Matias Sena ~ 1799 Will

Know all who shall see this testament, that I, Matias Sena, soldier of this Royal Garrison of Santa Fe, of New Mexico, being ill in bed, but in my whole and sound mind, order and leave this will in the following form:

I declare I was married, in first nuptials to Polonia Ortis for a period of twelve years, during which marriage, we had reared four children, two boys and two girls; Maria Rosa, Miguel and Guadalupe and Tomas, whom I acknowledge as my legitimate children.

I declare I have been married in second nuptials to Maria Manuela Armijo for a period of six years, during which time we had and reared two children, one boy and one girl; the first, Juana Rita, deceased; another, Jose; whom I acknowledge as my legitimate children and heirs.

I declare as my goods the arms, mount and the rest of my equipment, with which I serve the King. All of which is composed of a gun, pistol, lance, shield, and cartridge box and “parquete,” a saddle with equipment, saddle pads less a cover, a bridle, head stall, halter, spurs, boots, five horses, one mule.

I declare as my goods, one house on the other side of the river of this villa, which is composed of seven rooms, which, with a horse corral, comprise the seven; and a lot of land which is bounded by the front of the same house, which I bear in mind, which is ninety-seven vara in width, and the extent will be evident by the same instruments. This house and lands have not been an inheritance from my parents, but purchased, which I bought from my brother, Jose, now deceased.

I declare as my goods, the clothes which I use, which are composed of a jacket and new trousers, and a waist coat, the field clothes, already worn, a new hat, trimmed with its headband, a new silk handkerchief, two changes of white clothing, of a shirt and white trousers, two pairs of cotton stockings, a hair ribbon.

I declare as my goods, two boxes for flour, without a lock or keys, a large copper kettle, a griddle, an iron spoon, a copper frying pan, four pictures, one large and three small.

I declare that I owe to Sergeant Juan de Jesus four reales in reales; I order that they be paid.

I declare that I owe to the Private Martin Gallego ten reales in reales; I order that they be paid.

I declare that I owe to Jose Pablo Sandobal two reales in reales; I order that they be paid.

I declare that I owe to my nephew, Jose Zena, two pesos; I order that they be paid.

I declare that I owe to my neighbor, Manuel Gallego, one peso in reales; I order that they be paid.

I declare that I owe to Juan Garcia, resident of “La Plasa de las Gracias,” one hat, two varas of ribbon at a real per vara, and a silk handkerchief.

I declare that the Private, Andres Ortega owes me three pesos in reales; I order them to be collected.

I declare that the Private, Salbador Leyba owes me seven reales, I order that they be collected.

I declare that the Carbineer owes me four reales in reales; I order that they be collected.

I declares that neighbor, Grabiel Rendon, owes me a vara and a quarter of linen; I order that it be collected.

I declare that, because I do not remember if I owe any person, he shall be paid from my scanty goods; and if anyone owes me, I ordered that it be collected.

I declare that, of my scanty possessions which I have acquired by my labor, it is my will that they be divided among my children, the first and the second, and my wife, after my funeral expenses and debts are paid.

I declare that I have an Indian in my service, whom I bought, whom I have raised as a son, and he has served us with much honesty. My wife and children shall give him that which they voluntarily shall desire for his good service.

I name as my executors: in the first place, my wife, and in the second, my brother, Bisente, in order that they may fulfill all that which I have explained, and for the greater force and validity of this, my testament. I signed it, the witnesses being the Sergeant of my company, Juan de Jesus Beyta, and the Private Santiago Fernandes. It is done in this Royal Garrison today, the First of April of 1799.

Juan de Abrego, (rubric); Juan de Jesus Beitia, (rubric); Santiago Fernandez, (rubric).  Santa Fe, 5^th of April, 1799; and comply with the will of the Testator. Chacon, (rubric).  Annulled on the 16^th of July of 1799. Chacon, (rubric).

References:  Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series, I, Twitchell 885, Reel 5, Frames 236-239.

©Henrietta M. Christmas

Jose Antonio Saez ~ 1770 Will

Know ye all who see this last will and testament that I, Jose Antonio Saez, resident of the villa of San Felipe de Albuquerque, am sick in bed with a serious illness and hereby make my last will and testament as follows.

I declare that I have been married to Antonia Candelaria for eleven years and we raised five children who I declare as my legitimate heirs and they are Juan Manuel, Rosa Maria, Pablo Lorenzo, Felipe Lorenzo and Juan Getrudes.

I appoint and choose as my administrator my legitimate wife and in the second place, I name my eldest brother, Paulin as the other administrator and holder of my property and chattels and guardian of my children.

