Maria Dominga and Juan Laureno ~ Estates 1799 Sandia Pueblo

On January 7, 1799 at Sandia, before me, don Cleto Miera y Pacheco, appeared Maria Dominga, married to Santiago Siembale, both natives of the said pueblo; requesting her inheritance form the estate of her deceased mother Antonia, from whom she had received nothing.  I summoned her uncle, Juan Laureno for questioning.  He stated there were three children, Juan Rey, Antonia and himself and that his brother, Juan Rey had had in his possession the chattels of his parents, which at his death were turned over to him.  Juan Rey had entrusted him to take care of and treat the said Maria Dominga, his niece, as a daughter and that he instructed to give her any part of the estate and that therefore he did not recognize any other heir to said estate.

I informed him of the matter and I ascertained that said chattels came from his grandparents and have been augmented by the labor of all of them, even by the husband of Maria Dominga and carried up on to this day.  Juan died without having any children, Antonia gave birth to Maria Dominga, the legal niece of Juan Rey and Juan Laureno, for which reason I consider her the legal heir of the estate mentioned.  For purposes of the inventory I used the witnesses Felix Pino and Antonio Ruiz and Jose Antonio Rodrigues, and two from the pueblo – the governor, Juan Domingo and his Lt. Juan Tomas, the partitions and proceedings would begin.

First, a house of five rooms and all the same size.

A piece of land below the pueblo, which contains 150 varas in length and 100 in width, whose boundaries are the north lands of Juan Domingo Opini; south, those of Andres Parvena; east unappropriated lands and west, the old highway.

Another piece of land above the other, containing 200 varas in length and 100 in width, bound on the north by lands of Asencio Juintu; south those of Juan Mateo; east the acequia madre and west those of Juan Laureno.

Another above the pueblo containing 137 varas in length and 87 in width, bound to the north by lands of Juan Pablo; south those of Ygnacio; east are unappropriated and west those of the church.

Another tract west of the pueblo, 83 varas in length, almost square, bound by lands of Baltazar; south those of Andres; east by the vineyard and west lands of Juan Laureno.

An orchard with 32 fruit trees and 190 grapevines.

72 dry cows, five oxen, one bull, 13 untamed bulls, 22 calves, one new bridle, some old carding combs, one shotgun, one large scythe, one old small hoe, one blacksmith’s anvil, one old hammer, one good bow, one pair of turquoise earrings, 18 strings of turquoise, 10 strings of the same, 10 strings of coral, two large Navajo baskets, five of the same – small and old, two figured bedspreads, one cotton scarf, one white mercerized cloth, small amounts of spun cotton in bulk, one cut elk skin, one pair small boots, one pieced buckskin, one tanned goatskin, one small pair of shoes with small slaps, one axe, one iron spit, one piece of San Miquelon knife, three quirts, one kettle, four mutates, about six ounces of bluing, one iron spoon, one branding iron,  four old sickles, one white wool undershirt, one old small hatchet, one small cart, one old wheelbarrow, one ox hide, two cowhides, another of the same, one calfskin, for several head of cattle sold by Juan Laureno for 350 pesos.  The total at 2,596 pesos.

On the 8^th of January, I handed her 75 pesos of the 350 for cattle sold by Juan Laureno.  He being one of the heirs in inventory totaling 1,126 pesos.  Maria Dominga the same amount of 1,126 pesos.

Signed Cleto Miera y Pacheco (rubric)

References:  Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series I, Twitchell #251, Reel 2, Frame 354-365

©Henrietta M. Christmas