the parish, baptized solemnly Manuel Antonio, who was born in this Villa on the 7th day of the current month [June 7], legitimate son of Juan Joseph Gonzales de Robalcaba and Maria Theresa de Trillo, Españoles
The Marriage of Raphael Antonio Masias married Maria Francesca Faustina Herrera (1782)
In the Parish Church of Pueblo of San Jose de Gracia on the 11th of the month of February of 1782, having proceeded with the due diligence and marriage banns as required by the Holy Council of Trend, in this parish church on three festive days, he announced the banns…. I celebrated in the face of the church, RAFAEL ANTONIO MACIAS, Español, originally from the Villita de San Jose of the Parish of Tepatitlán, servant in Cerro de los Gallos, the Parish of the Village of Encarnacion and resident for two years and 8 months of this Parish in Rincon de Ramos, legitimate son of Raphael Macias and Maria Thereza de Trillo, both deceased, and MARIA FAUSTINA DE HERRERA, mulata libre, originally from Sausillo, and a resident for six years of Rincon, legitimate daughter of Jose de Herrera and Victoria Rozalia… Padrinos: Vicente Esparza and Maria Cecilia de Herrera….
The Name Change of Raphael Antonio Macias
Antonio Robalcaba was born in 1746, but his father died in 1752, and in 1755, his mother Theresa Trillo was remarried to Raphael Macias. Antonio probably bonded well with his new stepfather and even used his name frequently for the rest of his life. Below is a translation of his mother’s 1755 marriage with Raphael Masias:
Text: In the Post of San Miguel of this parish of the Villa de Aguascalientes, on the 13th of May of 1755, having presided over the customary procedures provided for by law and read the admonitions provided by the Holy Council of Trent in the parish church in solemn mass on three festive days which were on the third, the eighth, and the eleventh of the current month, and having no resulting impediment [to marriage] with my permission… [I married] Raphael Alexo Masias Valades, Español, originally from La Barca and resident of this Villa in the Estanzuela [Hacienda], legitimate son of Santiago Valades de Soto and Lugarda de Garcia, with MARIA THERESA DE TRILLO, Española, originally from and a resident of this Villa, legitimate daughter of Onofre de Trillo and Anna Alonzo de los Inojos, deceased, widow of Joseph Robalcaba…
The Children of Jose Antonio and Francesca Faustina
After their 1782 marriage, Antonio Raphael Robalcava/Masias and Francesca de Herrera had at least seven children, including:
1. Maria Joseph de San Marcos, a mestiza, was baptized on April 28, 1784 in San Jose de Gracia to Antonio Robalcaba and Maria Francesca de Herrera. Her padrina included Gertrudis de Herrera.
2. Maria Tiburcia, an Indian, baptized on Sept. 1, 1786 to Antonio Raphael Macias and Maria Francisca Faustina de Herrera. One of the padrinos was Jose Miguel Merenciano de Errera.
3. Maria de los Santos, Indian, baptized on Nov. 16, 1788 in Rincon de Ramos, to Jose Antonio Masias and Francesca Faustina de Errera. The padrinos included Miguel Estanislao de Errera and Paula Gertrudis de Errera.
4. Simon de la Encarnacion Robalcava, mestizo, baptized April 1, 1791, legitimate son of Jose Antonio Robalcava and Francesca Faustina de Herrera.
5. Maria Benita Dolores, mestiza, baptized in 1793 in San Jose de Rincon, born to Jose Antonio Macias and Francesca Herrera.
6. Maria de la O, a mulata libre, baptized in 1795 to Josef Antonio Rovalcava and Francesca Errera.
7. Maria Eutimia, Española, baptized in 1800 in the Parish of San Jose Garcia, born to Jose Antonio Macias and Maria Francesca Herrera. Abuelos no conocidos.
Casta Classifications of the Children
Of the seven known children of Antonio Raphael Robalcava and Francesca de Herrera, three were classified as mestizos, two as Indians, one as a mulata libre, and one as Española. Four of the children were baptized as Macias because their father identified with that surname. Antonio Robalcava was born with the surname in 1746. However, his father died when he was very young and in 1755, his mother married Raphael Alexo Macias. The bond between the son and stepfather must have been strong because he was the married to Francesca Faustin Herrera under the name Macias. At the same time, it appears that he adopted the given name Rafael. However, in the baptisms of his children he gave his given name of Antonio.
The Baptism of Jose Gregorio Masias (1798)
In the Margin: Tortugillas. Jose Gregorio, Yndio Laborio.
Text: In the Parish Church of the Pueblo of San Jose de Gracia on the 15th day of September of 1798, I, Father Pedro Antonio Servantes Villaseñor, ecclesiastic vicarate judge of this same pueblo, baptized solemnly and poured holy oil on Jose Gregorio, Yndio Laborio, seven days from birth in the Post of Tortugillas of this parish, legitimate son of Antonio Raphael Masias and Maria Francesca Errera.
Abuelos Paternos: Raphael Antonio Masias and Maria Secilia Tinagero
Abuelos Maternos: Jose de Errera and Maria Victoria, both Indios Laborios…
Context: The baptism below gives the father and grandfather’s name as Macias/Masias. In actuality, Antonio Raphael Macias was a Rubalcava who had changed his name to Masias to respect his stepfather. The paternal grandmother’s name was given as Tinajero, but it was actually Trillo. In the eighteenth century, Herrera was frequently spelled as “Errera.”
The Baptism of Maria Tiburcia Mazias (1786)
In the Margin: Rincon. Maria Tiburcia, Yndia Laboria.
Text: In the Church Parish of the Pueblo of San Jose de Gracia, on the 1st of September of 1786, I, the priest in charge, baptized solemnly and poured holy oil on Maria Tiburcia, Yndia Laboria, 22 days after birth in El Rincon, legitimate daughter of Antonio Raphael Masias and Maria Francesca Faustina de Herrera…
The Baptism of Maria de los Santos Masias Errera (1788)
In the Margin: 704. Rincon. Maria de los Santos, Yndia Laboria.
Text: In the Chapel of San Jose del Rincon de Romo, Parish of the Pueblo of San Jose de Gracia, on the 16th day of the month of November of 1788, I, Father Pedro Jose Romo de Vibar, with parochial license, baptized solemnly and poured holy oil on Maria de los Santos, Yndia Laboria, 15 days after birth in El Rincon, legitimate daughter of Jose Antonio Masias and Francesca Faustina de Errera. His padrinos were Miguel Estanislao de Errera and Paula Gertrudes de Errera [probably an uncle and an aunt] whom I advised of the obligations and spritiaul parentage…
THE PEDIGREE OF JOSE ANTONIO RUVALCABA (5 Generations)
The Baptism of Maria Francisca Faustina De Herrera (1770)
In the Margin: Joseph Francesca de la Santa Trinidad, Yndia, Legitimate Daughter.
Text: Vicente Antonio Flores Alatore baptized solemnly and poured holy oil and chrism on Maria Josepha Francesca de la Santa Trinidad, Yndia, who was born in Morsingue of this parish on the 6th day of the current month [August 22, 1770], legitimate daughter of Manuel de Herrera and Maria Gertrudes Masias, residents of this post…
Document Location:
The Burial of Maria Francisca Herrera (1839)
In the Margin: Adult Woman. Cueba de la Lobo. Maria Francesca Herrera.
Text: In the Campo Santo of Rincon de Romos, on the 17th of April of 1839, I performed the ecclesiastical burial of Maria Francisca Herrera, an Adult woman of La Cueba a La Lobo at the age of 72, the widow of Jose Antonio de Robalcaba, who received the holy sacraments, died of dropsy [edema] and was buried…
Document Location:
THE PEDIGREE CHART OF MARIA FRANCESCA HERRERA (5 Generations)
The Baptism of Phelipe de Jesus Ortega (1757)
In the Margin: En Santa Gertrudis [Hacienda]. Phelipe de Jesus, Español, Legitimate Son.
Text: In the Villa of San Miguel de los Albas, the jurisdiction of Aguascalientes, on the 15th day of February of 1757, the parish priest baptized and poured holy oil on Phelipe de Jesus, 11 days from birth in Santa Gertrudes, Español, legitimate son of Marcelo de Ortega and Paula Petra de Theresa Gusman….
The Marriage of Felipe Ortega and Luiza Dolores Ramirez (1781)
In the Margin: Piedras de Amolar. Felipe de Jesus de Ortega with Luisa de los Dolores Ramires, Españoles.
Text: On the 2nd of May of 1781, I, Father Maneul de Escoto, deputy priest of this parish… I married and veiled in the face of the church and by the words of those present FELIPE DE JESUS DE ORTEGA, Español, originally from and a resident of this parish in Las Piedres de Amolar, legitimate son of Jose Marselo Ortega and Paula Guzmán, with LUIZA DE LOS DOLORES RAMIREZ, Española, originally from and a resident of this parish in the said post, legitimate daughter of Antonio Ramires (deceased) and Maria Rodriguez…
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-VP9T-9C?i=303&cc=1874591&cat=278971
The Baptism of Luisa de Los Dolores Ramirez (1765)
In the Margin: [Hacienda de] Labor. Luisa de los Dolores. Mulata.
