Benavides

Juan Esteban de Benavides, referred to as "el mozo" was very likely the son of a man of the same name. More often recorded simply as Juan Esteban, he was married with María de Biezma Esparza on 20 January 1681, El Sagrario Metropolitano, Durango, Nueva Vizcaya. Their parents were not named in the marriage record which reads:

Juan Estevan Benavides y M^a de Esparsa velaronse

En veinte de Enero de mill y seiscientos y ochenta y uños El S^r L^do D. Joseph Lopes de Olivas Deán de esta S^ta yglesia Cath^l. estando en las puertas de esta sancta Yglesia press^dr yo el Cura prieto y con facultas despossó por palabras de press^te y segun orden de Nra. Madre Yglesia a Ju^o estevan de benavides y Maria de esparsa fueron testigos Sebast^an de Morja, Ygn^o de Mena y Ygn^o moreno.

Diego de Ezurrola [rubric]

Their eldest child María de Benavides Viezma, identified as "castiza," was baptized at El Sagrario Metropolitano, Durango, on 25 September 1681.

By early 1683, this family was residing at Nombre de Dios, Nueva Vizcaya where their next child, Nicolás de Benavides Esparza, "español," was baptized on 26 January 1683, San Pedro Apóstol Church. In this record, María de Biezma’s name was given as María de Esparza.

The next baptismal record located for this family is that of Francisco Xavier de Benavides Esparza, baptized 29 October 1688, San Pedro Apóstol Church, Nombre de Dios.

In the following year, Juan Esteban de Benavides was buried on 10 November 1689, San Pedro Apóstol Church, Nombre de Dios, Nueva Vizcaya.

María de Biezma Esparza remained a widow and she and her children were among the new colonists recruited by Governor Vargas in the spring of 1693 to help resettle New Mexico. Research by John B. Colligan reveals that she received a total of 70 pesos to buy supplies for the trip to New Mexico. According to her account given in 1698, she was recruited at Sombrerete with four children and the expedition to New Mexico left on 13 June 1693; her fourth child was Esteban de Benavides. She was identified as "española" and gave her age as thirty-six, indicating she was born circa 1657.

Researchers: Rosina LaSalle and José Antonio Esquibel

Sources: San Pedro Apóstol Church, Nombre de Dios, Durango, Mexico; Sagrario Metropolitano, Durango, Durango, Mexico; John B. Colligan, "Vargas’ 1693 Recruits for the Resettlement of New Mexico," in Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research Genealogical Journal, Vol. II 1995: 177.

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Francisco Xavier Benavides (ONMF: 147) and Jacinta Romero had another son in addition to the one (Juan Antonio) already identified. This second son was Francisco Benavides who was a citizen of El Paso. On 30 August 1758, Francisco Benavides made his last will at El Paso in which he named his parents and declared that he had been married three times and named a total of five children. Francisco was first married with Pascuala Ávalos, a daughter of Cristóbal Ávalos, and this couple had two sons: Santiago Benavides and Vicente Benavides.

Francisco's second wife was Juana Lucero with whom he had these two children: María Antonia Benavides and Isidro Benavides.

Francisco was married a third time with Juana Martín, and they had one daughter: Lorenza Benavides.

Researcher: Rick Hendricks, Ph.D.

Sources: Ciudad Juárez Municipal Archives, Roll 6, bk. 1, 1758, f. 596-98 (Will of Francisco Benavides, El Paso, 30 August 1758), in the microfilm collection of the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP); also see brief extraction given in Rick Hendricks, Ph.D., "Wills from El Paso del Norte, 1754-1817," Nuestra Raíces (Quarterly Journal of the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America), Vol. 6, No.4, Winter 1994, 164.

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Juan Manuel Benavides

The technique and style of the bultos of José Manuel Benavides is considered among the finest of nineteenth century santeros. José Manuel was very likely a member of the Benavides clan of the Río Tesuque area. His parents, José Miguel Benavides and Josefa Vigil were married 28 February 1792, Santa Fe, and both were deceased by 1819. After the death of his parents, José Manuel became the ward of the carpenter, Pedro Domínguez, who was a resident of Río de Tesuque. Domínguez is known for his carving and construction of the doors of the Santuario de Chimayó.

In 1819, José Manuel Benavides married María Apolonia Morán, daughter of Antonio Morán and Teodora González, residents of Río de Tesuque. Benavides and Morán resided in the community of Río de Tesuque until around January 1834, when they resided in the plaza of San Buenaventura de Chimayó. By 1844, this couple and their two daughters were living in the small community of Río Chiquito, situated between the communities of Quemado (Córdova and Chimayó). Benavides carved the crucifix that is currently above the main altar in the Church of Santa Cruz. He and Morán were the parents of two known children:

1. María de Pilar Benavides, born circa 1819-20, most likely at Río de Tesuque; married May 1836, Santa Cruz, Pedro Antonio Archuleta (DM 1836, May 2, no. 88, Santa Cruz; see also fray Angélico Chávez, "New Mexico Roots, Ltd," 107). Pedro Antonio Archuleta was born 15 January 1817, and baptized three days later by the priest of the Church of Santa Cruz de la Cañada. He was a son of José María Archuleta and María Dionisia (also known as Leonisia) Martín. Pedro Antonio Archuleta and María Pilar Benavides were the parents of three known children, each baptized in Santa Cruz:

a. María Alexandra Archuleta, baptized 25 April 1837. Padrinos: José Domingo Mascareñas and Guadalupe Vigil.

b. María Aniceta Archuleta, born 18 April 1839, San Miguel (del Río Chiquito), baptized 21 April 1839. Padrinos: Juan de Jesús Martínez and María de los Reyes Martínez, residents of Cuchilla.

c. José Mateo Archuleta, born 22 September 1841, Plaza de Dolores, baptized 27 September 1841. Padrinos: Nepomuceno Martín and Josefa Rita Archuleta.

2. María Candelaria, born at Río de Tesuque and baptized on 3 February 1823.

Researchers: José Antonio Esquibel and Charles M. Carrillo

Sources: José Antonio Esquibel and Charles M. Carrillo, A Tapestry of Kinship: The Web of Influence of Among Escultores and Carpinteros of the Parish of Santa Fe, 1790-1850. (Albuquerque: LPD Press), 2004.