Reference: Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series I, Twitchell 1201, Reel 6, Frame 643-644.
©Patricia
Sanchez Rau
ARCHIVE
1201
Public
Survey Office
Date: January 18, 1826
Will
of Pedro Antonio Mestas of this “capital” (Santa Fe)
In the name of Almighty
God and of the ever Virgin Mary, conceived without stain of original sin, from
the first instant of her natural being.
Know all persons that I,
Pedro Antonio Mestas, being sick in bed with an illness which God our Lord has
been pleased to send me, but in my whole and sound mind and natural
understanding, make and order this my Testamentary memorandum in the following
form:
Firstly, I say that I
believe and confess the mystery of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy
Ghost, three distinct persons and only one true God. I believe that the second person is the Son
who was born and died in order to redeem us.
I commend my soul to the Lord who created and redeemed it with the
infinite price of his precious blood and my body to the earth from which it was
formed.
Item: I order that my body be shrouded with the
habit of our father Saint Francis and that it be buried in the Military Chapel
at the regular cost.
Item: I declare that I have been married to Maria
Josefa Escudero, for a period of forty-six years, in which time we had and
procreated three children who are Jose Patricio, now deceased, and Maria
Antonia who also died at the age of three months, and Mariano who is living,
whom I recognize as my sole heir.
Item: I leave one peso to each one of the forced
bequests (mandas forzosas)
Item: I declare as my property that which I have
acquired in the management of my house, one pair of trousers, two suits of
underwear, one mattress, two blankets and one hat.
Item: I declare that I have not made any other
testament or codicil if any should appear, I hereby revoke it and declare it to
be of no value for which purpose I appoint as my executors, first my son
Mariano and second Domingo Fernandes.
There I request the
Corporal Jose Ortega to interpose his judicial authority. I and the said Corporal said that I would and
did interpose it insofar as it is conferred upon me by the order of the Señor
Governor. I did so and signed it on the 18th
of January 1826 with two witness as my assistants, in the absence of a notary
public of which there is none in this capital.
Jose Ortega (Rubric)
Jesus
Lopez X (his mark) and Juan Bustamante (Rubric)
Reference: Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series I,
Twitchell 1201, Reel 6, Frame 643-644.
©Patricia
Sanchez Rau
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