Thursday, November 13, 2014

Soldier, Roman Sanchez ~ Will 1825



Reference:  Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series I, Twitchell 1200, Reel 6, Frame 610-642.
©Patricia Sanchez Rau



ARCHIVE 1200
Public Survey Office
Date:  March 26, 1826

Certified copy of the will of Roman Sanchez, invalid Corporal of the Company of the Villa of Santa Fe, executed June 28, 1825 and copied March 26, 1826, and rubricated and signed by Antonio Narbona.

In the name of Almighty God and of the most holy Virgin Mary, Our Lady, conceived without the stain of original sin.  Amen.

Know all persons who shall see this testament that I Roman Sanchez, and retired corporal of the company of the villa of Santa Fe, being ill in bed, but in my whole and sound mind, understanding and will, make and order it in the following form:

Firstly, I will say that I believe and confess the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, three distinct persons and only one true God.  I believe in the mystery of the incarnation and in everything which is believed and confessed by our Holy Mother Roman catholic and Apostolic church and in everything that a Catholic Christian should believe.  I wish to live and die in this faith and belief, when my God shall be pleased to take me unto himself under which supposition. 

Item:  I commend my soul to the Lord who created and redeemed it with the infinite price of his most previous blood, and my body to the earth of which it was formed.  It is my will that I be buried with the habit of our father Saint Francis, and I ask for the love of God, that I be buried in the military chapel of this villa and my burial shall be as my children may direct.

Item:  I leave to forced bequests (mandas forzosas) bequests ten pesos to all.

Item:  I declare that I was married according to the rites of the Holy Roman Catholic Church to Maria Antonia Marques, for the period of forty-five years, in which time we had and procreated four children, of whom two have died, one little girl and one man after being married who left some heirs; and the other two who are Jose de Jesus and Manuel whom I declare to be my legitimate children and heirs.

Item:  I declare as my property my dwelling house which consists of eight rooms, one porch and one parcel of land, as it appears from the documents which I have possession.

Item:  I declare that I bought from the invalid, Visente Garcia, one parcel of land of which I do not know the size, but with the documents in which the same appears they will remained attached to my testament.

Item:  I declare as my property one riding saddle with all its equipment and my weapons which are one fire-lock gun, case, bridle and spurs.

Item:  I declare as my property the clothes which I wear, which consist of one jacket of heavy flannel, one pair of heavy woolen trousers, one hat and one heavy flannel coat, two shirts, two pairs of white linen drawers, all of which have been used.

Item:  I declare that the National Treasury owes me two thousand, five hundred, and ninety-eight pesos and for reales as my salary for services rendered.  If there be a way to collect them, I order that it be done.

Item:  I declare that I leave my wife as my heir to my household goods, in order that at the end or her days, they may be divided in equal shares among my lawful heirs.

Item:  I declare that I have no other property.

Item:  I declare that I owe Don Antonio Ortiz twenty pesos in silver.  I order that the same be paid.

Item:  I declare that I owe don Franco Chaves and doña Ursula Chaves whatever amount to which each one may be entitled because I do not remember how much I owe them.

Item:  I declare that Jose de la O owes me five pesos.  I order that the same be collected.

Item:  I declare that Juan Apodaca owes me three pesos.  I order that the same be collected.

Item:  It is my will that if God be pleased to take me unto himself on account of this illness, that after paying for my funeral, whatever remainder there may be from my small estate, both in household property and all the rest, that my children and my wife shall divide it in equal parts among themselves and that they enjoy the same with God’s blessings and my own.

Item:  I declare that I have not made a testament or codicil and if one should appear, I hereby revoke it and desire that this one only shall be valid.

Item:  I appoint as my executors in the first place, my wife and in the second place my son Jose de Jesus whom I charge, for the love of God, to comply with and carry out this, my last will.

For the greater force and validity of this, my testament, I execute it in the presence of the Sergeant Jose Silva, and I requested him to interpose his authority.  I, said Sergeant do say that I do interpose it, insofar as it is lawfully conferred upon me by the Señor Provisional Commandant, do Jose Caballero, for the purpose of making testaments and to authorize them by virtue of which I authorize this.  I certify that I know the grantor and that he made it in my presence.  He did not sign it because he says that he does not know how.  I signed this with the witnesses who were present, which was done on this date and in this villa of Santa Fe of New Mexico, on the 26 of June 1825.
                                    Jose Silva
Assisting Witnesses:  Donaciano Vigil
Jose Tenorio

Note:  This is a copy from its original.  Santa Fe, March 26, 1826.
                                    Antonio Narbona (Rubric)

Reference:  Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series I, Twitchell 1200, Reel 6, Frame 610-642.
©Patricia Sanchez Rau

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