Text: In the baptism of San Juan in the Parish of Xalostotitlán [Jalostotitlán], on the 7th of September of 1765, deputy priest Francisco Antonio de la Cuesta, priest of this parish, baptized solemnly and poured holy oil on Luisa de los Dolores, after nine days, mulata de La Lavor [Hacienda], legitimate daughter of Antonio Ramires and Maria Ramires…
Document Location:
THE FOURTH GENERATION: THE GREAT-GRANDPARENTS OF GERONIMO ROBALCABA
The Baptism of Juan Joseph Robalcaba (1713)
In the Margin: Juan Joseph, Legitimate.
Text: In the Villa de Aguascalientes, on the 28th day of August of 1713, I baptized and poured holy oil on Juan Joseph, Español, legitimate son of Miguel de Robalcaba and Maria de Villalobos. His padrinos were Nicolas de Arauso Guerrero and Francisco Romo de Vivar…
The Marriage of Juan Jose Gonzalez de Ruvalcaba (1744)
In the Margin: Joseph Gonzalez de Robalcaba and Theresa de Trillo, married and veiled.
Text: In the Villa de Aguascalientes, on the 14th of June of 1744, having preceded the proceedings before being blessed by law and having read the two admonitions issued by the Holy Council of Trent in the parish church on three festive days in solemn mass, on the 31st of May and the 4th and 7th of the current month [June 1744), and no impediments [to marriage] having resulted from them, as the deputy of Father Manuel Colon de Larreatique, priest of this parish, I… by words of those present we celebrated JUAN JOSEPH GONSALES DE ROBALCABA, Español, originally from and a resident of this Place in La Estanzuela, legitimate son of Miguel de Robalcaba and Maria Villalobos, with THERESA DE TRILLO, Española, originally from this villa, legitimate daughter of Onofre Trillo and Anna Alonzo de los Ynojos…
The Death of Juan Joseph Gonzalez de Robalcaba
Juan Joseph Gonzalez de Robalcava was married to Theresa de Trillo in 1744 in Aguascalientes. They had the following known children, all baptized in the main church in the City of Aguascalientes:
1. Manuel Antonio Gonzalez de Robalcaba, baptized June 14, 1746.
2. Gabriela Joseph, baptized March 21, 1749.
3. Josepha Francesca Xaviera, baptized Jan. 10, 1751.
4. Diego Joseph, born Nov. 20, 1752, baptized Dec. 5, 1752.
Juan Joseph Gonzalez de Robalcaba died on October 30, 1752 before the birth of his last son. He was classified as Español and as the son of Miguel Gonzales de Robalcaba and Maria de Villalobos, and left his wife Theresa de Trillo as his widow.
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTL9-JH2?i=174&cc=1502404&cat=56690
THE PEDIGREE OF JUAN JOSEPH GONZALEZ RUVALCABA (5 Generations)
The Baptism of a Sister of Theresa Trillo
It is believed that Theresa Trillo was born in Encarnación de Díaz, south of Aguascalientes. Her baptism has not been located. However, the baptism of her sister Anna Gertrudes, Española, was located in Aguascalientes. She was baptized on December 23, 1717 as the daughter of Onofre de Trillo and Anna Ruiz Esparza [Her mother’s father was Ynojos, but her mother’s mother was Ruiz de Esparza.]
The Marriage of Raphael Alexo Macias and Maria Theresa Trillo (1755)
After the death of her first husband, Maria Theresa Trillo was married on May 13, 1755 to Rafael Alexo Masias Valades in Aguascalientes.
Text: In the Post of San Miguel of this parish of the Villa de Aguascalientes, on the 13th of May of 1755, having presided over the customary procedures provided for by law and read the admonitions provided by the Holy Council of Trent in the parish church in solemn mass on three festive days which were on the third, the eighth, and the eleventh of the current month, and having no resulting impediment [to marriage] with my permission… [I married] Raphael Alexo Masias Valades, Español, originally from La Barca and resident of this Villa in the Estanzuela [Hacienda], legitimate son of Santiago Valades de Soto and Lugarda de Garcia, with MARIA THERESA DE TRILLO, Española, originally from and a resident of this Villa, legitimate daughter of Onofre de Trillo and Anna Alonzo de los Inojos, deceased, widow of Joseph Robalcaba…
The Third Marriage of Theresa Trillo (1752)
On August 18, 1762, Theresa Trillo married Francisco Javier Bustos de Santos, her third husband. She received a dispensation in the third grade for her relationship to him [Dispensa de tercero grado de consanguinidad por dos lineas]. The dispensation stated that she and her new husband were great-grandchildren of two sisters: Maria Rebollo and Antonia Carrilo, both the children of Maria López de Fuenllana. The lineage was illustrated as follows:
[Tronco María López de Fuenllana]
Maria Rebollo....................1o...Antonia Carrillo
Andrea Macias Valadez....2o...Miguel de Villalobos
Onofre de Trillo.................3o...Magdalena de Villalobos
Teresa de Trillo.................4o...Francisco Javier de Bustos
In other words, Teresa Trillo and Francisco Javier de Bustos were third cousins.
The Burial of Theresa de Trillo (1776)
In the Parish Church of the Villa de Aguascalientes on the 24th of February of 1776, I, Father Vizente Ramos, as deputy of Vizente Antonia Flores Alatorre, I carried out the ecclesiastical burial of Maria Thereza de Trillo, Española, originally from and a resident of this jurisdiction in El Serro de Los Gallos, legitimate daughter of Onofre Trillo and Anna Maria…
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XK5W-KH6?i=166&cc=1502404&cat=56690
THE PEDIGREE OF THERESA TRILLO (5 Generations)
It is noteworthy that Theresa Trillo married a Rubalcava, but is also the great-great-granddaughter of a Maria Lopez de Ruvalcaba. She is also descended from other early Spanish residents of Aguascalientes, including Lopez Ruiz de Esparza.
The Baptism of Manuel Anto Balentin Herrera (1744)
In the Margin: Manuel Antonio Balentin, Mestiso.
Text: In the Parish Church of the Villa de Aguascalientes, on the 18th of February of 1744, as deputy priest, Manuel Colonel de Larrreatique, priest of this parish, baptized solemnly Manuel Antonio Balentin, who was born on this Villa on the 2nd day of the current, legitimate son of Blas de Herrera and Petra Sandobal, mestizos and residents of this said villa…
Document Location:
The Marriage of Manuel Antonio de Herrera (1768)
In the Villa of Aguascalientes, on the 10th of January of 1768, having preceded the usual procedures provided for by law and read in the parish church in solemn mass the admonitions arranged according to the Holy Council of Trent on three festive days, which were the eighth, the fifth, and the twenty-second of past November and no any impediment [to marriage] having resulted, I, Pedro Barragan, with license from Matheo Joseph de Arteaga, assisted the matrimony in my presence and with the words of those present celebrated [married] MANUEL ANTONIO DE HERRERA, originally from this Villa since a small child and a resident of the Jurisdiction of Asientos in the Rancho Hombrado Los Bernardos and for one year a resident in El Mesquital, legitimate son of Blas Xavier de Herrera and Petra de Sandoval with GERTRUDES MASIAS, Española, originally and resident of this jurisdiction in Los Negritos, legitimate daughter of Bonifacio Masias and Maria Marinas…
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6XW9-4MM?i=152&cc=1502404
The Baptism of Basilisa Gertrudis Macias Mariñas (1748)
In the Margin: Basilia Gertrudes, Española
Text: In the Parish Church of the Villa de Aguascalientes, on the 30th of March of 1748, as deputy of Father Manuel Colon de Larreatigue, priest of this parish, baptized solemnly Basilia Gertrudes, who was born in [Hacienda de] Los Negritos on the 21st of the current month, legitimate daughter of Joseph Macias and Maria Mariñas, Española, the residents of the post…
Document Location:
The Life of Marcelo Ortega
Some marriages and baptisms for San Juan de Los Lagos have not been indexed. This makes a search for that portion of the family more difficult. Below is the death record of Marcelo/Marcelino. A marriage record was not located. The translation of his July 23, 1811 death record in San Juan de los Lagos is shown here:
In the Margin: Piedreas. Marselo Hortega [Ortega], Mestizo. Widower.
Text: On the 23rd of July of 1811, I, Father Anastacio Esquibel, substitute priest, performed the ecclesiastic burial of the body of Marselo Hortega, Mestizo, widower of Paula Guzman…
The Burial of Paula Gusman (1810)
In the Margin: Paula Gusman, Yndia, Married
Text: On the 2nd of December, I, Father Bernardino Fregosoa, deputy priest… performed the ecclesiastic burial of Paula Gusman, Yndia Laboria, married to Marselor Hortega….
Document Location:
Context: The marriage records for some of the San Juan de Los Lagos Parish are not indexed. Therefore, the origins of María Rodríguez [also known as Juana Maria Rodriguez] have not been determined. Some records of San Juan de Los Lagos have not been indexed which prevents a thorough search for her parents. However, the baptism of Onofre Ramirez was located.
