Montes Vigil Royal Lineage

Uncovering the genealogy of the Vigil family of New Mexico and extending this family’s genealogy back to the 1300s through the Argüelles family of Asturias has been the result of research efforts of several people over the course of the past sixty years. The number of hours and expense undertaken by the various researchers to uncover the genealogical information that was buried within various archives in New Mexico, Mexico and Spain were spent out of a passion for learning more about ancestors and linking numerous descendants living today to a common ancestry.

One of the most recent developments (2019) is the work of Brent Alexander Cruz who used the previously publish details on the Argüelles ancestors of the Montes Vigil family to locate references in some older books on Spanish nobility to identify additional ancestors that traced back to the Ponce de León family founded by Pedro Ponce de Cabrera (died circa 1248/1254) and doña Aldonza Alfonso de León, a natural daughter of Alfonso IX, King of León (ruled 1188-1230), and his mistress doña Aldonza Martínez de Silva. Read more on José Antonio Equibel’s blog: “Francisco Montes Vigil (1665-1731): A New Mexico Genealogical Link to Medieval European Nobility and Royalty.” In turn, Alfonso IX is a verified descendant of Charlemagne.

The journey of research into the deep ancestry of the Montes Vigil family began when Fray Angélico Chávez compiled and published the first genealogical account of Vigil family of New Mexico in Origins of New Mexico Families. His work identified Francisco Montes Vigil and María Jiménez de Enciso (Anciso) as the progenitors of the large Vigil family of northern New Mexico.1 This couple and their five children left their home in Zacatecas, Nueva Galicia, as volunteer settlers of New Mexico, arriving in Santa Fe in early 1695. In consulting sacramental and archival records of New Mexico, Chávez identified the names of eight of the Montes Vigil children and published his results in 1954.

In the 1990s, John B. Colligan and Dr. Rick Hendricks were the next researchers to uncover significant additional genealogical information concerning the Montes Vigil family. Colligan located an important testimony of Francisco Montes Vigil among documents of the Spanish Archives New Mexico that described how Francisco allowed his children to be considered as children of other couples in order to assist Captain Juan Páez Hurtado in acquiring funds to support the recruitment of settlers for New Mexico.

The testimony of Montes Vigil confirmed that he and his wife came with five children to New Mexico: 1) María de la Concepción, b.ca. 1684; 2) María de los Nieves, b.ca. 1686; 3) Pedro Policarpo, b.ca. 1687; 4) Juan Carlos, b.ca. 1689; 5) Domingo, b.ca. 1693. Other children of Francisco Montes Vigil, as identified by Fray Angélico Chávez, that were apparently born in New Mexico were Gertrudis, Elena, Francisco, Manuel, and Juan.

María Clara Martínez documented numerous lines of descendant from Francisco Montes Vigil and María Jiménez de Enciso in her published genealogical compilations. Her well-researched books are valuable resources for individuals who are tracing their New Mexico Vigil family roots.

While conducting archival research in Zacatecas, Mexico, Dr. Rick Hendricks located two wills of Juan Montes Vigil dated October 2, 1682 and April 25, 1683. In his first will, Juan Montes Vigil identified himself as a native of Mexico City and a vecino (taxpaying citizen) of Nuestra Señora de los Zacatecas, and declared he was a son of Juan Montes Vigil and Catalina de Herrera Cantillana, both natives of Castilla (Spain) and both deceased. He named his sister, María de Herrera Cantillana, and his natural son, Francisco Montes Vigil, as his heirs, bequeathing half of his estate to each one. He appointed Nicolás Díaz Cavallero as the guardian of Francisco and as the executor of his estate. In his second will, Juan Montes Vigil once again declared he was a native of Mexico City and identified himself as a merchant and resident of Zacatecas. He named his parents as Juan Montes Vigil and Catalina de Cantanilla, and identified his natural son, Francisco Montes Vigil, as the husband of María Jiménez. Juan made a point to clarify that he had always been single and had never married. A transcription of these wills was made by Charles Martínez Vigil and were posted on the ‘Beyond Origins of New Mexico Families’ web site, where they are still available for consultation.

