Monday, November 3, 2014

Jose Romo de Vera ~ Will 1754



Reference:  Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series I, Twitchell 1052, Reel 5, Frames 1284-1287.
©Patricia Sanchez Rau, 2014

ARCHIVE 1052
Public Survey Office

Date:  March 11, 1754
Subject Matter:  Will of Joseph Romo de Vera, resident of Santa Fe,
Executed before Nicolas Ortiz Alcalde
Marginal heading:  Year of 1752
Last Will and Testament of don Joseph Romo de Vera
No. 401 (Original Number)

In the name of Almighty God and the ever Virgin Mary, conceived without stain of original sin. Let it be known and evident to all who may see cause, present that I don Jph. (Joseph) Romo de Vera, at present, a resident of the Villa of Santa Fe, Capital of New Mexico, legitimate son of don Francisco Peres Romo and doña Petronila de Vera, my deceased parents to grand and execute by way of codicil this, my last, final and deliberate Will and Testament.

I confess that I firmly believe in the mysteries of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, three distinct persons, but only one true God, and all the rest of the mysteries which our Holy Mother, the Roman Catholic Church, holds, believes, and confesses, having as my special patroness the ever-Virgin Mary, my holy Guardian Angel, Saint John the Baptist and the rest of the Saints of my devotion, so that they may intercede for me with my Lord Jesus Christ, that he may conduct my soul in the surest way to salvation, under whose rule I order this, my testament in the following form and manner, revoking herewith any other testament or codicil executed prior to this that none may be valid or acknowledged either in court or out of court, and my wish is that only this present one is to be acknowledged.

First, I commend my soul to God, our Lord who created it and redeemed it with his precious blood and my body to the earth from whence it was formed.  I desire that, then God, our Lord, shall take me from this present life, my body to be buried inside the church in the place where my administrator may choose, inside the door, in a humble manner.  I desire that my body be shrouded with the habit of our holy father, St. Francis.

I declare that I was married the first time, according to the rites of our holy church, to doña Maria Maldonado y Solis, and during this marriage we had and procreated nineteen (19) children, all deceased.  I contracted second nuptials with doña Angela Baldes, now deceased.  We had three children, two deceased and one living, named Joseph, whom I declare as my only heir.    Said deceased wife was the legitimate daughter of Domingo Valdez and Ana Maria Marquez.  

Item:  I declare that I bequeath to the obligatory bequests 4 reales each; I order them paid from the best of my estate.
Item:  I declare that I have given to Salvador Martines 400 pesos and even something more, for a ranch I bought from him in the villa of Albuquerque, which I declare as my property, as per instruments in my possession.  The amounts are as follows:  2 tam oxen, 1 good gun worth 50 pesos, 120 pesos in a ranch which I had outside this villa, adjoining the land of Phelipe Tafoya, formerly belonging to Tomas Tapia, as per its instruments.  I also gave him another 100 pesos in a piece of land granted to me by the King, which adjoins lands of Domingo Valdez, as per instruments in my possession.  I also declare that said Salvador Martines owes me 200 pesos, as shown by a promissory note which he executed for me, signed by his own hand and by Sebastian de Apodaca, and with this I have many pesos over and above that which is necessary to complete the value of the said ranch.
Item:  I declare as my goods an old cart, a pair of straps, a whip and a yoke.
Item:  I declare as my property 5 good horses with one mare, included in said numbers which are with the herd of horses from the royal garrison.
Item:  I declare as my property a loom with all its equipment, with the exception of the spinning wheels.
Page 3
Item:  I declare as my property an old iron griddle and a spoon of the same.
Item:  I declare that I have an old chocolate jug.
Item:  I declare that I have an old chest, a small chest and a small wooden box.
Item:  I declare as my property an old saddle, a pair of spurs, a bridle and a broken rifle.
Item:  I declare that I have 5 goats, 1 ram, and besides that 3 one-year old kids.
Item:  I declare that I have two old Castilian broadcloth frock coats.
Item:  I declare that I have two holy pictures, painted on canvas.  One is the image of Our Lady of Consolation and the other is San Xeronimo (St. Jerome).
Item:  I declare as my property three large books, 3 small books which I loaned to Manuel Tenorio and another to doña Juana Baca, and another new one to Salbador Martines.
Item:  I declare as my property an old Queretaro cloth coat and a beaver hat, also old.
Item:  I declare as my property a pair of silver shoe buckles and some large trouser buttons.
Item:  I declare as my property two napped blankets, one sheet and a mattress.
Item:  I declare that I owe to don Jph. Moreno 10 pesos in products of the land and the señor owes me 20.  I order my administrators to pay him and then collect from him.
Item:  I declare that I owe the venerable Third Order three pesos.
Item:  I declare that don Juan Jph. Lobato owes me a horse and let this be solely as he shall indicate.
Item:  I declare that Salvador Martines owes me a sorrel horse which he promised to give me on his return this year of 1754.
Item:  I declare that the estate of Maria Quiteria Contreras owes me 50 pesos.

And for the compliance with all the bequests and legacies in this my last will and testament, I appoint and assign as my administrator, in the first place Domingo Baldes, second, Ana Maria Marques, third, Juana Gomes, so that all these will handle my estate, sell them to the highest bidder for their lawful value or as they may think best, so that with the proceeds from said estate, they may defray my funeral expenses and my debts.  The residue of my estate, it is my will to adjudicate it to my son Joseph Manuel Romo.

I the grantor, for the greatest validity of this, my testament, requested the Señor Alcalde Mayor of this villa of Santa Fe, don Nicolas Ortiz, to interpose his authority and desire that all herewith expressed be kept and complied with and that all clauses in this testament be executed within the term of a whole year prescribed by law, and in case they should need more time, that necessary time be extended to them.  Those present as instrumental witnesses were don Juan Antonio Ortiz, Bartholome Maese and Salvador Martin, all residents of this villa of Santa Fe.

Because the grantor could not sign on account of his illness being unable to use his right hand as his arm was all swollen, I, said Alcalde Mayor, signed it, acting with my two assistant witnesses for lack of a public or royal notary, of which none is found within the distance prescribed by law: and it is on this ordinary papers and the sealed paper is not available in this kingdom.

Executed in this villa of Santa Fe, on the eleventh day of March, of the year one thousand seven hundred fifty four.
In testimony whereof.
                        Nicolas Ortiz (Rubric)
                        Jues Receptor
Witnesses:  Joseph Maldonado (Rubic)
                    Antonio Ortiz (Rubric)



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