The Baptism of Onofre Antonio Ramires (1742)
In Las Pilos, I baptized in the Pueblo of San Juan de los Lagos.. on the 30th of June of 1742… Onofre Antonio, mestizo, 18 days after birth… the legitimate son of Aparicio Ramirez and Maria Lorensa Peres…
Document Location:
THE FIFTH GENERATION: THE GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS OF GERONIMO ROBALCABA
The Baptism of Miguel Robalcava (1682)
In the Margin: Miguel, Español.
Text: On the 8th of the month of November of 1682, I baptized and poured holy oil on Miguel, son of Joseph de Robalcava and Petronila Dias. His padrinos were Andres de Estrada Bocanegra and Doña Costanza Castillo, residents of this pueblo…
The Baptism of Maria de Villalobos (1694)
In the Margin: Maria, Española, Legitimate Daughter.
Text: In the town of Aguascalientes, on the twenty-eighth day of the month of February of this present year of ninety-four, I solemnly baptized and placed the holy oils on Mary, a Spanish, one month old, legitimate daughter of Isidro de Villalobos and Francisca de Escoto; his godparents were Don Juan de Zuñiga and Dominga de Cerda, to whom I warned of the obligation of Christian doctrine and spiritual cognation. And for the record I sign it.
Document Location:
The Burial of Maria de Villalobos (1764)
In the Margin: [Hacienda de] Estanzuelas, Maria de Villalobos, Española, Widow.
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes, on the 17th of August of 1764 in the Parish Church of the said place, headquarters, I performe4d the ecclesiastical burial of Maria de Villalobos, Española, originally from and resident of this villa, in [the Hacienda of] La Estansuela, legitimate daughter of Ysidro de Villalobos and Francesca Gertrudes Escoto, deceased, widow of Miguel de Robalcava…
Document Location:
The Baptism of Onofre Trillo (1675)
In the Margin: Onofre, Español, Legitimate.
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes, on the 7th of the month of December of 1675,with parochial license, I baptized and poured holy oil on Onofre, Español, legitimate son of Miguel de Trillo and Andrea Valadez….
Document Location:
The Marriage of Onofre Trillo (1708)
In the Margin: Onofre Trillo, Español, Married and Veiled.
Text: In the Villa de Aguascalientes on the 19th day of the month of February of 1708… I celebrated [the marriage of] Onofre Trillo and Anna Alonzo de los Ynojos…
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XXC3-DHN?i=65&cc=1502404
The Death of Onofre Trillo (1756)
In the Margin: Doñ Onofre de Trillo, Español, widower
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes on the 26th day of June of 1756 in the Parish Church of this headquarters, I performed the ecclesiastic burial of Doñ Onofre Trillo, Español, originally from and a resident of the Villa, legitimate son of Doñ Phelipe de Trillo and Doña Andrea Macias, [both] deceased, widower of Anna Alonzo de Los Ynojos…
Document Location:
The Baptism of Ana Ynojos (1685)
In the Margin: Ana, Española.
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes on the 26th of July of 1685 in the parish, I baptized and poured holy oil on Ana, Española, 20 days from birth, legitimate daughter of José Alonso de los Hinojos and Teresa de Esparza…
The Baptism of Blas Herrera (1705)
In the Margin: Blas.
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes on the 24th of the month of February of 1705, I baptized and poured holy oil on Blas, Mestizo, legitimate son of Sebastian de Herrera and Nicolasa de Zalazar…
Document Location:
The Marriage of Blas Xavier Herrera (1731)
In the Margin: Blas Xabier de Herrera, Petronila de Sandobal, Married and Veiled.
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes on the 5th of February of 1731, having proceeded with the mandates required by the Holy Council of Trent, and no impediments [to marriage] resulting, I, Father Antonio Gomes de Bedoya, deputy priest… celebrated BLAS XABIER DE HERRERA, mestiso, legitimate son of Sebastian de Herrera and Nicolasa Hernandez, with PETRONILA DE SANDOBAL, Española, legitimate daughter of Jacinto de Sandobal (deceased) and Anna Calvillo, residents of this Villa….
The Baptism of a Sibling of Petra Candelaria De Sandobal (1715)
It is believed that Petra Candelaria de Sandobal was born around 1715 in Aguascalientes. A baptism has been located for three of her siblings, but not for her. The baptism of her brother Jacinto Sandobal [Jr.] took place on September 2, 1718, revealing that he was the son of Jasinto Sandoval and Ana Calvillo.
Document Location:
The Death of Petra Sandoval (1786)
The burial record of Petra Sandoval indicates that her burial was held on September 9, 1786. She was from Mesquita and the daughter of Jacinto Sandoval and Anna Morales [actually Calvillo], and the widow of Blas Herrera.
Document Location:
The Baptism of Jose Bonifacio Macias (1711)
In the Margin: Joseph Bonifacio, Español, Legitimate Son.
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes, on the 30th day of the month of June of 1711, I baptized and poured holy oil on Joseph Bonifacio, Español, legitimate son of Onofre Macias and Cathalina de Esparza…
Document Location:
The Marriage of Bonifaco Macias (1731)
Translation: In the Villa of Aguascalientes, on the 7th of January of 1731, having presided over everything arranged and ordered by the Holy Council of Trent, and no fatal impediment has resulted…. I celebrated JOSEPH MASIAS, Español, resident of this villa, legitimate son of Onofre Macias and Catarina de Esparsa, with MARIA GERTRUDES DE LAS MARINAS, also the same Española, resident of this villa, legitimate daughter of Joseph de los Mariñas (deceased) and Micaela de la Cueba…
The Burial of Bonfiacio Macias (1804)
In the Margin: Triana. Jose Bonifacio Macias, Español, Widower.
Text: In the Parish church of the Villa of Aguascalientes on the 29th of the month of July of 1804, I, Father Jose Manuel Cid, with license from Father Ceranco Lopez, substitute priest… I performed the ecclesiastic burial of Jose Bonifacio Macias, Español, of the Barrio of Triana of this villa, legitimate son of Onofre Macias and Catarina Ruiz de Esparza (deceased), widower of Maria Mariñes, died of hydropesia [dropsy].
Document Location:
The Baptism of a Sibling of Maria Gertrudes Mariñas (1719)
The baptism of Maria Gertrudes has not been located. The baptism of her younger sister is shown below:
In the Margin: Maria Antonia, Mestisa, H.L. [Legitimate Daughter].
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes on the 26th of January of 1719, I baptized and poured holy oil on Maria Antonia, mestiza, legitimate daughter of Joseph Mariñas and Micaela de la Cueva…
Document Location:
THE SIXTH GENERATION: THE GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS OF GERONIMO ROBALCABA
The Life of Jose González de Rubalcava
Jose González de Rubalcava lived in Teocaltiche and was known to be the son of Lorenzo de Rubalcava. However, the only Teocaltiche records that contain his name are baptisms of his children and his own confirmation. The following excerpt is from Nicoláas de Anda Sánchez’s “Teocaltiche de Nueva Galicia.”
The “Genealogia de Nochistlán Antiguo Reino de la Nueva Galicia en el Siglo XVII Segun sus Archivos Parroquiales” also mentions Jose as one of the children of Lorenzo:
The Life of Petra Díaz Montañez
Mary Lou Montagna, in “The Genealogy of Juan Montañez and His Descendants in Aguascalientes, Jalisco, San Luis Potosí, and Zacatecas” (published in the SHHAR Genealogical Journal, Vol. IV, 1994, pp. 115-120), indicated the Petra Díaz Montañes was the daughter of Miguel Diaz Montañez and Josefa Diaz.
The Baptism of a Sibling of Ysidro de Villalobos (1655)
A baptism of Ysidro has not been located. It is believe that he was born around 1651 to 1653. However, his brother Diego de Villalobos was baptized on February 4, 1655 in Aguascalientes as the son of Francisco de Villalobos and Maria Retamosa.
The Death of Ysidro de Villalobos (1699)
The first marriage of Ysidro de Villalobos was not located. He did get married a second time in 1696, but died and was buried in Aguascalientes on April 27, 1699. The document is translated as follows:
In the town of Aguascalientes, on the twenty-seventh day of the month of April of [one thousand six hundred] ninety-nine years, Isidro de Villalobos, Español, married to Ángela Díaz, died. He received all the holy sacraments of penance, the Eucharist and extreme unction, and he left a memorial. to the forced orders of two reales each... he was buried in the parish church of this town and for the record I signed it.
Document Location:
The Baptism of Francesca de Esocoto (1656)
On October 16, 1656, Francesca Escoto was baptized as the daughter of Antonio de Escoto and Inez Ortis.
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-G5B2-Q?i=241&cc=1874591
The Marriage of Phelipe (Felipe) Trillo and Andrea de Balades (1667)
On the nineteenth day of the month of February, in the year one thousand six hundred and sixty-seven, I veiled in the face of the church Phelipe de Trillo, Español, with Andrea de Balades, Española. His godparents were Pedro Masias and Josepha Gutieres, witnesses were Miguel Cordero, Joan Sanches, Don Tomas de Salas. And I signed it.
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-65T9-3J3?i=22
The Death of Felipe Trillo (1697)
Felipe Trillo died and was buried in the Parish of Aguascalientes on December 15, 1697. He was Español and married to Andrea de Castañeda. Andrea’s surname was actually Macias Valadez.