John B. Colligan extended the genealogy of the Montes Vigil family further into Spain when he located and extracted the record of passage of Juan Montes Vigil, the husband of Catalina de Herrera Cantillana, while doing research in Sevilla, Spain. A native of the Parish of San Martino de Siero in Asturias, Spain, Juan Montes Vigil sought passage to the New World in 1611.9 A summary of this record of passage was first published in Herencia in 1996.10 A translation of the document was made by myself and published in El Farolito in 1999, and the Spanish transcription of the record of passage was posted on the ‘Beyond Origins of New Mexico Families’ web site.11 The first page of the record of passage carries the date of June 22, 1611, and refers to Juan Montes Vigil as a native of the Parish of San Martino de Siero who was seeking to go to Nueva España via Peru as an aid of don Jacinto de Olmos, and a certified statement was made and signed by Olmos on June 3, 1611.

The critical genealogical information concerning the Montes Vigil family appears on folio 4 of the record of passage. This valuable document was prepared on behalf of Juan Montes Vigil by his uncle, Bartolomé de Vigil, regidor (councilman) of the Villa del Consejo de Siero. Juan presented the document to the officials of the Casa de la Contratación de las Indias in Sevilla. Bartolomé de Vigil identified his nephew, Juan Montes Vigil, as a native of the Parish of San Martino de Siero and declared that his nephew was single and was not committed to anyone in the form of marriage or religious orders. Bartolomé continued to provide information about the nobility of the Vigil family, declaring they were hidalgos and verifying that Juan Montes Vigil was a descendant of the ancient "casa y solar—house and manor” of Vigil, one of the oldest and most prominent families of the San Martino de Siero area. Furthermore, Bartolome de Vigil named the parents of Juan Montes Vigil as Juan Montes Vigil and María de Vigil. Next he named the paternal grandparents as Lucas Montes de Vigil and Isabel de Vigil. The maternal grandparents he identified as Francisco de Vigil de San Martino and Catalina de Argüelles.

The last document that makes up the record of passage of Juan Montes Vigil (folios 5v-6v) contains the statement of Martín García, age 60 more or less, a native of the Consejo de Siero and a resident of Vega de Poja in the Parish of San Martino de Siero. García was an intimate friend of the Montes Vigil family and provided testimony in regard to their nobility. In addition, he identified the same parents and grandparents as mentioned by Bartolomé de Vigil. Two additional witnesses provided the same testimony. These witnesses were: Juan de Careses, el Martil, resident of Carese, age 60; Juan González, resident of Tabladillo of the Consejo de Siero, age 64; and Juan Fernández del Camino, resident of the Villa de Siero, age 70, more or less.

While conducting research in Zacatecas, Robert D. Martínez came across a number of references to Juan Montes Vigil, father of Francisco Montes Vigil. Summaries and transcriptions of these references were posted on the ‘Beyond Origins of New Mexico Families’ web site and are still available on-line, and were published in the October 2004 issues of Herencia. In a record from August 1661, Juan Montes Vigil was identified as a vecino of Zacatecas. Also, Juan’s sister, María de Herrera Castilla, recorded her last will and testament in Zacatecas on June 27, 1656. She identified herself as a native of Zacatecas and named her parents as Juan Montes Quiñones y Argüello and Catalina de Herrera, both deceased and former vecinos of Zacatecas. The fact that Juan Montes Vigil was a native of Mexico City and that his sister was born in Zacatecas indicates that their parents had moved from Mexico City and became residents of Zacatecas. Interestingly, María de Herrera Castilla referred to her brother as Juan Montes Argüello rather than Juan Montes Vigil, which was the name he preferred to use. The Argüello surname, derived from the surname Argüelles, was apparently passed down in the Vigil family in honor of a maternal ancestor, doña Catalina de Argüelles, and her lineage.

