In his last will and testament dated 19 April 1713, Antonio Godines referred to his "sobrinos" (nephews), Juan García de la Riva and Miguel de Dios Sandoval. This information identifies Godines, García de la Riva and Sandoval Martínez as relatives. A close look at the genealogy of each of these men reveals a common connection with a branch of the Estrada family of Mexico City.
In his will, Antonio Godines, born circa 1660, Mexico City, named his parents as don Francisco Godines and doña Josefa Estrada. Godines had come to New Mexico as a widower with his daughter María Luisa Godines.
Juan García de la Riva, born circa 1682 in Mexico City, came to New Mexico in 1694 with his parents Miguel García de la Riva, born circa 1654 in Mexico City, and Micaela de Velasco. His paternal grandparents were Diego García de la Riva and María de Estrada.
Miguel de Dios Sandoval Martínez, born circa 1675-79 in Mexico City, also came to New Mexico in 1694 with his parents Juan de Dios Sandoval Martínez (born circa 1658) and Juana Hernández. When Juan de Dios was married with Juana Hernández at Santa Catarina Church in Mexico City on 6 January 1674, he named his parents as Nicolás de Arias and Juana de Estrada. In 1695, when he sought to marry his second wife, Gertrudis de Herrera, Juan de Dios named his parents as Jacinto de Sandoval Martínez and Juana de Estrada. Perhaps Juana de Estrada was married twice, and Nicolás Arias was the stepfather of Juan de Dios Sandoval Martínez.
The common relations between the Godines, García de la Riva and Sandoval Martínez families of New Mexico were the Estrada women, doña Josefa de Estrada, María de Estrada, and Juana de Estrada. Based on this information, Antonio Godines, Miguel García de la Riva and Juan de Dios de Sandoval were first cousins, and they traveled together from Mexico City to Santa Fe in 1693-94 to become settlers of New Mexico. It is not surprising that Godines referred to the sons of his first cousins as "nephews", which was a common practice in Spanish society.
A search of the Santa Catarina Mártir Church marriage records for 1650-1676 did not turn up any marriage records for the Estrada sisters. A search of these records was made because there are several records pertaining to the García de la Riva and Sandoval Martínez families in these church records indicating they were parishioners of Santa Catarina Mártir Church. It may be worthwhile to report that a woman named Juana de Estrada, a native of Mexico City and a daughter of Tomás Pérez and Gertrudis de Estrada, who was married at Santa Catarina Mártir Church on 31 May 1666 with a Nicolás Méndez, an orphan and a native of Ayunpango. Whether Nicolás Méndez was the same person as Nicolás Arias is yet to be determined. The marriage does not mention that Juana de Estrada was a widow.
Additional research into the Estrada family of seventeenth century Mexico City is now in order and could produce the additional information to fully confirm the relationship inferred from the current available information.
Researcher: José Antonio Esquibel
Source: José Antonio Esquibel and John B. Colligan, The Spanish Recolonization of New Mexico: An Account of the Families Recruited at Mexico City in 1693, Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 1999: 194-199, 207-212, 336-346.