Montoya-Paredes

Research and Narrative by José Antonio Esquibel

Since the publication of Origins of New Mexico Families in 1954, it was not clear who were the parents of Felipe de Montoya, born circa 1652 and husband of María de Paredes, common ancestors of many people with deep family roots in New Mexico. Fray Angélico did not find a record that identified the names of the parents of Felipe (Origins of New Mexico Families, 78). Over the years, it was assumed by many people that Felipe was a son of Diego de Montoya and doña María Ortiz de Vera without any documentation to substantiate the connection.

In response to some Facebook posts about Felipe de Montoya in 2015, I began to compile as many records as could be found that mentioned him to see if any provided any clues as to his family of origin. Those records are provided below. Then, it was the research efforts of Patricia Sánchez Rau that resulted in uncovering a single record that identified Felipe as a son of Diego de Montoya.

While researching copies of original diligencias matrimoniales (prenuptial investigations), Patricia studied the record related to the proposed marriage of Salvador Montoya and María Paula González dated June 1792, Santa Cruz. At the end of the prenuptial investigation, the priest made a note that the groom’s grandfather, Felipe Montoya was a son of Diego Montoya (AASF Roll 65, Diligencias Matrimoniales, frames 281-382: Image 383). Although the name of Felipe’s mother was not provided, the year of Felipe’s birth of 1652, places him squarely within the timeframe in which Diego de Montoya was married with doña María Ortiz de Vera (aka María de Abendaño).

Patricia published her findings along with a summary of other prenuptial investigation records in an article titled, “Marriage Investigations: A Sampling of Originals vs. Extracted Summaries,” New Mexico Genealogist, June 2016, Vol. 55, no. 2, 79-81.

In all, there are currently only thirteen known historical records that refer to Felipe de Montoya, which are described below and represent all information we currently have that forms the basis of  what we know about the life and genealogy of Felipe de Montoya, whose name was more often records as Felipe Montoya.

The exact date of birth and the names of the parents of Felipe Montoya are not provided in any of the known records pertaining to him. There is no known record of his marriage with María de Paredes, although we know he and María were apparently married by September 1680, but certainly by September 1681. Unfortunately, there are no records that describe any specific familial relations of Felipe Montoya and there is no record of the date or place of death.

Based on the surviving documentations, what we do know about Felipe Montoya is that he and María de Paredes survived the events of the Pueblo Indian uprising of August 1680 (Record #1). He was apparently literate, given that he could sign his name (Records #1 and #3). He was a native of New Mexico (Records #3 and #8) born circa 1652 (Records #2 and #3). He was married as of September 29, 1680 (Record #1) and had “four sons” and was again identified as being married in September 1681 (Record #2) and in 1684 (Record #6), although the name of his wife was not given in any of these early records. One known son, Clemente, was born circa 1681, and the year of birth of one known daughter, is not known. The names of any other children are not known.

In November 1681, Felipe Montoya was a soldier in the company of Governor don Antonio de Otermín assigned to reconnoiter the northern part of New Mexico in the unsuccessful attempt to reclaim the territory (Record #4).  By September 1684, Felipe de Montoya was a resident of the community of Corpus Christi de la Isleta in the jurisdiction of El Paso del Río del Norte. In the census of that community recorded on September 11, 1684, Felipe was enumerated with his wife (unnamed) and a total of eight people (all unnamed) in his household (Record #5). The relationship of these people is not described in the record.

Felipe Montoya was deceased by December 1697 when his two children, Clemente and María, were identified as his orphans (Record #6).

In January 1699, Felipe Montoya and María de Paredes were identified as natives of New Mexico and as parents of María Montoya in a prenuptial investigation document (Record #8). This record is the first know historical reference to María de Paredes.

In September 1701, Felipe Montoya and María de Paredes were identified as being deceased and the parents of Clemente Montoya, age 20, born circa 1681 (Record #9). This indicates that the unnamed wife of Record #2 and Record #5 was María de Paredes, also known as María Domínguez (Record #7) and that her name is known from only three historical records.

As can be seen, none of the records identifies the parents of María de Paredes and only a single record identifies the name of the father of Felipe Montoya and not the name of his mother. Visit the Paredes page for information about María de Paredes and the question of her parentage.

Fray Angélico Chávez wrote briefly about Felipe Montoya in Origins of New Mexico Families in the Spanish Colonial Period, having consulted five historical records (Records #1, #2, #3, #9 and #10). Chávez was not able to make a confirmed link of Felipe Montoya to the larger members of the Montoya clan, but wrote the following comment, “Felipe was closely related to Antonio [de Montoya] and Diego [Montoya], perhaps a brother” (Chávez, ONMF, 78). Overtime, individuals researching the genealogy of Felipe Montoya have taken the phrase “perhaps a brother” to mean that Felipe was indeed a brother, when this turns out not to be the case because of a lack of documentation. Chávez’s supposition leads us to as the question, who were Diego Montoya and Antonio de Montoya?