I declare as my property a three room house with its locks, where I now reside.

I declare that I own the farmlands that my wife and children know of.

I declare that I own 150 varas of land which I purchased from Nicolas Montolla that are incorporated with the lands of Tadeo Garcia de Noriega and on the north with the lands of Cristobal Garcia.

One riding saddle, spurs, bridle, cloak, hat and saddle pads.

One shotgun.

One small sword and one lance.

I bequeath to Juan Manuel the riding equipment and to Pablo the arms; and to Felipe Lorenzo the small sword and lance.

One axe. One knife.  One spit.  One kettle.  One pickaxe.  One cart completely equipped.  One yoke of oxen.  Six breeding cows.  Two heifers, two years old.  Two yearling heifers.  One yearling pair.  One bull.  One horse.

I have made a trade with Vicente, the servant, owned by Baltazar Griego, for a colt which I sold him, he was to give me for the said colt eight varas of Brittany cloth, six varas of Rouen cloth and one pair of shoes; I have received on account six pesos and some spurs.

I declare that Vicente Martin owes me a yearling colt.

I declare that Juan Antonio Mirabal owes me a yearling colt, besides a colt and yearling filly.

I declare that Cristobal Gallego owes me a cow with calf.

I owe Martin Gallego one mare colt, two years old.

I owe Jose de Jesus Montolla, 25 pesos, currency of the land; God willing, he will deliver to me the shotgun at 20 pesos.  I have already paid him three pesos.

I declare that Manuel Garcia owes me 16 wagon loads of manure and 600 large adobes.

I declare that Julian Martin owes me the manuring of a field from boundary to boundary.

Joseph Griego 1,400 large adobes.

I declare that Andres Jaramio owes me 1,000 large adobes.

I declare that Christobal Gallego owes me three varas of medium wide Brittany cloth and one pair of shoes.

Juan Griego owes me one common hat.

Juan Dominguez, one common hat.

Andres Sandobal owes me one chamois skin.

Jose Gurule owes me one pair of stockings.

Manuel Sanchez owes me on peso and this one peso I leave to my wife and children so that they may enjoy it.

I also declare that I have not made any other testament or codicil.  I request the Lt. of this villa, Joseph Apodaca to give this, last will the due force and vigor that is necessary.

Done in the presence of two assisting witnesses, with whom I stood as receiving judge, signed on the 2^nd of November 1770, which I certify.

Juan Anttonio Says, rubric; Jose Apodaca, rubric; with witnesses:  Baltasar Griego, rubric and Christobal Samora, rubric.

References:  Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series I, Twitchell 880, Reel 5, Frames 224-227.

©Henrietta M. Christmas

Pedro Martin Serrano ~ 1768 Will

Know all who see this my last will and testament, that I, Pedro Martin Serrano, a resident of the settlement of San Antonio del Corral de Piedra, the legitimate son of Blas Martin Serrano and Rosa de Vargas, am sick in bed and make my last will and testament in the following manner.

I declare that I have been married to doña Margarita de Luna, widow of Esteban Duran, and from said marriage we had fifteen children who are:  Gregorio, Santiago, Getrudes, Diego, Domingo, Pedro, Ysabel – deceased, Juan Felipe, Maria Rosa de los Reyes – deceased, Maria Josepha – deceased, Juana – deceased, Francisco, Maria Rosa, Joseph Maria and Bentura, whom I declare as my legitimate children and heirs.

I declare as my existing property one ranch in Corral de Piedra where I reside, and which I acquired by royal sale as evidenced by a deed that I hold together with other papers attached to said deed; and at said ranch I built a house of fourteen rooms, one orchard of fruit-bearing trees enclosed by an adobe wall and an acequia that I paid money and labor to dig; and I declare before the royal authorities that no other person has any right to same and I ask my administrators not to allow any person or persons to use the said acequia unless they pay for the service.

I declare that I have in this same settlement the share of the lands and house of Juaquin de Luna, which he had inherited from his wife; and I have not finished paying for said house and land because the deed has not been made.  I have delivered on account three gentle mares, one good horse for which I traded two horses, one woven cloth jacket of first-grade buttonholed with silver and trimmed with silver thread.  All of the above I have paid on account; and in order to pay the amount in full, I shall still have to deliver to him twelve wild mares, one mule and one gentle male mule.

I declare as my property in the settlement of Abiquiu, one ranch which is evidenced by the deed and other instruments which I hold; and on said ranch I have a five room house.

I declare that I have the said settlement of Abiquiu, where my two sons, Gregorio and Santiago reside, one ranch as evidenced by a deed and other instruments which are in the hands of my aforesaid sons, advising that the houses where they reside were built by my said sons; and the other heirs need not interfere in said houses.