Document Location:
The Baptism of a Brother of Andrea Macias Valadez (1855)
A baptism for Andrea Macias Valadez was not located. However, several of her siblings were baptized in the Aguascalientes Parish. Her father had been known as both Juan Macias and Juan Valadez. Her brother Nicolas Valadez was baptized on July 24, 1652 as the son of Juan Valades and Maria Lopes Rebollo.
The Baptism of Jusepe de Los Ynojos (1637)
On April 5, 1637, I baptized, put oil and chrism on Jusepe, son of Ana Dominguez and Pedro Alonso de los Inojos. His godfathers were Juan Rodriguez de Chavarria and Veatriz de Retamosa, his wife, residents of this town [Aguascalientes].
Document Location:
The Marriage of Joseph Alonso de Los Ynojos (1666)
In the Margin: Joseph Alonso with Theresa Rruis de Esparsa, they are not veiled, Españoles.
Text: On the eighteenth of June of 1666, I married and veiled Joceph Alonso and Theresa Rruis de Esparsa, Spaniards, having preceded the proceedings ordered by the Holy Council. Being witnesses Feliciano Urtado, Mr. Joceph Altamirano. And I signed it.
Document Location:
The Death of Joseph Alonso Ynojos (1700)
On March 6, 1700, the body of Joseph Alonso de Los Ynojos, Español, was laid to rest in the Aguascalientes Parish. He was the spouse of Teresa Ruis de Esparza.
Document Location:
The Baptism of Teresa Ruiz de Esparza (1643)
In the Margin: Theresa, Española
Text: In the town of Aguascalientes on June 1, 1643, in the parish church, I catechized and baptized a girl, daughter of Jacinto de Esparza and Juana de Luevana [López de Lizalde], whom I named Teresa, Española. His godparents were Luis Tiscareño and Lorenza Ruiz de Esparza, his wife. And for the record I signed it above.
Document Location:
The Death of Teresa Ruiz de Esparza (1724)
Accordiung to the burial records of the Parish of Aguascalientes, on the 23rd of July
Of 1724, the body of Theresa Ruiz de Esparza, the spouse of Pedro Alonzo de los Ynojos (deceased) was laid to rest. Actually her husband’s father was Pedro Alonzo de Los Ynojos, and her spouse of Jose Alonzo de Los Ynojos.
Document Location:
The Marriage of Sebasitian de Herrera (1692)
In the Villa of Aguascalientes on the 27th of December of 1692, the priest married SEBASTIAN DE HERRERA, mestizo, resident and native of this villa, legitimate son of Pedro Herrera (deceased) Maria Rodriguez, with NICOLASA FERNANDEZ SALAZAR, mestisa, originally from Zacatecas and maid since childhood in this jurisdiction, legitimate daughter of Juan de Salazar and Maria (Subietta) de Zubieta
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-65T9-3L8?i=242&cc=1502404
The Baptism of Jacinto Sandoval (1688)
In the Margin: Jacinto, Español.
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes, on the 20th day of the September of 1688, I baptized and poured holy oil on Jacinto, Español, legitimate son of Jacinto de Sandobal and Josepha Macias, 15 days after birth…
The Marriage of Jacinto Sandobal (1715)
In the Margin: Jacinto de Sandobal, Married and Veiled.
Text: In the Villa and said day, month and year [February 27, 1715], having proceeded with the due diligence as required by the Holy Council of Trent and no impediments [to marriage] resulting, I married by the words ofr those present and celebrated JACINTO DE SANDOBAL AND ANNA CAVILLO, both Españoles, and residents of this jurisdiction of El Mesquital….
Document Location:
The Death of Jacinto de Sandoval (1729)
In the Villa of Aguascalientes, on the 21st of January of 1729 in the Holy Parish Church,, I buried Jacinto de Sandobal, the spouse of Ana Morales [Calvillo], who received the holy sacraments of penance, the Holy Eucharist and Extreme Unction…
Document Location:
The Baptism of Anna Calvillo (1700)
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes, on the 8th of November of the year 1700, I baptized and poured holy oil on Ana, legitimate daughter of Xines Calvillo and Ana Dominguez…
Document Location:
The Baptism of Honofre Macias, 1686:
Text: In La Villa de Aguascalientes, on the 12th day of the month of December of 1696 in the Parish, the priest baptized Honofre, Español, legitimate son of Nicolas Macias and of Josepha de Alvarado…
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-64V7-3RZ?i=71&cc=1502404
The Marriage of Onofre Macias (1707)
In the Villa of Aguascalientes, on the 20th of November of 1707, I married by the words of those present, celebrating ONOFRE MACIAS, Español, and CATHARINA DE ESPARZA, Española, natives of this villa…
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XXC3-ZSX?i=62&cc=1502404
The Burial of Onofre Macias (1770)
According to the burial record of Onofre Macias died and was buried on March 7, 1770. He was classified as Español, originally of this villa and a resident of the Rancho de San Pasqual in that jurisidction. He was the son of Nicolas Masias and Josepha Lopez y Albarado, both deceased, and the widower of Catharina de Esparza…
Document Location:
The Baptism of Catarina Ruiz de Esparza (1681)
In the Villa of Aguascalientes, on the 17th day of the month of June of 1781 in the Parish Church, I baptized and poured holy oil on Chatalina, Española, legitimate daughter of Agustin Salado [Ruiz de Esparza] and Josepha Rodriguez, residents of this jurisdiction. Godparents Francisco Prieto and Isabel de Anda Altamirano. One month [after birth].
Document Location:
The Baptism of Jose Manuel Mariñas (1680)
Translation: In the Villa of Aguascalientes on the 24th day of the month of June of 1680, I baptized and poured holy oil on Joseph Manuel, the legitimate son of Diego de Las Mariñas and Elvira Gonsales…
Document Location:
The Life of Joseph Mariñas and Michaela de la Cueva
The marriage of Joseph Mariñas and Michaela de la Cueva was not located. However, they were married before 1705. On May 20, 1705, they baptized their daughter, Elvira Mariñas, in El Sagrario, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes. Elvira was named after her paternal grandmother and was the older sister of Maria Gertrudes Mariñas of this lineage. Her baptism indicates that Elvira was the legitimate daughter of Joseph Mariñas and Micaela de la Cueva.
THE SEVENTH GENERATION: THE GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS OF GERONIMO ROBALCABA
Lorenzo Rubalcava
Specific dates from Lorenzo de Rubalcava’s life are not well known. However, several works have discussed him and his father. This passage is from Nicolás de Anda Sánchez’s “Teocaltiche de Nueva Galicia,” indicated that Lorenzo was the Son of Matheo de Rubalcava and Jerónima Morales.
The Family of Lorenzo de Rubalcava
The “Genealogia de Nochistlán Antiguo Reino de la Nueva Galicia en el Siglo XVII Segun sus Archivos Parroquiales” also mentions Lorenzo, his wife and his children:
The Life of Miguel Díaz Montañez
Mary Lou Montagna, in “The Genealogy of Juan Montañez and His Descendants in Aguascalientes, Jalisco, San Luis Potosí, and Zacatecas” (published in the SHHAR Genealogical Journal, Vol. IV, 1994, pp. 115-120), indicated the Miguel Diaz Montañez was the son of Juan Montañes and Sebastiana Díaz.
The Baptism of Francisco de Villalobos (1595)
Francisco de Villalobos was baptized in La Asunción Church in Downtown Mexico City in 1595.
Translation: On the 31st of July of 1595, I, Diego de Vivero, baptized Francisco, son of Cristóbal de Villalobos and Marí Perez. The godparents are Francisco Blanco and Catalina Muñoz.
The Marriage of Francisco de Villalobos (1640)
Translation: On the twenty-second of May of 1640, I married and veiled in the face of the church FRANCISCO DE VILLALOBOS, legitimate son of Cristóbal de Villalobos and María de Pérez de Nava with MARIA VASQUEZ DE RETAMOSA, legitimate daughter of Gaspar Macías Valadez and Mariana de Torres, neighbors of this valley [Teocaltiche]. Don Gregorio de Quiroga, priest, and Francisco Muñoz de Nava and Juan Álvarez, residents of this valley, were witnesses. His padrinos were Pedro Alonso, a resident of Aguascalientes, and Josefa de Arriola, daughter of Andrés de Arriola. Three warnings were read on three holidays, but no impediment resulted.
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-733W-8?i=16&cc=1874591
The Baptism of Maria Masias Tabera (1620)
In the Margin: Maria
Text: On the 27th of January of 1620, I baptized and poured oil on Maria, legitimate daughter of Mariana de Tabora and of Gaspar Masias Valades, residents of La labor de Los Gallos.
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6QQ9-THG?i=19&cc=1502404
The Death of Antonio Escoto (1683)
In the Margin: Antonio Escoto Tovar, Español, Jalostotitlán
Text: In Jalostotitlán on March 8, 1683, Antonio de Escoto Tovar, married to Inés Ortiz, from this jurisdiction, Spanish, died and was buried, with poses, vigil and sung mass. He died in this town, confessed…
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-FM9R-2Y?i=65
The Información Matrimonio of Maria Rebollo (1653)
The Información Matrimonio document of Maria Rebollo with her second husband, Gabriel de Castañeda, reveals that she is the daughter of Domingo de Rebollo and Maria. The name of Domingo’s wife was earlier revealed when he married her in August 9, 1625 in Aguascalientes: María López de Ruvalcaba. Maria Rebollo was buried in Aguascalientes on September 11, 1708 at the age of 88.
