Abeyta


Diego de Beitia, born circa 1680, is responsible for bringing a unique surname to New Mexico at about age 13 in December 1693. In time, his surname evolved into Abeyta. For many individuals living today with the surname of Abeyta, or those who have an Abeyta lineage in their genealogy, documenting a genealogical connection back to Diego de Beitia is challenging. This is due somewhat to a shortage of records related to the first two generations of the Abeyta family in New Mexico. It is also due to the fact that members of the Abeyta family raised and adopted orphans, many of whom took the Abeyta surname. For those adults that carried the Abeyta surname in the latter half of the 1700s, it is difficult to sort out which were adopted children and which descended directly from Diego de Beitia and his wife, Catalina Leal. 


Fray Angélico Chávez was the first person to compile genealogical information on the Abeyta family of the 1690s and eary 1700s and his material, first published in 1954, has served as a foundation for additional research (Chávez, Origins of New Mexico Families, 119).

 

Diego de Beitia derived his surname from his mother, identified by Diego in one record as Juana de Beitia and in another as Ana de Beytia.  Although Diego was born out of wedlock, he at least knew the name of his father, Diego de Rivera, for whom he was apparently named. Diego de Beitia identified his birthplace as Durango, Nueva Vizcaya, and was identified with the caste designation of español. A search of the surviving records of baptism for the two main churches of Durango have not turned up any additional records on Juana/Ana de Beitia. It is very likely that this woman was a descendant of Captain Martín de Beytia, who was single and residing in the Villa de Durango in 1604 (see the Research Leads section below)

 

In the spring of 1693, don Diego de Vargas, Governor of New Mexico came to Durango seeking volunteers to help resettle New Mexico. Diego de Beitia stepped forward and Vargas provided him with provisions and a small amount of money to help with the travel northward with others who were similarly recruited (John B. Colligan, “Vargas’ Recruits for the Resettlement of New Mexico,” El Farolito, Vol. 16, No. 1, Spring 2013, 7-9). 


After arriving in El Paso del Río del Norte in September 1693 Diego and his companions immediately proceeded north along the old camino real and set up camp in the abandoned pueblo of Socorro where the band of recruits waited for Governor Vargas and the New Mexico families of El Paso to arrive before proceeding further north toward the Villa de Santa Fe.

In 1696, Diego de Veitia (also known as Diego de Beitia and Diego de Abeytia) described himself as español, a native of Durango in Nueva Vizcaya, and the natural son of Diego de Ribera and Juana de Abeytia, both Durango natives, when he sought to marry Juana Torres at Santa Fe in 1696 (Fray Angélico Chávez, "New Mexico Roots, Ltd." page 1, and Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Roll 59, Diligencias Matrimoniales, 1696, January 24, no. 21, Santa Fe). This marriage apparently never took place, since Diego was still single in May 1697 when he was received livestock under the leadership of Governor don Diego de Vargas (Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series II, no. 63). He gave his age as sixteen, indicating he was born circa 1680, and was a soldier of the Santa Fe Presidio at the time. Diego was recruited at Durango by Governor Vargas as a settler in the recolonization of New Mexico. In January 1698, at Santa Fe, he declared he had left Durango as a single man on 18 June 1693 and was given 70 pesos (approximately $210).

In March 1698, "Diego de Beyta," age 18 and a vecino of the Villa de Santa Fe,  sought to marry 28 year-old Catalina Leal, a native of New Mexico and a natural daughter of María de la Concepción (Chávez, "New Mexico Roots, Ltd.," page 1, and AASF, Roll 59, DM 1698, March 13, no. 22, Santa Fe). Diego declared he was a native of the Ciudad de Durango in Nueva Vizcaya and a son of "Ana de Beyta." He signed his petition, indicating he was literate.

The background of Catalina Leal’s family remains unknown. She and her mother do not appear in the list of individuals from El Paso del Río del Norte that volunteered to return to the Villa de Santa Fe. In fact, her mother’s name suggests that she was at least part Indian or perhaps even part African, and she may have served in the household of one of the other New Mexico families. 


Diego de Beitia and Catalina Leal were parets of four known children:

 

Possible children of Diego de Beitia for which there is yet no primary documentation to confirm familial relationships were:

 Researcher: José Antonio Esquibel

For a comprehensive history and genealogy of the first four generations of the Abeyta family of New Mexico, see:

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ABEYTA -Research Leads

A search of the International Genealogical Index (IGI) reveals that the Abeitia family was residing in the City of Durango as early as 1624. This family name appears in the marriage and baptismal records of El Sagrario Metropolitano and San Juan Bautista de Analco (churches located in Durango) as Veitia, de Veitia, Veytia, de Veytia, Abetia, Abeytia, Abitia, Beitia, de Beitia, Beytia and de Beytia. The variation in spelling of this surname provides particular challenges for researching the genealogy of this family.

