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