Biography of Pedro Alonso de los Hinojos
Pedro Alonso de los Hinojos was born at the end of the 16th century in San Luis Potosí. He later lived in Sierra de Pinos, where he married Anna Domínguez, originally from Villa de León, on May 3, 1620. The couple was sponsored by Hernando Medel and his wife Juana Pérez; and Miguel Díez and Juana Vázquez witnessed it. Bachelor Pedro Lozano gave them the wedding blessing. Both spouses – genearchs of the Alonso de los Hinojos – were “very noble and well-born people.” Pedro Alonso de los Hinojos received as a dowry, from his father-in-law…
Originally from the Villa de León, Anna Dominguez must have been born around 1600 or shortly after; she was the daughter of Miguel Díez, who was originally from the Tlalpujahua Mines and executed his will in Villa de León on June 12, 1626 before the Notary Fabián Pérez Maderuelo, and his second wife María Medel, who later moved to and died in 1666 in Aguascalientes.
Miguel Díez was the son of Martín Alonso and Juana Sánchez, residents of the Tlalpujahua Mines at the end of the 16th century. María Medel was the daughter of Pedro Medel the Elder, a native of the Algarve in Portugal, living in the Villa de León of New Spain, where he made his will on February 22, 1613, and Anna Domínguez Delgado - also known as Anna Domínguez, who in turn made his will in León on March 4, 1620. "
Source:
Retoños de España en la Nueva Galicia: 2. parte ; 3. parte (principio). Diccionario Genealógico de Las Familias Alteñas (Abalza-Cano), por Mariano González-Leal, Gobierno de Jalisco, Secretaría General de Gobierno, Dirección de Publicaciones, 2010, University of California.
The Marriage of Pedro Alonso de Los Hinojos (1620)
According to Manny Díez Hermosillo, Registros de San Matías Sierra de Pinos 1613-1647 (Self Published, Jan 2018), on May 3, 1620, the parish priest in Pinos married Pº [Pedro] Alonso with Ana Domingues.
The Death of Pedro Alonso de los Ynojos
The burial record of Pedro Alonso de Ynojos indicates that his burial took place in the Church of Aguascalientes on May 23, 1660. He was the spouse of Ana Dominguez and took confession and received the holy sacraments. He also made a will and allowed one hundred Masses to be said for his soul.
Document Location:
The Burial Record of Ana Dominguez (1675)
Translation: In the town of Aguas Calientes on the fourteenth day of August 1675 in the parish church, I buried Ana Domingues, widow of Pedro Alonso de los Inojos. She confessed and received the holy sacraments and extreme unction. She made a will before Don Mateo Treviño y Haro, mayor of this town. She does not leave any orders for declaring that she does not have assets. She ordered his children to say a novena of low masses. She appointed Nicolás de Palos, her son-in-law, and Pedro Alonso de los Inojos, her son, as his executors. And for the record I signed it.
Document Location:
The Death of Jacinto Ruiz de Esparza (1679)
In the Margin: Jacinto de Esparsa, Spanish, made a will
Text: In the town of Aguascalientes on the twenty-seventh day of the month of July, 1679, I buried Jacinto de Esparsa, husband of Juana de Lisaldi [Lopez de Elizalde], in the parish church. He confessed and received the holy sacraments, viaticum and extreme unction. He made a will that he executed before Don Juan de Ceceña, a public notary, and left Juana de Lisaldi, his wife, as his executor. I ordered that a mass be sung for the present body, an offering of bread and wine and that twenty low masses be said…
Document Location:
The Death of Juana Lopez de Elizalde (aka Luevano) (1682)
In the Margin: Juana de Lisalde, Spanish, widow
Text: In the town of Aguascalientes on the twenty-second day of the month of May, 1682 in the parish church, I buried Juana de Lisaldi, widow of Jasinto de Esparsa, she confessed and received the viaticum and the sacrament of extreme unction. She made a will and left her son Domingo de Esparsa as executor and holder of assets, and executor of her will to her son Nicolas de Esparsa. She ordered in his will that a present offering of bread and wine be sung, and a novena of low masses be said. ...and that they say fifty low masses and the forced orders and I signed it.
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6S67-63P?i=188&cc=1502404
Pedro Herrera and Maria Rodriguez
Little is known about this couple. It is believed that Pedro Herrera was born around 1648 but may have been baptized without a surname by parents of mixed heritage. At the time of his burial on July 28, 1682 in Aguascalientes, Pedro Herrera was described as a mestizo who was married to Maria Rodriguez.
Document Location:
Juan de Salazar and Maria de Zubieta
Little is known about Juan de Salazar and his wife Maria de Zubieta. Juan de Salazar was probably born in 1635, possibly without a surname and with parents of mixed heritage. He died on June 6, 1694 and was described as a mestizo married with Maria Subieta.
Document Location:
The Marriage of Jacinto Sandobal (1684)
In the Margin: Jacinto de Sandoval with Josepha Masias…
Text: In La Estansia of Juan Macias in the Jurisdiction of the Villa de Aguascalientes, on the 22nd day of October of 1684, I, Father Manuel Sarmiento… [married] Jacinto de Sandoval of this jurisdiction with Josepha Masias, legitimate daughter of Juan Masias and Juana de Saldana, residents of this jurisdiction…
The Death of Jasinto de Sandobal (1734)
The burial record of Jasinto de Sandobal in Aguascalientes on December 8, 1734 indicates that Jasinto de Sandobal, Español, originally from and a resident of the Aguascalientes parish, legitimate son of Juan de Sandobal and Josepha Gutierrez (both deceased), and widower of Josepha Macias, died and received the sacraments.
Document Location:
The Baptism of Jinés Calvillo (1664)
In the Margin: Xines, Español.
Text: On the 26th of July of 1664, I baptized and poured the holy oils on Ginés, son of José Calvillo and Elvira López y Valero. His godparents were Tomás Valero and Josefa de Alarcón.
Document Location:
The Marriage of Xines Calvillo (1696)
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes, on the 30th of May of 1696, all the procedures established by the Holy Council [of Trent] were carried out, and no impediment resulted, I married by the words of those present that make a true marriage and likewise I watched over in due time Ginés Calvillo, Español and resident of this town [Aguascalientes], widower of Estefanía de Moncada, with María Rodríguez, Española, neighbor and native of this town, legitimate daughter of Juan Hernández, deceased, and Ana Domínguez, the witnesses were Ignacio Calvillo, Nicolas Calvillo and Andres Alvarez, I signed it.
The Marriage of Nicolas Macias (1662)
In the Margin: Veiled, Nicolas Macias with Josepha de Alvarado
Text: On the 21st of February of 1662, I veiled in the face of the church Nicolas Macias with Josepha de Albarado…
The Death of Josepha de Albarado (1734)
In the Margin: Josepha de Albarado, Española, Widow.
Text: On the 22nd day of February of 1734… manuel Colon de Laureatiqui, priest of this Villa of Aguascalientes, performed the eccleciastic burial in the parish of here for Josepha de Albarado, Española, legitimate daughter of Luis de Albarado and Beatriz Lopez de Elizalde, widow of Nicolas Macias…
Document Location:
The Marriage of Agustin Ruiz de Esparza (1672)
In the Margin: Agustin Ruys de Esparza with Josepha Rs [Rodriguez], Españoles, Married and Veiled.
Text: On the 14th of February of 1672, I married and veiled in the face of the church Agustin Ruys de Esparsa of this jurisdiction with Josepha Rs [Rodriguez], a resident of the City of San Lujan, with parochial license, preceded by the due diligence as required by the Holy Council [of Trent]…
The Marriage of Diego Marinas (1671)
In the Margin: Diego de Las Mariñas with Elvira Lopes…
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes, Juan de Medrano, vicar of the former Jalpa district… married and veiled in the face of the church Diego de las Mariñas with Elvira Lopez, legitimate daughter of Diego Gonzalez, now deceased, and Ana Lopez. Witnesses: Pedro de Lunz and Captain Joseph of Parga.
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-65T9-3T2?i=40&cc=1502404
The Death of Diego de las Mariñas (1695)
In the Margin: Diego de Las Mariñas, Español, spouse with Elbira Lopez
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes on the 6th of December of the year 1695, Diego de Las Mariñas, Español, married with Albira (Elvira) Lopes, died and received the sacraments…
The Baptism of Elvira Lopez (1655)
The baptism of Elvira Lopez was written in the margin of the Aguascalientes Parish Book. It indicates that she was the legitimate daughter of Juan Gonzales and Ana Lopes.
THE EIGHTH GENERATION: THE GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS OF GERONIMO ROBALCABA
The Family of Matheo González de Rubalcava
In 1570, at the approximate age of 40 years, Alonso González de Rubalcava – the fatherof Mateo -- moved to Patzcuaro [located in present-day Michoacán]. Capitán Alonso González de Ruvalcaba was married in Patzcuaro, Michoacán to Beatriz Lopez de Fuenllana, a native of Patzcuaro and the daughter of “el conquistador,” Juan López de Baeza y Santaella and of Isabel Pérez de Fuenllana. Juan de Baeza had travelled with the Conquistador Nuño de Guzmán, in his path across Jalisco and Zacatecas in the early 1530s. Isabel Perez was the daughter of Francisco de Santaella.