A review of the IGI for Durango shows baptismal records for two females with the name of Juana de Veitia. The first was Juana de Veitia Montealegre, baptized 21 March 1658 (Sagrario Metropolitano, Durango), the daughter of Martín de Veitia and Mariana de Montealegre. The second was Juana de Veytia Egurralo, baptized 22 July 1668 (Sagrario Metropolitano, Durango), the daughter of Martín de Veytia and Mariana Egurralo. A question that comes to mind is whether the parents of these two Juana's are the same couple. More research is needed to determine the answer. In addition, further research is needed to determine if one of these two Juana's was indeed the mother of Diego de Beitia, the progenitor of the Abeyta family of New Mexico.

The IGI provides this information on the Abeitia/Veitia family of Durango:

Martín de Abetia and Ana de Frías had two children baptized at the Sagrario Metropolitano, Victoria de Durango: María de Abetia Frías, baptized 3 June 1624, and Martín de Abetia Frías, baptized 30 April 1626.

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Antonia de Abetia married 16 July 1626, Sagrario Metropolitano, Victoria de Durango, with Diego Núñez.

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Anna de Veytia married 20 February 1645, San Juan Bautista de Analco Church, Victoria de Durango, with Tomás Mena.

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Pedro de Veitia married 4 February 1652, San Juan Bautista de Analco Church, Victoria de Durango, with Beatriz Rodríguez. There is a second entry for this couple, most likely a veiling record among the marriage records, dated 6 November 1654, San Juan Bautista de Analco Church, Victoria de Durango.

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Martín de Veitia (possibly the son of Martín de Abetia and Anna de Frías), married 29 April 1652, San Juan Bautista de Analco Church, Victoria de Durango), with Mariana de Montealegre. This couple had four known children baptized at the Sagrario Metropolitano, Victoria de Durango: Ana María de Veitia Montealegre, baptized 28 July 1653; María de Veitia Montealegre, baptized 20 September 1655; Juana de Veitia Montealegre, baptized 21 March 1658; and, Pedro de Veitia Montealegre, baptized 18 July 1661.

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Antonia de Veitia married 21 December 1665, San Juan Bautista de Analco Church, Victoria de Durango, with Alonso Muñoz. There is a second entry for this couple, most likely a veiling record among the marriage records, dated 11 July 1667, San Juan Bautista de Analco Church, Victoria de Durango. In this second record, Antonia's surname is given as “de Abeita.”

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Martín de Veytia and Mariana Egurrola (perhaps the same couple named as Martín de Veitia and Mariana de Montealegre) had this one daughter baptized at the Sagrario Metropolitano, Victoria de Durango: Juana de Veytia Egurrola, baptized 12 July 1668.

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Ana de Veytia (possibly the daughter of Martín de Veitia and Mariana de Montealegre) married 18 December 1673, San Juan Bautista de Analco, Victoria de Durango, with Gabriel de Aragón. There is a second entry for this couple, most likely a veiling record among the marriage records, 9 January 1674, San Juan Bautista de Analco Church, Victoria de Durango.

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Antonia de Veytia married 3 November 1680, Sagrario Metropolitano, Victoria de Durango, with Gerónimo Sorantes.

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Martín de Veytia married 13 June 1694, Sagrario Metropolitano, Victoria de Durango, with María Leal. This may actually be a record of veiling since there is a baptismal record for two children of this couple: Antonia Margarita de Veytia Leal, baptized 4 November 1693, Sagrario Metropolitano; and, Joseph Caietano Abeitia Leal, baptized 11 November 1695, Nombre de Dios.

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Some diligent research into these church records and other historical documents pertaining to the City of Durango in the seventeenth century may eventually lead to revealing the lineage of Diego de Beitia, progenitor of the Abeyta family of New Mexico.

Researchers: José Antonio Esquibel and John B. Colligan

Sources: Chávez, New Mexico Roots, Ltd.", page 1 (DM 1696, Jan. 24, no. 21, Santa Fe); John B. Colligan, "Vargas' 1693 Recruits for the Resettlement of New Mexico," in Genealogical Journal: Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, Vol. II, 1995, 202; Spanish Archives of New Mexico (SANM) II, no. 63; International Genealogical Index (IGI), Family History Library (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).