Utilizing this information, Marietta Vigil Gonzales and Charles Martínez Vigil traveled to Asturias, Spain, in search of records concerning the genealogy and history of the Montes Vigil family. Their efforts brought them into contact with local historians and genealogists of Asturias —José María Patac, Jorge Vigil Iglesias, and Juan Díaz. The assistance of these individuals brought to light the copy of the last will and testament of the don Lope de Argüelles and doña María de Estrada, the parents of Catalina de Argüelles. The original will is dated 1573 and was written in an old script. On October 30, 1750, an official copy was made in contemporary script.

Juan Díaz uncovered and eventually obtained a photocopy of the last will and testament of don Lope de Argüelles and doña María de Estrada along with a related document dated 1577. A photocopy was sent to Marietta Vigil Gonzales. Marietta shared the document with José Antonio Esquibel who translated the information into English for publication in an article titled "Los Agrüelles, A.D. 1350- A.D. 1600: Ancestors of the Montes Vigil Family of New Mexico" by Marietta Vigil Gonzales, José Antonio Esquibel, and Juan Díaz, published in Herencia, Vol. 13, Issue 3, July 2005.

The Royal Lineage from Charlemagne

It is confirmed that any individual who can trace a lineage verified by documentation to Francisco Montes Vigil (born circa 1666, Zacatecas) is a descendant of Charlemagne (born 748 A.D. - died 814 A.D.), Holy Roman Emperor.

The lineage from Charlemagne to Francisco Montes Vigil is presented below and is based on a report posted by Nathan Murphy on a public web page for viewer access and review and included details on sources.

The information in Generations 1-23 was researched by Brent Alexander Cruz and verified by Nathan Murphy, a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogist and Genealogist General of the Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America, who also provided additional source documentation on these generations and recommended the lineage for approval by the Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America.

Generations 24-30 are based on the research of Juan Díaz Alvarez, Marietta Vigil Gonzales, Charles Martínez y Vigil, Rick Hendricks, John Colligan, José Antonio Esquibel, and Fray Angélico Chávez.

Generation 1: Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor, probably born April 2, 748, died January 28, 814, Aachen, married between May 1, 770 and April 30, 772, Hildegarde, probably born between May 2, 757 and April 30, 761, died April 30, 783, Saxony. They were the parents of Louis “The Pious,” who follows.

Generation 2: Louis “The Pious,” Holy Roman Emperor, born between April and September 778, Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, Aquitaine, died June 20, 840 on an island in the Rhine, near Mainz, , married about 794 with Ermengarde, died October 3, 818. They were the parents of Lothair I, who follows.

Generation 3: Lothair I, Holy Roman Emperor, born circa 795, died Prüm monastery in Ardennes, September 28 or 29, 855 and buried there, married October 821, Ermengarde of Tours, died March 20, 851. They were the parent sof Lothair II, who follows.

Generation 4: Lothair II, King Of Lorraine, born about 835, died August 8, 869, Piacenza, buried in the church of St. Antoninus the Martyr, married 862 Waldrade (marriage not recognized). They were the parents of Lothair II, who follows.

Generation 5: Bertha, died March 8, 925, Lucca, married before 880, Thibaud, Count Of Arles, died after June 887. They were the parents of Boso of Arles, who follows.

Generation 6: Boso of Arles, Margrave Of Tuscany, died after 936, married Willa. They were the parents of, Willa of Tuscany, who follows.

Generation 7: Willa of Tuscany, died after August 4, 966, married before 936, Berengario II, King Of Italy, born probably 900 or earlier, died Bamberg, August 4, 966. They were the parents of Adelberto, who follows.

Generation 8: Adalberto, Margrave of Ivrea, died April 20, 975 (?), married Gerberge, died December 11 between 986 and 992. They were the parents of Otto, who follows.