At a later date, Alonso González de Rubalcava married Beatriz López de Fuenllana. They are believed to have had ten children, the first of whom were born in Patzcuaro, while the last six are believed to have been born in Teocaltiche, which is a short distance from Villa Hidalgo [in present-day Jalisco]. In the centuries to come, the Ruvalcaba surname spread throughout northern Jalisco, Aguascalientes, and southern Zacatecas. The children of Alonso and Beatriz included:
1. Matheo de Rubalcava, probably born in 1570, who first married Jerónima Morales (around 1595) and later married Luisa de Avila
2. Alonso de Rubalcava, born around 1571.
3. Francisco de Rubalcava, born in 1573, who was married to Ana de la Paz in Mexico City. He died sometime before 1607.
4. Capitán Fulgencio González de Rubalcava (known as “El Viejo,” who was born in Teocaltiche in 1575 and moved to Santa María de los Lagos (now Lagos de Moreno) in 1613, where he married Luisa de Rodas Villegas y López de Nava.
5. Mariana González de Rubalcava who married Martin Pérez Gardea (or Pérez Domínguez)
6. Beatriz López who married Lorenzo Márquez by 1607
7. Ursula González, who was married to Gabriel López de Nava in Teocaltiche around 1605, and eventually died in Aguascalientes in 1635
8. María González de Rubalcava, who married Capitán Pedro de Huerta and died in Aguascalientes in 1644
A passage from the History of Teocaltiche provides the following information:
Translation of Matheo de Robalcava’s Second Marriage (1622):
On the 14th of June of 1622, I married Matheo de Robalcava, widower, son of Alonso de Rovalcaba and Beatris Lopez, his woman from the town of Tequaltiche [Teocaltiche] with testimony of being read with three reprimands (bans) and leave of the Pedro Gerónimo de Ortega Becerra with Luisa de Ávila, widow, neighbor of this town, daughter of Alonso Ximénez and Catalina de Ayala, she a legitimate woman from Los Llanos de Çilao [Silao, Guanajuato]. Witnesses: Juan Arias de Avella y Valdés y Andrés de Heredia, residents of this town and María, sister of the said Mateo de Robalcava.
The following chart shows three Generations of the ancestors of Mateo Gonzalez de Ruvalcaba according to WikiTree:
This passage is from Nicolás de Anda Sánchez’s “Teocaltiche de Nueva Galicia,” shows the children of Matheo de Rubalcava and Jerónima Morales:
The Life of Juan Montañez
The following paragraphs are excerpts from Mary Lou Montagna, “The Genealogy of Juan Montañez and His Descendants in Aguascalientes, Jalisco, San Luis Potosi, and Zacatecas,” SHHAR Genealogical Journal, Vol. IV, 1998, pp. 115-116:
Juan Montanez was the progenitor of a vast family in what was then a sparsely populated area in the lands of the Chichimeca Indians. The Montañez name is interwoven with many of the early families of Nueva Galicia and Nueva España, as those areas of M6xico were then called.
In his will, Juan Montañez stated that he was from Salamanca, Spain. In the New World, he became the owner of the estancia de Ojuelos which today is a town located on the road that connects Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, to the city of San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi. But during Don Juan's lifetime the religious needs of those living in his estancia were served by the priests of Sierra de Pinos in Zacatecas. At about 27 miles north of his ranch, Pinos was the closest town. Thus, many of the baptism, marriage, and death records of the Montañez family are located in the Pinos archives. Juan Montañez made out his last will and testament on Sept. 29, 1648 in San Luis Potosí.
In the will, Juan Montañez stated that he was the son of Juan Montañez and Ana Vicente. His first wife was Sebastiana Díaz, the daughter of Miguel Diaz from Guanajuato and his second wife, Maria Medel. They had three children:
1. Miguel Diaz Montañes.
2. Ana Montañes, baptized 21 Sep 1623 in Pinos, Zacatecas.
3. Ana Vicente Montañes, baptized 28 May 1626.
The Baptism of Christoval Billalobos Landares (1567)
Cristobal Billalobos (Villalobos) came from Mayorga, Valladolid Province in Castilla, España (Spain). He was baptized on April 18, 1567 in the Parish of El Salvador in Mayorga as the son of Matias de Billalobos and Bernardina de Landares. He was given the name Xpoval [Cristobal].
The Marriage of Cristoval de Villalovos (1594)
Translation: On October 19, 1594, I, the bachelor Joan Ugarte, having taken the warnings and further precautions and with the order of the supervisor, and not costing any impediment, married and gave the nuptial blessings on this church, to Xpoval [Cristobal] de Villalobos, a resident of this City [of México] and a native of the town of [unclear] in the Kingdom of Castilla, son of Mateo [de Villalobos] and Bernardina Landares, with [María Pérez], a native of this city, daughter of Xpoval [Pérez] and [María] Madalena [Magdaleno]…
Document Location:
The Macias Family of Aguascalientes
According to Mariano Gonzalez-Leal, in Retoños de España in La Nueva Galicia, Villanueva de Barcarrota, in the judicial district of Badajoz of España (Spain) is the cradle of the ancient Macias Valadés family. They came to the village of Santa Maria de los Lagos and are considered among the founders of the city. The progenitor of the family that eventually settled in Aguascalientes was Alonso Macías Valadez who was married about 1582 to Maria Vásquez Retamosa in Lagos de Moreno. Alonzo Macias Valadez has also been known as Nicolas Macias Valadez, and his wife Maria Vázquez de Retamosa has also been known as Leonor de Retamosa. They had the following offspring:
1. Leonor de Retamosa, born 1582-1583 in Lagos de Moreno; she married Alonso de Alba. She was buried in Lagos on May 16, 1641.
2. Gaspar Macias Valadez, born 1585-1587 in Aguascalientes; married on March 6, 1612 to Mariana de Torres.
3. Mateo Macias Valadez, born about 1589 in Aguascalientes; buried in Lagos on 25 July 1662; twin of his brother Felipe. He was married in Lagos around 1614 with Catalina Lopez de Nava,
4. Felipe Macias Valdez, born about 1589 as the twin of Mateo. He was married in Aguascalientes to Maria Tavara (or de Torres) in 1618.
5. Alonso Macias Valadez, born about 1595 in Aguascalientes. He married Ursula Alvarez around 1619 and was buried in Aguascalientes in January 1645.
The Marriage of Gaspar Macias (1612)
In the Margin: Gaspar Masias and Mariana de Torres.
Text: On the 26 of March of 1614, In the Estancia de las Penuelas de Ramirez, I veiled Gaspar Macias and Mariana de Torres. Their witnesses were Diego Peguero and Juan de Torres.
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6QQ9-TPX?i=235&cc=1502404
The Death of Gaspar Macias (1659)
Gaspar Macias, a widower at the age of 70 years, was buried in the Church of Aguascalientes on June 20, 1659.
Document Location:
The Death of Mariana de Torres (1622)
Mariana de Torres died and was buried in Aguascalientes on March 30, 1622. She was the spouse of Gaspar Macias Valadez and a resident of Gallo.
Document Location:
The Life of Hernando Ortiz Peguero
According to Mariano González Leal, in Retoños de España en la Nueva Galicia, Hernando Ortiz Peguero came to the Villa de Santa Maria de Los Lagos (now Lagos de Moreno), where he was married on February 17, 1615 to Doña Inés de Rodas, daughter of Captain Hernando de Villegas and Doña Inés López de Nava. After their marriage, they remained residents of the Villa de Lagos, where he issued his will on May 22, 1645, instituting as executors his nephew Hernando López de Lara, his son-in-law Antonio de Escoto-Tovar and his wife Doña Inés de Rodas.
The Marriage of Hernandez Peguero (1615)
On the 27th of February of 1615, Hernandez Peguero was married to Ines de Rodas in Lagos de Moreno.
Document Location:
The Marriage of Domingo Rebollo and Mari Lopez de Rubalcava (1625)
Partial Translation: On the 9th day of the month of October of 1625, I married and watched over them on October 12 to Domingo de Rebollo, a widower and resident of Zacatecas, with with Mari López, a maiden of ten and six years old, daughter of Matheo de Robalcaba and Gerónima of Morales, residents of this town in Aguascalientes. Witnesses: Pedro de Huerta and Francisco Muñoz and Andrés González and many others. Godfathers of the veiling were Pedro de Huerta and María González, his wife…
Mari Lopez de Rubalcava as the Daughter of Mateo
According to Retoños, Don Mateo Gonzalez de Rubalcava and his wife, Dona Jerónima de Morales, had many children, including Mari Lopez, conocida tambien (known also as) Dona Maria Lopez de Rubalcava. She was born in 1609 and married on October 9, 1625 to Domingo Rebollo, a widower and resident of Zacatecas. In her second marriage, she was married in Teocaltiche to Diego Carrillo de Sandi, son de Alvaro Carrillo and Doña Maria Alvarez de Sandi.
