Francisco Martin ~ 1767 Will

Know all ye, who may see this, my last will and testament, that I, Juan Francisco Martin, resident of the locality of San Antonio del Embudo, legitimate son of Francisco Martin and Casilda Contreras, being sick in bed with an illness. I order and execute this last will and testament in the following form and manner:

I declare if God should be pleased to take me to Himself, I order that my body be buried in the church of San Juan and shrouded with the habit of Our Father, Saint Francis, which I choose from this time forth.  My funeral expenses shall be defrayed from the residue of my property and in the future let not my soul be forgotten.

I declare that 2 pesos each shall be paid in alms for each of the mandatory legacies, as it is my desire not to miss any, especially that of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

I declare that I have been married and veiled according to the rites and orders of our Holy Mother Church to Maria Paula Villalpando.  From this marriage we had and procreated eleven children, Rosalia, deceased; Balentin; Thomas, deceased; Thomas, deceased; Juan Gabriel; Margarita; Miguel; Rosalia; Juan Bautista; Joseph; Ana Maria; whom I declare as my legitimate children.

I declare that I have a ranch in the valley of Taos which I acquired by royal sale as shown by the deed which is in my possession.

I declare that I own another ranch in Santa Barbara with the ten room house I built; five below and five above; this I acquired as a royal grant.

I declare that I have a ranch in the locality of San Antonio del Embudo, where I live in my house which consists of four rooms and a hall, making five; including a torreon with its alto and another torreon with its bajo in the same house; this is for my son Antonio Lobato, with whom my children shall not interfere. I inherited said ranch from my father.

I declare that when I married my wife, she brought nothing into my possession.

I declare that I have all the necessary equipment for horseback riding, saddle, spurs, bridle, leather jacket, rifle and shield.

I declare that I have five shotguns and a blunderbuss, now broken.

I declare as my property two rapiers and two lances.

I declare as my property four horses that have been broken.

I declare as my property four mules, one broken, another three years old and two-one year old.

I declare as my property four tamed mares.

I declare as my property 12 breeding mares, with three-two year old colts, two male colts and one filly, and from this year’s issue; five- three male colts and two fillies, with their stallion and their jackass.

- 200 head of sheep and five goats.

- 60 head of cattle from branding age up.

- A wagon, fully equipped and a set of new wheels.

- Ten pictures painted on white buckskin, a bulto of Our Lady of the Rosary and a Crucifix of the Inspiration.

- Two good small wooden chests and one large box.

- Two copper jars, a copper kettle, a griddle and the necessary things for the kitchen.

- Three worn out hoes, three adzes, a scythe, and a chisel.

- The clothes I use, consisting of two cloaks, one new the other old; two coats, one new and the other old; two airs of trousers, one new and the other old; a lapel of scarlet cloth; some new sleeves of scarlet cloth with their spangles.

- Twelve pigs small and large.

- Joseph de Jesus a resident from Rio Abajos owes me two blankets, two sheets and three serapes. I order them collected.

- The Indian, Juan Alonso, of San Juan owes me eight chamois skins, I order them collected.

-  An Indian from San Juan, called Simpi, owes me three buckskins, I order them collected.

- Another Indian, from San Juan, son of the deceased Chiguagua, owes me three buckskins, one small and two large, I order them collected.

- Nicolas Serrano owes me a mare, a shield and a hat I bought him; I order them collected.

-  An Indian from San Juan, called Francisco Alonso, owes me four buckskins, I order them collected.

- Miguel Sandobal owes me two- two year old fillies.

- Juan Antonio Barela, a resident of Abiquiu, owes me a male mule two years old, going on three.

- Don Francisco Trebol Navarro owes me a complete riding outfit.

- Mariano Trujillo owes me a broken mule.

- Antonio Martin, El Borrego, owes me a stallion and three mares.

- Ygnacio Vargas owes me a loom frame.

- The son of the deceased Juan Felipe Rodriguez called Bernardo, owes me 50 pesos.

- Joseph Maria, a resident of Atrisco, owes me 14 head of minor cattle.

- Joseph Hurtado owes me a cow with calf.

- Balentin, my son, owes me a cow with calf.

- I have a branding iron.

- My son Balentin, owes me a white elk skin.

- I declare that I do not owe any person anything.

- I declare that two novenas of Masses for my soul shall be paid for from my entire estate.

- I declare that I have a little orphan seven years old, that I reared from infancy.  I order that she be given a cow and calf from my estate.

- I declare, after all the expenses of my funeral have been paid, my estate shall be divided into two parts, one for my wife and the other for my children.

Note as administrators, first his wife, Maria Paula de Villalpando and second, his son Balentin Martin.  Signed this January 24, 1767 by Manuel Garzia Pareja, rubric; Antonio Joseph Lovato, rubric; Salbador Medina, rubric.

Another item, I declare that I have two axes and that the Indian from San Juan called Juan Olli, owes me two chamois skins.

Reference:  Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series I, Twitchell 600, Reel 3, Frames 1362-1367.

©Henrietta M. Christmas