Generation 9: Otto alias Guillaume, Count Of Mâcon, Count of Burgundy, born ca 962, Italy, buried September 21, 1026 (or 1027?), Saint-Bénigne de Dijon, m. Ermentrude de Roucy, born about 950, died March 5 between 1002 and 1004. They were the parents of Renaud I, who follows.

Generation 10: Renaud I, Count of Burgundy, died September 4, 1057, buried Besançon, married Adélaïde of Normandy. They were the parents of Guillame I, who follows.

Generation 11: Guillaume I, Count of Burgundy, born about 1024, died 12 November 1087, Besançon, buried there, married Étiennette, died after October 19, 1088. They were the parents of Raymond of Burgundy, who follows.

Generation 12: Raymond of Burgundy, Count of Galicia, born Dijón, France, about 1070, died Grajal, León, September 20, 1107, bur. catedral de Santiago el Mayor, Santiago de Compostela, m. before 1090, doña Urraca I, Queen of Castila y León, died Saldaña, Palencia, between March 8, 1125 and 1126, buried in the Monasterio de San Isidoro, León, daughter of Alfonso VI, King of Castilla y León, and doña Constanza de Borgoña (Burgundy). They were the parents of Alfonso VII, who follows.

Generation 13: Alfonso VII, “El Emperador,” King of Castilla y León, born March 1, 1104 to 1105, Galicia, died La Fresneda, Teruel, Aragón, August 21, 1157, buried in the Catedral de Santa María, Toledo, married doña Berenguela Berenguer, died Palencia, February 1149, buried in the Catedral de Santiago el Mayor, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia.

Generation 14: Fernando II, King of León, born 1137, died Benavente, Zamora, January 22, 1188, buried in the Catedral de Santiago el Mayor, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, married doña Urraca de Portugal. died Valladolid, October 16, 1188.

Generation 15: Alfonso IX, King of León, born August 15, 1171, Zamora, Reino de León, died September 24, 1230, on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela at Villanueva de Sarria, Reino de León, buried Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. With his mistress, doña Aldonza Martínez de Silva, daughter of don Martím Gómez de Silva and doña Urraca Rodríquez. They were the parents of doña Aldonza Alfonso de León, who follows

Generation 16: Doña Aldonza Alfonso de León, died 1267, married (2) before October 1235, don Pedro Ponce de Cabrera, ricohombre leonés, Señor del Valle de Aria, born between 1181 and 1202 (minor in 7 July 1202), died 1248/1254. Both buried in the Monasterio de Santa María de Nogales, León. They were the parents of Fernán Pérez de León, who follows.

Generation 17: Don Fernán Pérez Ponce de León, ricohombre leonés, Señor de la Puebla de Asturias, Cangas y Tineo, Adelantado Mayor de la Frontera de Andalucía, Mayordomo Mayor del rey Alfonso X ‘el Sabio’ Rey de Castilla (1284) y ayo de Fernando IV de Castilla (1290–1291), died 1291, buried in the Colegiata de San Salvador de Jérez de la Frontera (remains later removed to the Monasterio de Moreruela in Zamora Province), married doña Urraca Gutiérrez de Meneses, daughter of don Gutierre de Meneses and doña Elvira Añez de Sousa. They were the parents of don Fernando Pérez Ponce de León, who follows.

Generation 18: Don Fernando Pérez Ponce de León, ricohombre castellano, Señor de Marchena, Bornos, Espera, Rota y Chipiona, y in the Reino de Aragón he owned the Lugares de Frescano, Ponzano, y Celia and their castles, died circa 1315 or 1331, married in 1303, doña Isabel Pérez de Guzmán, daughter of don Alonso Pérez de Guzmán and doña María Alonso Coronel. They were the parents of don Fernán Pérez Ponce de León, who follows.

