Fray Angélico Chávez stated that the Domínguez family arrived in New Mexico around the mid-1600s. One of the earliest documents of the New Mexico Archives is dated 15 December 1636, Pueblo de Socorro, and is the official appointment of Capitán "Thomé Domingues" (Tomé Domínguez, the elder; ONMF: 24-25) as Capitán and Squadron leader of a group of soldiers. The document verifies that with his appointment he received all the honors, graces, exemptions and liberties that by reason of his official position were now his. This information places the Domínguez family in New Mexico earlier than previously known, and indicates that the occupation of Tomé Domínguez was that of a soldier and military leader.
Researcher: José Antonio Esquibel
Source: "New Mexico Archives: Documents (Facsimiles of Manuscripts at Santa fe, 1621-1683)", located at the Southwest Research Room, University of New Mexico, Zimmerman Library (Call no.: 928.908,1421d, #1-8, 12-16).
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Elena Ramírez de Mendoza (ONMF: 24), the wife of Tomé Domínguez, was also known as Elena de la Cruz. Chávez also accounted for a sister of hers, Juana de la Cruz y Mendoza, who had come to New Mexico (ONMF: 25).
On 8 August 1625, Tomé Domínguez and Elena de la Cruz, citizens of Mexico City, gave power of attorney to Francisco Franco in regard to traveling to the city of Vera Cruz in Nueva España in the matter of verifying the proof of lineage of Elena de la Cruz. Testimony was taken from 30 August—10 September 1625 in Vera Cruz. Six witnesses declared that Elena de la Cruz was a daughter of Benito París and Leonor Francisco, both deceased and former residents of Vera Cruz. Her paternal grandparents were identified as Juan González and Isabel Gallega, also former residents of Vera Cruz (and very likely deceased by 1625). Her maternal grandparents were Francisco de Mendoza and Leonor de Grisaldos, citizens of Puerto de Santa María in Spain.
From this information we learn that the Mendoza surname Elena Ramírez de Mendoza (also known as Elena de la Cruz) contributed to the Domínguez de Mendoza family name came from her maternal grandfather. The varied use of surnames in her family is an excellent example of how Spanish families did not feel restricted to passing on the paternal surname. This also presents challenges in doing genealogical researcher concerning Spanish families of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
The information on the proof of lineage of Elena de la Cruz was discovered by Professor France V. Scholes many years ago. The document had been preserved in the archives of the Biblioteca Nacional de Madrid in Spain. Scholes made an English typescript of the pertinent information in the document which is now part of the collection of the France Scholes Papers. A summary of the typescript follows:
Proof of Lineage of Elena de la Cruz
Mother of Juan Domínguez de Mendoza
16251
(Summary)2
On August 8, 1625, Tomé Domínguez de Mendoza, "merchant [and] citizen of the City of Mexico," and his wife, Elena de la Cruz, gave power of attorney to Francisco Franco authorizing him to go to Vera Cruz to obtain legal proof of the lineage of the said Elena de la Cruz. In Vera Cruz, August 30-September 10, a formal inquiry was made in the usual form. Six witnesses were examined who testified: (1) that Elena de la Cruz was the daughter of Benito París and Leonor Francisco, deceased citizens of Vera Cruz; (2) that her paternal grandparents were Juan Gonzales and Isabel Gallega, former residents of Vera Cruz; (3) that her maternal grandparents were Francisco de Mendoza3 and Leonor de Grisaldos, citizens of Puerto de Santa María in Spain; and (4) that the said parents and grandparents were "old Christians," unstained by any mixture of blood with Moors, Jews, conversos, or persons who had been tried and punished by the Holy Office of the Inquisition.
Researcher: France V. Scholes, Ph.D.
Sources: Biblioteca Nacional de Madrid, MS 19258 (photos 106-12); typescript of this record by France V. Scholes as found in: France Scholes Papers, MSS 360, Box 11, folder 1. Special thanks to Irene Brandtner de Martínez for providing a photocopy of the typescript and to Stanley M. Hordes, PhD, for providing the precise citation.
B.N. Madrid, MS 19258 (photos 106-12).
The original probanza consists of eight unnumbered leaves. All the essential facts are given in this summary.
