Note:
The earliest known ancestors of the Armijo family of New Mexico based on documentation are Joseph (José) de Armijo and Catalina Durán, residents of the City of Zacatecas in the 1680s.
Contrary to information posted on the internet, the names of the parents of José de Armijo remain unknown. More research is needed to identify the origins and parents of José de Armijo.
There is a marriage record for a man named José de Armijo, a native of Zacatecas, who was married in Mexico City on September 11, 1667 (Santa Cataria Church), and was identified as a son of Antonio de Armijo and Damiana Violante. There are no known records that inform us whether this couple remained in Mexico City or lived at Zacatecas or some other community. There are no records that identify this José de Armijo as the same person of that name who married Catalina Durán.
Information claiming that the Jose de Armijo, husband of Catalina Durán, was descended of Francisco de Armijo and doña Guiomar (Yumar) de Orozco, residents of Puebla de los Ángeles in the late 1500s and early 1600s and said to be grandparents of Antonio de Armijo (husband of Damiana Violante), is unproven by documentation. The purported connection is based on a similarity of given names and surnames, but not on proven genealogical linkage.
There is not yet a clear indication of how, or if, those Armijo people are related to the Armijo family of Zacatecas. Although Guiomar de Orozco is a descendent of a branch of the Orozco family of Sevilla and had Sephardic Jewish ancestry, as well as "Old Christian" ancestry, there is no documented genealogical connection to the Armijo family of Zacatecas and New Mexico. Unfortunately, this misinformation was shared with producers of the TV show' 'Finding Your Roots' and was used in a first season episode that aired in May 2012. Because of the faulty documentation, the purported lineage was not able to be used by individuals seeking Spanish citizenship as descendants of Sephardic Jews.
Below is information about the history and genealogy of the Armijo family based on documentation. As any additional documentation comes to light, it will be added to this page
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The following fragments of documents were found in the notarial records in the Archivo Histórico de Zacatecas (hereafter referred to as AHEZ) and present valuable genealogical data about the Durán de Armijo family that settled in New Mexico in the late seventeenth century (ONMF: 136).
The first document presented dates from the year 1686 and speaks of Joseph de Armijo and Catalina Durán, the parents of Armijo individuals who settled in New Mexico in April 1695. In this document of sale of land, we learn the name of Catalina’s father, Antonio Durán. We also learn that Catalina was one of five children.
Vente
30 Septiembre 1686, Zacatecas
Joseph de Armijo y Catalina Duran, su legitima mujer, vecinos de esta ciudad, ... otorga que bende en benta Real desde ahora para siempre jamas a Agustin de la Cruz ... un aposento con su corral y un pedaso de sitio que le toco y pertenece dt tras de la yglesia mayor,, seno arriba como seria alos remedios que linda por la parte de arriba con casas que fueron de Juana de Morales, difunta, y por el otro con cassa de Clara de Bilches, ... que dicho aposento, corral y sitio le toco con los demas bienes que sela aplicaron en su hijuela como una de cinco herederos de Antonio Duran mi padre [Catalina] ...
SOURCE: AHEZ, Fondo: Notarías, Notario: Ignacio Gonzales de Vergara, Libro: 2, Caja:2, Año: 1686, no. 15
Next, another sale document reveals the name of two more of Antonio Durán’s five children, Juana Durán and Juan Durán.
Venta
11 Noviembre 1686, Zacatecas
Sepan cuantos esta carta vieron como yo Juana Duran como hija y heredera que fui de Antonio Duran, mi padre difunto, vecino que fue de esta ciudad ... en el valor de la mitad de una casa que esta en la calle de Tacuba y ase esquin que sale de Santo Domingo ... en que al presente vive don Cristobal de Ocampo Vargas Machuca, vecina de esta ciudad quien compro la mitad a Juan Duran mi hermano como uno de los herederos ... en coya virtud otorgo que vendo en venta Real desde ahora para siempre jamas al dicho Cristobal de Ocampo Vargas Machuca ... la mitad de la dicha casa ariba mencionada que me cupo por herencia ...
SOURCE: AHEZ, Fondo: Notarías, Notario: Ignacio Gonzales de Vergara, Libro: 2, Caja: 2, Año: 1686, no. 18
By the year 1695, Catalina Durán was widowed (viuda), as we learn from the following document:
escriptura de benta; Catalina Duran, viuda vecina de Zacatecas; otorgo a Josepha de Campos, vecina de esta ciudad
SOURCE: AHEZ, Fondo: Notarías, Notario: Fernandez de Pardo, Lucas; libro 6 – 1695, pg. 7
Finally, from the following two documents, we learn the name of Catalina Durán’s mother, Catalina Ruiz. Therefore, the parents of Catalina Durán, wife of Joseph de Armijo, were Antonio Durán and Catalina Ruiz, who Catalina Durán was no doubt named after.
Juan Duran, vecino de Zacatecas, hijo lexitimo de Antonio Duran y Catalina Ruiz, difuntos, vecinos que fueron de Zacatecas.
SOURCE: AHEZ, Fondo: Notarías, Notario: Núñez Hurtado, Blas - Libro 1 - 1682-1683, pg. 17v
Testamento de Juana Duran soltera mayor de diez y ocho años natural de Zacatecas hija legitima de Antonio Duran y de Catalina Ruiz difuntos vecinos que fueron de ella e yo lo soi.
SOURCE: AHEZ, Fondo: Notarías, Notario: Laguna, José de la - libro 8 – 1684, pg. 255v
More research into the background of the Durán-Ruiz family must be conducted to reveal the origins of these families. There is also the question of the parentage of Joseph de Armijo.
Researchers: Sephardic Legacy Project of New Mexico—Stanley M. Hordes, Richard Salazar, and Robert D. Martínez. Summary by Robert D. Martínez
Sources: Cited above.