The identity of the parents of Diego Montoya (born circa 1658-1663), husband of Josefa de Hinojos, remained unverified because of a lack of documentation. Fray Angélico Chávez wrote, “Apparently, he was a brother of Antonio [de Montoya].” Again, individuals researching the genealogy of this Diego Montoya have taken this supposition as being based on documentation, when there is yet no documentation that confirms the names of the parents of Diego Montoya

There is documentation that Antonio de Montoya, husband of María Hurtado, was a son of Diego (I) de Montoya and María de Vera. In 1661, María de Vera made reference to two sons, Bartolomé de Montoya and Antonio de Montoya (AGN, Tierras, t. 3268, f. 104r, Testimony of María Ortiz de Vera, 1661; and AASF, DM 1689, no. 1).

At this time, there is a single record that identifies Felipe Montoya as a son of Diego (I) de Montoya, but the name of his mother was not provided (AASF Roll 65, Diligencias Matrimoniales, frames 281-382: Image 383). Presumably his mother doña María de Vera. Records #1, #2, and #6 below list Felipe among people who belonged to the Montoya family clan, either by blood or marriage, including Diego (II) Montoya, Antonio de Montoya, Diego Lucero de Godoy Nicolás Lucero de Godoy, Juan Lucero de Godoy, and Tomás de Albizu. It is Record #13 that provides the once source for the identification of Felipe Montoya as a son of Diego de Montoya

Summary of Records regarding Felipe de Montoya

Record #1: The earliest known record for Felipe Montoya is from the accounting of survivors of the Pueblo Indian uprising made at La Salineta on September 29, 1680. There are two translations made of this list by Charles Wilson Hackett. The first was a partial list of survivors published in January 1913 issue of the Southwest Historical Quarterly Review (Vol. XVI) in a serial piece titled “The Retreat of the Spaniards from New Mexico in 1660, and the Beginnings of El Paso. On page 266, Hackett provided this information: Felipe Montoya, married, passed muster on foot, naked, very poor, with one tired horse and four sons. And he signed it.” Many years later, Hackett published a book title Revolt of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico and provided this slightly different translation: “Felipe Montoya passed muster on foot and naked, being extremely poor. He has one worn-out horse, and four sons. He signed it.” Although the information about Felipe being married is left out of the second translation, the fact that Felipe was listed with “four sons” indicates that he was married before September 1680. Also, the Spanish word “hijos” could also be translated as “children” so that the reference could have been to sons and daughters. In the translation of the full list of survivors, Felipe is listed immediately after Antonio de Montoya, a known son of Diego de Montoya and doña María de Vera, and right before Diego Lucero de Godoy, a Montoya family relative Montoya. This translation is found in Charles Wilson Hackett, Revolt of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico, Vol. I:  140.  I believe a copy of the original source is located at the Center for Southwest Research. The title of the source is: “Auto para nuestra resena de armas cavallos y otras cosas” which begins on folio 45 of “Auttos tocantes al Alsamiento de los Yndios de la Provincia de la Nueba Mexico, Num. 27, de los Paples del Sup.or Gov.no, año de 1681, Segundo quaderno de Num. 6, Pa, remitir a León, Srio Don Pedro Velasquez de la Cadena, Expediente no. 6, 123 fojas. A copy of this record was original preserved as part of the Bancroft Collection of the University of California and may be part of a microfilm of the Bancroft Collection at the Center for Southwest Research or there may be Photostat copies available. 

Record #2: The second known record is from a muster of all the people in the jurisdiction of El Paso del Río del Norte in early September 1681. On September 12, 1681, at San Lorenzo de la Toma, there appeared “Felipe de Montoya” who declared he was married, age 29 (b.ca. 1652), “with his person, an harquebus with a broken spring, a shield, two horses, and nothing more. He has no arms or horses belonging to his Majesty. He declared that he is in good health and is wholly obedient in assisting in the royal service of his Majesty. Here he indicated that he did not know how to sign his name. He is listed after the following members of the Montoya clan (members by blood and marriage): Antonio de Montoya, Nicolás Lucero de Godoy, Juan Lucero de Godoy, and Tomás de Albizu. The translation is found on in Vol II: 59 of Hackett, Revolt of the Pueblo Indians. A copy of the original source is found in a bound set of photostat records at the Center for Southwest Research (gallery level) and labeled New Mexico Archives, expediente 8, folio 3. It is also part of The Spanish Archives of New Mexico (SANM), Series II, no. 8b (Antonio de Otermín, El Paso del Norte, September 1681).