I declare I own another site in the Piedra Lumbre which was given to me by royal grant as evidenced by the deed and instruments I hold.

I declare that I have a piece of land in Ojo Caliente between the boundaries of Paulin de Beytia and my brother, Antonio, which I inherited from my mother and half of said piece of land was purchased from my father.

I declare that I have in said locality another piece of land bounded by the lands belonging to my father, as evidenced by the deed and the two instruments which I hold, which I have sold to my brother, Antonio, for the sum of 300 pesos, products of two land, which he has paid me, but I have not given him the deed, I order it be made for him.

I declare that I have 920 ewes.

I declare that I own 70 head of cattle of branding age and over and ten yoke of oxen.

I declare that I own 75 mares, branding age and over, with colts and fillies and also twelve head of gentle horses, eighteen wild mules of all ages and fifteen gentle mules.

I declare that I have three stud burros.

I declare that I own eight female burros and one male burro which is my will to leave to my wife as a special bequest without having to be divided with the other property.

I declare that I have all kinds of weapons, spurs with silver buckles and without decoration, one old cowboy saddle, saddle pads, bridle, stirrups, two axes, four hoes, two adzes, two chisels, one scythe, one carpenter’s plane, two augers, one broken crosscut saw, one grooving plane, four plows and plow points, two sets of leather tools to manufacture leather jackets, ten pigs, one complete loom, two pairs of wool carding combs, two heddles, two combs, three spindling wheels – complete.

I declare that I have four changes of clothing and one old scarlet cloth jacket; I used woven cloth jacket, first-grade; one old woven cloth-lined cloak; one pair of used black serge trousers trimmed; two pairs of cordovan shoes.

I declare that I have already given my son, Diego, when he was young, one mare colt and from the increase he now has 21 head of horses; and he owes me one male mule and one untamed mare.  I order this collected and of the remaining nineteen I order that they shall not be included in my chattels, because by his efforts and care he has increased same from the mare colt which I gave him.

I declare as my property four packsaddle bags and four packsaddles.

I declare that it is my will that all the household furniture I leave to my wife.

I declare that I gave my daughter, Getrudes, when she was married, 20 ewes, three cows with calves, one riding horse and two bulls.

I declare that I gave my son, Gregorio, the same things I have his sister.

I declare that I gave my son, Santiago, the same.

I declare that I gave my deceased daughter, Isabel, the same as the others.

I declare that I gave my daughter, Maria Rosa de los Reyes, the same given the others.

I declare that I gave my son, Domingo the same; also two bulls.

I declare that I gave my son, Pedro; the same delivered to him 20 head of sheep with increase and two bulls.

I declare that I own an Indian who has served me.  It is my will to order my children, whenever he wants to get married, to pay out of my property the charges of the marriage and to give him something for his expenses; also to give him a small piece of land where he can reside, also Ione horse and one heifer.

I declare that I have three other young genizaros, I order my administrator to give them one yearling heifer each.

I declare as my property ten goats.

I declare that I owe don Clemente Gutierrez whatever his books show, I order it paid.

I declare that I owe don Bartolome Fernandez, ten chamois skins, I order they be paid.

I declare that I owe Felipe Garduño 30 pesos, I order that he be paid; the said Garduño owes me one ox.

I declare that I owe my son, Gaspar, one cart, I order it paid.

I declare that I owe my son, Thomas, six chamois skins, I order they be paid.

I declare that Juan Antonio Archuleta, owes me three oxen, which I loaned him personally; and of these three only one should be collected, because I gave him in exchange for a hog which I fattened and butchered and for the other his wife a piece of half-silk cloth.

I declare that Juan Muñiz owes me some millstones, hauled and placed at my door, for these stones I gave him one cow with calf; if it is not delivered, recover the cow and calf.

I declare that Jose Antonio Naranjo owes me two bulls which I loaned him until the month of October, I order them recovered; noting that the ten yoke of oxen mentioned in the clause are complete with the two bulls which I loaned Naranjo.

I declare that I owe, Juan Tafoya a soldier, one pound of chocolate, I order it to be paid.

I declare as my property three barrels, two earthen jars and one bucket.

I declare that if it happens that I have any other proven debts, I order them paid.

Regarding the young boys who have faithfully served us and who owe me, they may continue serving until their accounts mentioned in the books are paid.

I name as my executors first my wife as holder of the property, second my son, Francisco Baldes, in the third place, my son, Santiago.

I asked the alcalde mayor of this jurisdiction, don Antonio Garcia de Mora, to place judicial authority and sanction.