The name of the maternal grandfather helps to explain the fact that Elena de la Cruz was also known as Elena Ramírez de Mendoza. In testimony before the tribunal of the Holy Office, April 27, 1663, Christobal de Anaya Almazán testified that his wife was Leonor Ramírez de Mendoza, daughter of Tomé Domínguez de Mendoza and Elena Ramírez de Mendoza (Proceso y causa criminal contra Christobal de Anaya, por proposiciones hereticas. A.G.N., Inquisición, tomo 582, exp. 2.)
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In a petition presented to fray Nicolás Hurtado dated 8 April 1682 at El Real de San Lorenzo near El Paso del Norte, José Domínguez de Mendoza (ONMF: 169-70) requested to enter into the state of matrimony according to the order of "Nuestra Santa Madre Yglesia," "Our Holy Mother Church." He identified himself as a native of New Mexico and a son of Ana Velásquez and an unknown father. According to a marriage certificate, he was married on 19 April 1682 with Juana López (ONMF: 58), a daughter of Sargento Mayor Diego López Sambrano and María de Suaso, all natives of New Mexico, originally residents of the Villa de Santa Fe. From this union there was born a son, Domingo Domínguez, and a daughter, María Domínguez, prior to the death of Juana López.
A widower by 1692, José Domínguez de Mendoza, holding the military rank of alférez, participated in the efforts of don Diego de Vargas to restore New Mexico to the Spanish crown. In this endeavor, he was reunited in October 1692 with his sister, Juana Domínguez, who had been taken captive by the Pueblo Indians during the revolt of 1680. In May 1697, mention was made of the "orphan children of José Dominguez, Domingo and María." They were recipients of livestock in a distribution made at Santa Fe by Governor Vargas. Apparently, Domínguez was away at this time, however, soon after this he entered into his second marriage with Gerónima Varela de Losada (also known as Varela de Perea; died 11 April 1727, Santa Fe), by whom he had at least two known children: Ana María Domínguez and Manuel Domínguez (born circa 1705; ONMF: 170).
María Domínguez, daughter of José Domínguez de Mendoza and Juana Lopes Sambrano, was married with Dimas Jirón de Tejeda (ONMF: 201).
Ana María Domínguez, daughter of José Domínguez de Mendoza and Gerónima Varela de Losada (Varela de Perea), born circa 1698-99, was widowed of Pedro Antonio de Moya when she sought to marry Antonio Martín Serrano, native of Chimayó and a son of Cristóbal Martín Serrano (ONMF: 224) and Antonia de Moraga. Ana María and Antonio were married at Santa Fe on 12 May 1717.
Manuel Domínguez, son of José Domínguez de Mendoza and Gerónima Varela de Losada (Varela de Perea), may be the same person as Manuel Antonio Domínguez (ONMF: 224) who was married with María Martín Serrano (ONMF: 224), daughter of Cristóbal Martín Serrano (ONMF: 224) and Antonia Moraga.
Researcher: José Antonio Esquibel
Sources: SANM I: 233; SANM II: 606; AASF Roll # 61: DM 1717, April 28 (no. 2), Santa Fe (see also, Chávez, "New Mexico Roots, Ltd.", p. 1102); Esquibel, "Sacramental Records and the Preservation of New Mexico Family Genealogies from the Colonial Era to the Present" in Seeds of Struggle: Harvest of Faith, Catholic Cuarto Centennial Publication, LPD Press, Albuquerque, 1998.
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José Domínguez de Mendoza (ONMF: 27; BONMF Vol. 1), a native of New Mexico born circa 1656, named his mother as Ana Velásquez in 1682. She may very well have been the same person as Ana Velasco, an Indian woman who served as the cocinera y labandera (cook and laundress) of Governor don Bernardo López de Mendizábal for eleven months in 1659-1660. At that time she was married with Francisco Cuaxín and was also referred to as Ana de Velasco. In October 1661 she provided testimony on her behalf in regard to payment she did not receive for the work she did for López de Mendizábal. She was once again identified as an “India.” In this testimony she declared she was a native of Santa Fe and was the wife of Francisco Cuaxinque, and she was asking for compensation of thirty-seven pesos and two tomines.
Researcher: José Antonio Esquibel
Sources: AGN, Tierras, t. 3268, p. 31; AGN, Galería, Concurso de Peñalosa, vol. 1, exp. 605, leg. 1, f. 234; AGN, Tierras, t. 3268, pt. 1, leg. 2, no. 32, f. 18.