Grant of Lands to
Juan de Dios Romero and associates
in the locality of Nuestra Señora del Rosario,
San Fernando y Santiago del Rio de la Truchas.
in the locality of Nuestra Señora del Rosario,
San Fernando y Santiago del Rio de la Truchas.
Juan de Dios Romero, Nicolas
Romero, Bernardo Romero, Julian Romero, Salvador de Espinosa, Miguel de
Espinosa, Tadeo Espinosa, Ventura de Espinosa, Domingo Romero, Javiel Romero,
Francisco vernal and Cristobal Martin, residents of Chimayo appear before you
in the best possible form according to the law.
That as your Excellency has promised to make us a grant of the tract of
El Rio de las Truchas as soon as the boundary of the new settlement of Santo
Tomas del Rio de las Trampas is established, and as on that promise we have
paid the cost of the acequia and have planted it for the period of two years,
we ask that Your Excellency deign to grant us the said site I the name of his
Majesty. The formal boundaries are: on the north the ridge that serves as a boundary
on the south side for the said settlers; on the west the public road that leads
to Picuris; on the south side boundaries of Pueblo Quemado and of Jose Manuel
Gonzales; on the east the Sierra del Oso, which we promise to settle within the
time prescribed by law.
At this villa of Santa Fe on
March 5, 1754, don Juan Jph Lovato,
the Alcalde Mayor of the villa of la Cañada, will report concerning the
contents of the petition.
He recommends to the Governor
that they should go forth and grant them the land; although the public lands
are extensive they will serve as a public good of the group. One of their entrances is obstructed by the
Pueblo of Picuris, but not prejudice to any party.
In the villa of Sana Fe, on the
18th day of March 1754, I the Governor, on this day grant in full
force and effect… Also with the
condition that they must be assigned sufficient land to build houses, which
shall be united and adjoining, forming a square plaza, enclosed and with only
on gateway just large enough for wagons to go through, in a manner that the
inhabitants and families may be able to defend themselves from invasions and
assaults. In order that said settlement
may be finished in the shortest time possible, they shall all work there
together, each giving help to the other and with digging the acequia for the
fields.
I order the said Alcalde Mayor,
Juan Jose Lovato to place in possession, with royal protection the said Juan de
Dios Romero, Nicolas Romero, Bernardo Romero, Julian Romero, Salvador de
Espinosa, Miguel de Espinosa, Thadeo Espinosa, Ventura de Espinosa, Domingo
Romero, Xavier Romero, Francisco Bernal and Xptobal Martin.
Each one cannot sell, donate,
transfer, exchange, or in any other way encumber the said lands within the four
years prescribed by royal decree. Signed
Thomas Velez Cachupin, rubric; Diego Antonio Marques, rubric; Thomas de Alvear
y Tollado, rubric.
At Rio de las Trampas, on the 224th
of April 1754, I, Juan Jose Lovato, Alcalde Mayor proceeded to measure the land
which contained 4,200 varas in length, within which I settled two more families
who heads are Jose Manuel Gonzales and Juan Luis Romero and also had been
granted at the upper part of the river of the Pueblo Quemado, as shown by
decree. Taking the hands of the
settlers, I took them over the tract, they pulled up grass, threw rocks and
should “Long Live the King” jointly and individually remaining in quiet and
peaceable possession.
Witnesses were: Francisco Montes Vigil and Xptobal
Vigil. Then the individual division of
the land for farming in the following manner.
First for the garden purposes at the front side of the said plaza I
measured 150 varas of land from the road to the south and giving the following:
Salvador de Espinosa, 20 varas, I
gave to each of the others 10 varas for a garden each. Then assigned to Salvador de Espinosa 150
varas towards the river; each on receiving 150 varas of land. Signed Juan Jose Lovato, rubric.
References: Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series I,
Twitchell 771, Reel 4, Frames 1079-1105.
©Henrietta M. Christmas
You have just been working super hard!!! I love that you post so much useful research! You're a hard worker... My garden better be coming along LoL!! :). See you Friday!
ReplyDelete~~~Felicia
I recently discovered your blog and I love it! Thank you for all of your work creating it.
ReplyDeleteJuan de Dios Romero was my 5th great grandfather. I grew up in this area, with deep roots in it. I still have cousins in both Las Truchas and Cordova (Pueblo Quemado). The Romero name is still alive and well and very strong in both villages.
My father, from Chimayo, has two shares of the Truchas land grant. He is a Sandoval and Medina, connected to the Santo Nino church. My great grandparents are buried in front of the Santo Nino church. My father was a leader in stopping the Corp of Engineers from enclosing the acequia in plastic near Truchas Peak.
ReplyDelete