Luis Luján

Juan Luis and María Luján

Captain Juan Luis and María Luján were parents of Juan Luis Luján, according to his testimony recorded in April 1689 at El Paso del Río del Norte. The source for this information is the prenuptial investigation record of Sebastián Rodríguez Brito and Antonia Naranjo (Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (AASF). DM 1689, April 14, no. 1, El Paso del Norte; and Fray Angélico Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd,” page 1565).

Captain Juan Luis, the elder, was born circa 1606-1615 in New Mexico and was still living as late as May 1697 when he was accounted for as with the rank of captain in the account of settlers receiving livestock (John L. Kessell, Rick Hendricks, Meredith D. Dodge, Blood on the Boulders, page 1156). There is also a record of him in 1695 (Kessell, Hendricks and Dodge, Blood on the Boulders, page 650).

He gave his age 80 in April 1689, indicating he was born circa 1609 and his wife, María Luján, was deceased at the time (AASF, DM 1689, April 14, no. 1, El Paso del Norte; and Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.,” pages 1564-1566).

He gave his age as 84 in June 1690, indicating he was born circa 1606 (AASF, DM 1690, June 1, no. 5, El Paso del Norte for Jose Montano and Isabel Naranjo; and Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.,” pages 1259-1260)

He gave his age as 77 in June 1692, indicating a year of birth as 1615 (AASF, DM June 6, Real de San Lorenzo for Juan de Dios Lucero de Godoy-Gómez Robledo and Ines Romero, widow of Blas Griego; and Chávez, “Addendum to New Mexico Roots,” in New Mexico Genealogist, September 2010, 49:3, 147).

There is yet no records that I know of that confirm the names of the parents of Captain Juan Luis or María Luján.

In August 1691 Juan Luis mention that he went to the mercury mines in the company of his compadre, Francisco Gómez Robledo. He mentioned that “On his father’s orders, he brought a load in two cow hides, indicating that his father was living at the time he went to the mercury mines (Kessell, Hendricks and Dodge, To the Royal Crown Restored, 138-139). This event occurred during the tenure of Governor don Luis de Guzmán, who was governor from 1647-1649. Juan Luis, the younger (aka Juan Luis Luján), was born circa 1633-1640 and was thus too young to go on the expedition to the mercury mines.

The stated relationship with Francisco Gómez Robledo is significant. Captain Juan Luis had a long-time association with the Gómez Robledo-Lucero de Godoy clan. This clan, and Captain Juan Luis, belonged to the political faction that supported the authority of the governors in opposition to the supporters of the Franciscans.

Also, we know that Captain Juan Luis had an estancia near Chimayó prior to the Pueblo Indian uprising of August 1680 (Kessell, Hendricks and Dodge, Blood on the Boulders, pages 606 and 612).

Regarding the supposition that the elder Juan Luis was married with Isabel Baca, this is not correct. Isabel Baca was identified as a widow in June 1662 and the mother-in-law of Antonio de Avalos (Archivo General de la Nación, México, Inquisición, t. 512, f. 7r; see also the Baca section in BONMF). Since we know that Antonio de Avalos was married to Juana Ruiz Cáceres, we can presume that Isabel Baca was married to a man with the Ruiz Cáceres surname, very likely Juan Ruiz Cáceres who was already deceased by 1640.

Juan Luis Luján, also known as Juan Luis, was a son of Captain Juan Luis and María Luján. He gave his age as 60 in August 1693 (b.ca. 1633) and declared he was a native of New Mexico when he was a witness to a prenuptial investigation (AASF, DM 1693, Aug. 31 (no. 1), El Paso del Norte; and Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd,” page 1579).

Juan Luis Luján married Isabel López de Castillo, a native of New Mexico, daughter of Estéban López, native of Mexico City, and María de las Nieves, native of New Mexico (AASF, DM 1689, April 14, no. 1, El Paso del Norte, and Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd,” page 1565). This couple, whose names were recorded as Juan Luis and Ysabel Lopes were godparents for two children, baptized at El Paso del Norte (See El Paso Baptisms page in BONMF):

  • Francisca, baptized April 10, 1681, daughter of Cristóbal López and Juana de la Cruz.

  • María, Manso Indian, daughter of Juan Largo and Luisa Catipan.

Juan Luis Luján and Isabel López de Castillo were the parents at least three children:

  • Pedro Luján (b.ca. 1669), who married on January 10, 1691, El Paso del Río del Norte, with Francisco de Salazar (b.ca. 1675) daughter of Captain Pedro Martín Serrano and Juana de Argüello (AASF, Roll 59; and Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd,” page 1011).


  • Ana María Luján, born circa 1662, New Mexico, who married May 30, 1682, El Pso del Río del Norte, with Juan López Olguín, born circa 1660, native of New Mexico, son Captain Salvador Olguín and Magdalena Fresquí (AASF 1682, May 30, o. 8, El Paso del Norte; and Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd,” page 1379).


  • Matías Luján, born circa 1643-1652, married with Francisca de Salazar. In 1702, a daughter of this couple named Juana Luján, was identified as a first cousin of Salvador Olguín, Felipa Manzanares and Simón Martín. We know that Salvador Olguín was a son of Juan López Olguín and Ana María Luján, a known daughter of Juan Luis Luján and Isabel López del Castillo, thus Matías Luján was also a son of Juan Luis Luján and Isabel del Castillo (Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.” pages 244-45).


    • Notes about Matías Luján:

      • Matías Luján gave his age as 40 in January 1692 (b.ca. 1652) and identified himself as resident of Isleta of the Tegua Indians (Chávez, “Addendum to New Mexico Roots, in New Mexico Genealogist 49:4 Dec 2010, 191, 1692, January 18, Ysleta of the Tegua Indians for Diego Trujillo and Catarina Griego).

      • Matías Luján gave his age as 40 in September 1692 (b.ca. 1652) when he was a witness for the prenuptial investigation of Francisco de Apodaca, age 20 native of La Cañada, resident of Corpus Christi de Isleta, son of José González de Apodaca and Antonia Martín, with María López de Luna, daughter of Captain Diego de Luna and Elvira García (AASF, DM 1692, September 11, no. 9, Corpus Christi de Ysleta; and Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.,” pages 41-42).

      • Matías Luján gave his age as 50 in August 1693 (b.ca. 1643) when a witness in a prenuptial investigation (AASF, DM 1693, August 22, no. 5, Corpus Christi de Ysleta; and Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.,” pages 1776).

Researcher: José Antonio Esquibel