Signed Antonio Jose Garcia de Mora, rubric; witnesses:  Manuel Bejil, rubric and Ygnacio Baldes, rubric.  March 28, 1768 and executed in the year of 1768.

References:  Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series, I, Twitchell 870, Reel 5, Frames 161-168.

©Henrietta M. Christmas

Simon Segura ~ 1774 Will

Know all who shall see this, my last will and testament, that I, Simon Segura, a resident of this villa of Santa Fe, Kingdom of New Mexico, legitimate son of Thomas Segura, deceased, and of Josepha de Archuleta, natives of this Kingdom, finding myself in bed with an infirmity.

I declare that I have been married according to the rises of Our Holy Mother Church, to Margarita Piñeda, for a period of eight years, from which marriage we have had and reared three children, two girls and one boy; Juana, seven years of age, Julian Christobal, five years of age; and Rosa Maria, one year old, whom I declare as the legitimate children of myself and of my aforesaid wife.

I declare that, at the time and when I contracted said marriage; neither my wife nor I had any goods.      

I declare that I have, as my goods, a house which is my own dwelling, which is composed of three rooms, with their court-yard and orchard, with three doors and windows.

I declare that I have and leave as my goods some farm and agricultural lands, which I bought from Francisco de Archuleta, as is evidenced from the deed which he authorized for me, and remains in my possession.

I declare, as my goods, another place of land, which I acquired by inheritance from my deceased father, which my wife knows.

I declare that I have, as my goods, all the arms, which are: a gun with its case; a riding saddle, fully equipped, a leather jacket, shield, spurs, sword, bridle, saddle pads and also, two horses.

I declare that the forge, with which I have worked, belongs to my mother, because my father left it to her in order that it might support her; and, thus, I declare it as hers, as it will, likewise, be seen by the same testament of my deceased father, what the said forge is composed of.

I declare as my goods one burro.

Likewise a screw.

I declare I have two small hoes and one ax.

I declare I am leaving as my goods some plush breeches, trimmed with silver galoon.

A cloth cloak, which I am using, already worn.

Some plush sleeves trimmed in silver.

It is my will to leave one peso each to the mandatory legacies, wherewith I separate them from my goods.

I declare that there are two cows with their calves owed to me, Salvador Casillas owes me one for another fat one, which I gave him, and he killed her, I order she is to be collected

I declare that Juan Calletano Unanue owes me another cow and calf; I order that it be collected.

Joseph Rael, soldier, owes me eight pesos in products of the soil and one in silver, I order it be collected.

Martin Torres owes me twenty-two pesos in the currency of the country; I order that they be collected.

Juan Moya, the Moor, owes me eight pesos from barter; I order that they be collected.

Joseph Torres owes me thirty-two “vellones” of wool, which I gave him to make some serapes; but we had no contract; and I am content with two good blankets, which I order to be collected.

Joseph Rodrigues owes me one sack of corn; I order that it be collected.

Thomas Cacillas, soldier, owes me two pesos, I order that they be collected.

Pheliciano Archuleta owes me a sack of corn; I order that it be collected.

Francisco Nieto, a soldier, owes me three pesos for work; I order that they be collected.

Nicolas Real owes four pesos; I order that they be collected.

Christobal Bijil owes me seven pesos; I order that they be collected.

Joseph Garduño, a soldier, owes me two pesos; I order that they be collected.

Juan Antonio Sanboa, a resident of La Cañada, owes me half a fanega of wheat for work, which I did for him, I order that it to be collected.

Manuel Grande de Armijo owes me a sack of corn; I order that it be collected.

Lorenzo Lobato owes me to pesos; I order that they be collected.

I declare that I owe the following and I order that it be paid from my goods, I declare that I owe to don Mateo Roybal one peso.

To Matias Quintana- eight pesos.

I owe Andres Montolla twelve reales.

I declare that I do not remember nor do I bear in mind that I owe any other person anything, but if any demand should appear against my goods, which may be justified, I order that it be paid.

I declare that Bartolo the Sacristan, owes me a candle and I declare that he just paid it to me. And, in order to complete this, my testament, I name and assign as my legitimate heirs of my goods, my said wife and my children. And I name as my executors’ in the first place, my wife, and in the second, Joseph Mares, whom I request and charge for the love of God to comply with this, my testament, in the shortest time possible.

In this villa on the 24^th of November 1774, signed:  Simon Segura, (rubric); Francisco Guerrero, (rubric); Juan Cayetano Unanue, (rubric); Lucas Moya, (rubric).

A copy was made. (rubric).

References:  Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series I, Twitchell 866, Reel 5, Frame 126-129.
©Henrietta M. Christmas