Generation 19: Don Fernán Pérez Ponce de León, noble castellano, elected Maestre de la Orden de Alcántara (1346), died circa 1355, buried in the church of Morón de la Frontera (remains later removed to the convento de San Benito de Alcántara, seat of the Military Orden de Alcántara). His wife has not been identified. He was the father of don Pedro Ponce de León, who follows.

Generation 20: Don Pedro Ponce de León, made his last will and testament on February 28, 1406 and requested to be buried in the church of San Salvador “en mi lugar de Vega,” married doña Teresa García. They were the parents of doña Beatriz Ponce de León, who follows.

Generation 21: Doña Beatriz Ponce de León, married circa 1394 with don Diego Fernández de Miranda. They were the parents of doña Inés de Miranda y Ponce de León, who follows.

Generation 22: Doña Inés de Miranda y Ponce de León (also known as doña Inés Ponce de Miranda), residing in Riello (Valdesampedro de Teverga) 1470-1474, died before August 26, 1476, married don Martín Vásquez de Quirós, Señor de la Casa de Llanuces, Señor de Valdecarzana, last will and testament dated October 13, 1456, son of don Lope de González de Quirós and his mistress Juana González. They were the parents of don Diego Fernández de Miranda, who follows.

Generation 23: Don Diego Fernández de Miranda, El Viejo, Señor y Fundador de la Casa, de Miranda, died circa 1506 and entered in the Monasterio de San Francisco de Oviedo, married (2) doña Isabel de Quirós, daughter of don Lope Bernaldo de Quirós. They were the parents of don Diego de Quirós Miranda, who follows.

Generation 24: Don Diego de Quirós Miranda, Señor de la Casa de Miranda de Cudillero, and his wife has not been identified with documented evidence. He was the father of doña María de Quiró y Miranda, who follows.

Generation 25: Doña María de Quirós y Miranda married don Diego de Argüelles, a resident of Candamo in Asturias in 1546, son of don Estaban de Argüelles, Señor de la Casa de Argüelles, and doña María González Valdés. They were the parents of don Lope de Argüelles, who follows.

Generation 26: Don Lope de Argüelles married (1) doña María Valdés Vigil, Señora de la Torre y Solar de los Vigiles de San Martin de Vega de Poja.33 Don Lope married (2) doña María de Estrada, daughter of don Diego de Argüelles, “El Sordo—The Deaf,” native of Consejo de Siero, and doña Leonor de Herrera, native of Ciudad Rodrigo. They recorded their last will and testament in 1573, and were the parents of doña Catalina de Argüelles, who follows.

Generation 27: Doña Catalina de Argüelles married Francisco Vigil de San Martino. They were the parents of María de Vigil, who follows.

Generation 28: María de Vigil married Juan Montes Vigil of Vega de Poja, Asturias, son of Lucas Montes Vigil and Isabel Vigil, each said to be hidalgos of the Casa y Solar de Vigil in Consejo de Siero, Asturias. They were the parents of Juan Montes Vigil, who follows.

Generation 29: Juan Montes Vigil, native of San Martino de Siero, Consejo de Siero, Asturias, also known as Juan Montes Quiñones y Argüello, traveled to Nueva España July 21, 1611, Zacatecas, Nueva Galica, died before June 27, 1656, and married doña Catalina de Herrera Cantillana, residents of Mexico City, Nueva España, and Zacatecas, Nueva Galicia.37 They were the parents of Juan Montes Vigil, who follows.

Generation 30: Juan Montes Vigil, also referred as Juan Montes Argüello, resided in Zacatecas, Nueva Galicia, and did not marry. He recorded his first will on October 2, 1682, Zacatecas, and his second will on April 25, 1683, Zacatecas.39 His natural son by either an Indian woman of a women that was part Indian and part African was Francisco Montes Vigil, who follows.

Generation 31: Francisco Montes Vigil, born circa 1666, Zacatecas, Nueva Galicia, married María Jiménez de Enciso (Anciso), and they settled New Mexico in 1695. Through their children, they became the progenitors of the Vigil family of New Mexico.