In José Luis Vázquez y Rodríguez de Frías, “Genealogía de Nochistlán,” Mari López was described as the daughter of Matheo de Rubalcava and the wife of Domingo Rebollo (with the wrong year of the marriage listed). She was also a sister of Lorenzo de Rubalcava (Ancestor Number 64).
The Life of Diego Alonso de Los Hinojos
It is believed that the de Los Hinojos family came from Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Sevilla, Kingdom of Castilla (Andalucía, Spain). According to his biography, he was a resident of the town and mines of San Luis Potosí. He was married to Doña Leonor Sánchez de Ulloa. He was still alive in 1632 when he was mentioned as executor of the will and holder of assets of Doña Beatriz López, deceased, the wife of Juan Alonso de los Hinojos, his son.
Source: Biografía de Diego Alonso de los Hinojos, Morales Bocardo, Rafael. Diccionario Biográfico de Antiguos Pobladores de San Luis Potosí, 1592-1666 (San Luis Potosí: 2012-2015); Archivo Histórico del Estado San Luis Potosí (El Colegio de San Luis: 2014), p. 83.
The Esparza Surname
The Esparza de Ruiz family is a well-known Basque family. The surname Esparza is said to mean one who came from Esparza (a barren place or a place where feather grass grew) in Spain. The word was derived from the Latin sparsus (spread abroad, scattered), probably referring to land that yields little. Esparza is the name of a village near Pamplona in Navarro, Spain.
The Journey from Spain (1593)
The patriarch of the Ruiz de Esparza family in Mexico was Lope Ruiz de Esparza. Lope Ruiz de Esparza – a native of Pamplona, Navarra – is documented by the Catalogo de Pasajeros a Indias (Vol. III - #2.633) as having sailed from Spain to Mexico on Feb. 8, 1593. Lope, who was the son of Lope Ruiz de Esparza and Ana Días de Eguino, was a bachelor and a servant of Doñ Enrique Maleon [Archivo General de Indias, Sección de Contratación, Pasajeros a Indias: Libros de Asientos (Sevilla, Spain: Imprenta Editorial de la Gavidia, 1940), Vol. VII, 1586-1599, III-163, #2.633]. The actual document is shown below (the second entry):
Lope Ruiz de Esparza in Aguascalientes
After arriving in Mexico, Lope is said to have married Francisca de Gabai Navarro y Moctezuma somewhere in Mexico City in 1594 or 1595. This marriage has not been located, and the records for Asunción Parish for those years have been lost.
According to the researchers Connie Dominguez and Mary Landers, Lope Ruiz de Esparza’s wife, Francisca Gabay, was also known as Francisca Gabai Navarro de Moctezuma, who was the daughter of Martin Navarro and Petronila Moctezuma.
The Early Years of Aguascalientes
At some point, Lope and Francesca made their way to Aguascalientes in the Spanish colony of Nueva Galicia. The town of Aguascalientes had been formally established by a decree of October 22, 1575 during the height of the Chichimeca War (1550-1590). As a result, the small villa got off to a bad start and during the height of the hostilities (1582-1585), the population of the villa was reduced to only one caudillo, two vecinos [residents] and 16 soldiers. However, the last Chichimec raid took place in 1593, after which the threat from native peoples quickly diminished. At this point Spanish settlers – mostly cattlemen and farmers – began arriving in Aguascalientes [Peter Gerhard, The North Frontier of New Spain (University of Oklahoma: 1993), pp. 63-65; Philip Wayne Powell, Solders, Indians and Silver (Center for Latin American Studies, Arizona State University: 1975), pp. 144, 154-155].
By 1610, the small town of Aguascalientes had some 25 Spanish residents, about fifty families of mestizos, at least 100 mulatos, twenty Black slaves, and ten Indians [Peter Gerhard, op. cit., p 65.] It is likely that these twenty-five Spanish inhabitants probably included persons with the surnames Ruiz de Esparza, Alvarado, Tiscareno de Molina, Luebana, and Fernandez de Vaulus. The Registros Parroquiales (Parish Registers) for La Parroquia de la Asunción (Assumption Parish) in Aguascalientes began at various points around this time: marriages in 1601, baptisms in 1616 and deaths in 1620. And the vast majority of the people who were baptized or married in this church in the early years were mulatos, mestizos and indios (as indicated by the 1610 tally).
The first evidence we have of Lope’s presence in Aguascalientes is an October 8th, 1611 marriage of two people who are described as servants (criados) of Pedro Fernandez de Vaulus (most likely a nephew of Francesca Gabai de Ruiz de Esparza). This marriage was performed in the presence (en presencia) of three people, one of whom was Lope Ruiz de Esparza.
Both Lope Ruiz de Esparza and his wife Francesca served as padrinos at numerous baptisms and marriages in the Aguascalientes during their long lives. However, their own children were not baptized in the Aguascalientes parish church until 1618. It is possible that records were kept in their private chapel in Morcenique and that these records were never turned over to the parish or may have been lost at some point.
Francesca and Lope in the 1648 Census of Aguascalientes
The following extract is from Rose Hardy and Dave Valdez’s “A Genealogical Look at the 1648 Padron of Aguascalientes.” Below is the household of Lope Ruiz de Esparza and his wife Maria Gavadi [Francesca Gabadi]. The padrón was a census of the people of the parish to determine who was taking the sacraments at a given time.
The Death of Lope Ruiz de Esparza (1651)
Lope Ruiz de Esparza died and was buried in the Church on August 23, 1651. His wife died seven months later.
Document Location:
THE DESCENDANCY CHART OF LOPE RUIZ DE ESPARZA TO JOSE GERONIMO RUBALCAVA
Lope Ruiz de Esparza and Francesca Gabai (Gabadi) actually have at least three lines of descent to Jose Geronimo Rubalcava through three of their children: Lorenza, Jacinto, and Bernardo (Bernabe).
The Death of Francesca Gabai (1652)
About seven months after her husband Lope died, Francesca died on March 30, 1652 and was buried by the parish priest in Aguascalientes. Her burial record indicated that she was the “mujer” woman (spouse) of Lope Ruiz de Esparza.
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6S67-8M7?i=60&cc=1502404
The First Luevana Couple in Aguascalientes
Sometime before 1618, Juan de Luevana was married to Maria Lopez de Elizalde in or near Aguascalientes. Juan’s origins are not clearly known, but Maria was the daughter of Juan Lopez de Elizalde and Leonor Becerra y Sanchez de Mendoza. She lived to a ripe old age and was buried on March 4, 1678 in Aguascalientes, but her husband died young at a young age in 1628.
The First Baptism of a Luevana in Aguascalientes (1618)
This very brief record states that on March 14, 1618, the parish priest poured Holy Oil on Juan, the son of Juan de Luevana and Maria Lopez de Elizalde. It is the earliest baptism record for a Luebana in Aguascalientes. A few years later, Juan Luevana, Sr. died and his widow, Maria, was married to Martin Ruiz de Esparza, a son of Lope Ruiz de Esparza and Francisca Gabay Navarro de Moctezuma. The baptism record of Juan Luevana has been reproduced below:
The Death of Maria Lopez de Elizalde (1678)
The burial record of Maria Lopez de Lisaldi [Elizalde] from March 4, 1678 reveals that she was the widow of Martin de Esparza and she had received the sacraments before her death.
The Burial of Juan Macias (1681)
In the Margin: Juan Macias Spouse of Juana de Saldañia, Made a Testament.
Text: In the Villa of Aguascalientes on the 3rd day of the month of July of 1681 in the parish church, interred Juan Macias, spoused of Juana de Saldaña, the resident of this jurisdiction, confessed, received the viaticum [Eucharist] and the sacrament of extreme unction, and made a testament before the notary Juan de Sesena…
The Marriage of Jose Calvillo and Elvira López (1654)
In the Margin: Joseph Calvillo with Albira Valero, Married and Veiled.
Text: On the 27th of November of 1654, I married and veiled… José Calvillo, legitimate son of José Calvillo and Mariana Gómez, with Elvira Valero, legitimate daughter of Ginés Valero and Juana de Espinoza. Their padrinos were Sebastián de Espinoza and his mother Juana de Espinoza. Bartolomé de Espitia and Miguel de Espinoza were witnesses.
Document Location:
The Burial of Matheo Macias Valadés (1662)
In the Margin: Matheo Masias Valades, visited and fulfilled.
Text: On the 25th day of the month of June, 1662, I buried in the parish church of this town Matheo Masias, a neighbor there, the husband of Catalina Lopez de Nava, who confessed and received all the holy sacraments. He made a will before Joseph Gonzales de Robalcava, lieutenant general of the mayor, commanding the fifteen ducats to the brotherhood of the holy sacrament to the forced orders…
Document Location:
The Baptism of Luis de Alvarado de Vargas
According to the baptism in January of 1610, Luis Alvarado was baptized as the son of Luis Alvarado and Sabina de Vargas in the Guerrero Sureste in Mexico City.
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RC9-3CL?i=565&cc=1615259
The Baptism of Bernado (Bernabe) Ruíz de Esparza (1608)
In the Margin: Bernabe
Text: on the 17 of June of 1608, I baptized and poured oil on Bernabe, son of Lope Ruiz de Esparza and of Francesca Gabadi…
Document Location:
The Marriage of Bernardo Ruiz de Esparza (1634)
In the Margin: Bernardo Ruis de Esparza and Catalina Losano.
