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