Text: On the 23rd day of the month of February of 1634… in La Estancia of Lope Ruiz de Esparza, [I married] Bernardo Ruiz de Esparza and Catalina Losano…
Document Location:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6QQ9-BHP?i=256&cc=1502404&cat=56690
The Death of Catalina Lozano (1683)
On July 25, 1683, the parish priest performed the ecclesiastic burial of Catalina Losano, the spouse of Bernardo Salado de Esparza. She received the sacraments before death.
Document Location:
THE NINTH GENERATION: THE GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS OF GERONIMO ROBALCABA
The Life of Alonso González de Ruvalcaba
Alonso González de Ruvalcaba was probably born around 1545, possibly born in Guadalajara. Some sources say Mexico City was his birthplace. His parents were Mateo (Matheo) Gonzalez de Rubalcava and Juana Gonzalez. We know that Mateo came from the Linares (Santander) region of Spain. Juana was the daughter of Ruy Gonzalez who distinguished himself in the Conquest of Mexico. He received a coat of arms from Carlos V. He was also known as an "Alcalde" and "regidor." There is also a letter Ruy wrote to Carlos V.
Captain Alonso Gonzalez de Ruvalcaba was a talented mason and an architect working under the master builder, Martin Casillas, in the construction of the second Cathedral of Guadalajara in the late 1560s. There were actually 3 stages of building. The first stage was an adobe structure. The cathedral website stated that he would have aided in the second stage. Thereafter he went to Patzcuaro (Michoacán) to aid in the construction of the cathedral there.
Details about the life of Alonso de Rubalcava (or Robalcaba) have been discussed in the following article by Mariano González-Leal: “Alonso de Robalcaba: Estudio Biográfico Sobre uno de Los Grandes Genearcas Alteños,” published in the SHHAR Genealogical Journal, Volume 5 (2003), pp. 63-77.
In 1570, at the approximate age of 40 years, Alonso moved to Patzcuaro, presently in Michoacán. Capitán Alonso González de Ruvalcaba was married in Patzcuaro, Michoacán to Beatriz Lopez de Fuenllana, a native of Patzcuaro and the daughter of “el conquistador,” Juan López de Baeza y Santaella and of Isabel Pérez de Fuenllana. Juan de Baeza had travelled with the Conquistador Nuño de Guzmán, in his path across Jalisco and Zacatecas in the early 1530s. Isabel Perez was the daughter of Francisco de Santaella.
Later, Alonso moved to the Teocaltiche region, where he married Beatriz. They are believed to have had ten children, the first of whom were born in Patzcuaro, while the last six are believed to have been born in Teocaltiche, which is a short distance from Villa Hidalgo. In the centuries to come, the Ruvalcaba surname spread throughout northern Jalisco, Aguascalientes, and southern Zacatecas. The children of Alonso and Beatriz included:
1. Matheo de Rubalcava, born around 1569/1570, who first married Jerónima Morales (around 1595) and later married Luisa de Avila
2. Alonso de Rubalcava, born around 1571.
3. Francisco de Rubalcava, born in 1573, who was married to Ana de la Paz in Mexico City. He died sometime before 1607.
4. Capitán Fulgencio González de Rubalcava (known as “El Viejo,” who was born in Teocaltiche in 1575 and moved to Santa María de los Lagos (now Lagos de Moreno) in 1613, where he married Luisa de Rodas Villegas y López de Nava.
5. Mariana González de Rubalcava who married Martin Pérez Gardea (or Pérez Domínguez)
6. Beatriz López who married Lorenzo Márquez by 1607.
7. Ursula González, who was married to Gabriel López de Nava in Teocaltiche around 1605, and eventually died in Aguascalientes in 1635.
8. María González de Rubalcava, who married Capitán Pedro de Huerta and died in Aguascalientes in 1644.
The Known Ancestors of Alonso González de Rubalcava According to WikiTree
The Baeza Family
Don Mariano González Leal wrote: After the conquest, Juan Baeza settled in Pátzcuaro, where he had a family. He had been the son of Diego López y Fuenllana and of Mari López, residents of Baeza, and son-in-law of the conqueror Francisco de Santaella, who was killed by the Indians of Tabasco. He was married to Isabel Pérez, daughter of the aforementioned conqueror. One of his daughters, Mrs. Beatriz López de Fuenllana, married in Pátzcuaro around 1575 with Alonso de Robalcava, scion of the House Solar of his surname in Liérganes, mountains of Santander and master builder of the Guadalajara Cathedral, which had also had part of the construction of the primitive church of Pátzcuaro.
Sources: Mariano González-Leal, “Retoños de España en la Nueva Galicia” and Marco Antonio López, “La Conciencia Histórica en Los Códices y en La Crónica” (Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, 2001).
The Known Ancestors of Beatriz López De Fuenllana According to WikiTree
THE DESCENDANCY CHART FROM MATEO GONZALEZ DE RUBALCAVA TO JOSE GERONIMO RUVALCABA
The following descendancy chart shows two Rubalcava lines from Mateo González de Rubalcava, the progenitor of the family in Mexico, to Jose Geronimo Ruvalcaba, who was born in 1817. Both lines merge with Jose Antonio Ruvalcaba, the grandfather of Jose Geronimo Ruvalcaba. Ancestor No. 302 is eight generations removed from Jose Geronimo Ruvalcaba, while Ancestor 512 is nine generations removed from him.
Mateo González de Rubalcava
According to several sources, the first known Rubalcava to arrive in the area of Nueva Galicia (Jalisco, Zacatecas and Aguascalientes) was Matheo González de Rubalcava, who was allegedly a native of Liérganes, Santander, born sometime around 1490. His wife was Juana María Gonzalez, the daughter of the conquistador, Ruy Gonzalez. The researcher Mariano González believes that Mateo and his son Alonso most likely came from Heras, a city that is 13.48 km (8.38 miles) northwest of Liérganes, as shown in the following map: Source: Mariano González-Leal, “Alonso de Robalcava,” in Steven F. Hernandez (ed). Genealogical Journal (Orange, California: Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, Vol. V, 2003).
Origins in Santander
According to Alberto García Carraffa’s “Enciclopedia Heráldica y Genealógica Hispano-Americana” (1919), the surname Rubalcaba (also spelled Robalcava or Ruvalcaba) is known to have originated in the Mountains of Santander, with branches of the surname radiating from Medina de Cudeyo, Liérganes and Navajeda, three locations that are presently located in eastern Cantabria (northern Spain).
It is believed that the surname González de Rubalcava implies “the González family from the place called Rubalcava.” However, after a few generations in Mexico, most descendants discarded Gonzalez and retained Rubalcava or some variant of it. According to Spanish heraldic sources, the surname Rubalcaba originated from three places in the district of Santoña, which is located in the mountains of Santander in northern Spain. As noted in the map below, today, Cantabria is considered an autonomous area in north central Spain with Santander as its capital.
Arabic Origins
Although the surname Rubalcaba appears to have originated in Santander, there is a widely accepted theory that the name was derived from an Arabic term, "Rubal Khali" which literally means "the empty quarter." It has been suggested that the name was introduced to the Iberian Peninsula during the Moorish conquest that took place in the Eighth Century. Although the Moors were soon to be evicted from northern Spain, some influences remained.
The Town of Rubalcaba
Rubalcaba is the name of a small town that is only two kilometers south of Liérganes and the likely place where the surname originated. In 2008, the town had 156 inhabitants. The following map shows the proximity of Rubalcaba to Liérganes:
The Life of Juana Gonzalez
Juana Gonzalez is believed to have been born around 1520 in Michoacán. Other sources claim she was born in Spain. She is believed to have died in 1602 in Mexico City.
The Life of Capitán Ruy González
Juana’s father, Capitán Ruy González, was a conquistador, born around 1494 in Villanueva del Fresno, Badajoz, Extremadura in Spain. Ruy González arrived in Cuba before 1518. He was the brother-in-law of the island's governor Diego Velázquez. In April 1520, he left for Mexico on Pánfilo de Narváez's expedition, which was intended to arrest Hernán Cortés. He then joined his troops and participated in the conquest of Mexico. He was with Alvarado during the Triste Noche (Sad Night: June 30, 1520) and distinguished himself for his bravery in combat. Later, he participated in the Coyoacán and Michoacán campaigns alongside Cristóbal de Olid. He owned parcels in Tlazcozautitlan and Tautlalco.
Ruy González was an enemy of Hernán Cortés and testified against him in several trials and resolutions and acknowledged that he had once tried to organize his assassination. He also attacked Bartolomé de Las Casas, whom he accused of being a slanderer and an enemy of the Spanish. He was the owner of several encomiendas. He held various positions such as Alcalde Ordinario of Mexico in 1533, “Regidor” (Alderman) until 1550 and “Procurador Mayor” (Chief Procurator). He probably died by 1560.
Sources of This Information:
Sources: H. Thomas, The Conquest of Mexico (Barcelona, Planeta, 2000); Who is Who of the Conquerors (Barcelona, Salvat Editores, 2001); J. Maria González Ochoa, Who is Who in the America of Discovery (Madrid, Editorial Acento, 2003).