Record #3: This record is also from September-October 1681 and is an accounting of payment made to settlers and soldiers. On September 26, 1681, Felipe Montoya appeared and declared he was a native of New Mexico, married, and was described as having “a good stature, is slender, with an aquiline face, scared by smallpox, a thick beard, and is twenty-nine years of age (b.ca. 1652). He also received a ploughshare, an axe, and four iron hoes. He signed his statement. A translation of this record is found in Hackett, Revolt of the Pueblo Indians, Vol. II: 110-111. Again, he is listed among a group of relatives of the Montoya clan, including Juan de Dios Lucero de Godoy, Diego de Montoya, and Tomás de Albizu. The original source is SANM II, no. 5, New Mexico Re-conquest, El Paso del Norte, September 22-October 16, 1681. In addition to the microfilm copy, there is a Photostat copy in the bound volumes labeled “New Mexico Archives” (expediente 5) at the Center for Southwest Research (upper gallery).

Record #4: The next record is an account of men who accompanied Governor don Antonio de Otermín on an expedition northward from El Paso del Norte. At the Puesto del Ancón de Fray García, November 1681, “Felipe Montoya passed muster with eight gentle horses, an harquebus, sword, leather shield, and lance.” He received 8 pesos in payment. He was not listed among any apparent relatives. A translation of this record is found in Hackett, Revolt of the Pueblo Indians, Vol. II: 200. The original source is SANM II, no.11b, New Mexico, Re-conquest, Ancon de Fray Garcia, November 7-10, 1681. 

Record #5: Felipe Montoya participated in the expedition lead by Maestre de Campo Juan Domínguez de Mendoza between December 1683 and July 1684 into Texas. This is known from an entry made in Domínguez de Mendoza’s journal dated January 20, 1684, at a site christened San Ygnacio along the Pecos River. On that day, Domínguez de Mendoza was given seventeen elkskins that he distributed to men of his expedition that were in need of the skins. Felipe de Montoya received two of the elkskins. Although Montoya is not mentioned again in the journal, he apparently continued with the expedition that travelled from the Pecos River to Concho River and then to the Colorado River in central Texas. This river was christened the Río de las Nueces. Domínguez de Mendoza and his men returned to El Paso del Río del Norte in July 1684. There are seven surviving copies of the Domínguez de Mendoza journal of the expedition. The following transcription is from the Biblioteca Nacional de México, Archivo Franciscano, Fondo 21/443.1, folio 16v: “En veinte dias del dicho mes y año en d[ic]ho// paraje de San Ygnaçio el g[obernad]or Don Juan Sabeata// paraçio ante mi deçiendo que para se armasen// algunas hombre me traia diez ysiete gamuças las// quales trujo y serepartieron a los que mas ne//çesidad tubieron y prometio que se conforme se fuesen// hablandando las demas que faltavan las yrias tra//yendo y se partirian dichas gamuças en las// personas siguentes = el Capitan Hernando Martin Serrano, tres= Nicolas Luzero dos, Mig[ue]l// lujan dos= Melchor de Archuleta dos= Phelipe// Montoia dos= el Capitan Phelipe Romero// Una= el Capitan Ygnacio Vaca otra= a el// Alferez Antono Solis otra= al sargento..” The copy and transcription are found in Brian Imhoff, editor, “The Diary of Juan Domínguez de Mendoza’s Expedition into Texas 91683-1684): A Critical Edition of the Spanish Text with Facsimile Reproductions,” (Texas, 2002).

Record #6: The next record is from a census of residents of the community of Corpus Christi de la Isleta, jurisdiction of El Paso del Río del Norte made on September 11, 1684. The record reads: “Familia de Phelipe Montoya que consta de ocho personas tiene una milpilla que al pareser cojera de sies a ocho fanegas de mais de vestuario muy indesentes el dicho y su esposa y los demas en carnes,” “Family of Felipe Montoya which consists of eight people, he has a small planting filed that yields six to eight fanegas of corn, [and] he and his wife have very indecent clothing and the rest are in rags (torn clothing).” The source is Archivo General de la Nación, Mexico, tomo 37, f. 53v, Visita de los Jacales de los Vecinos, September 1684. A copy and a transcription of the record is available at the Center for Southwest Research in bound volumes on the gallery level.

Record #7: On January 7, 1685, Felipe Montoya and his wife, “Maria Domingues,” were padrinos for an orphan child christened Pascual (Walter V. McLaughlin, Jr., “First Book of Baptisms of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Paso del Norte,” Master’s Thesis, Texas Western College, 1962). This is the earliest known record for the wife of Felipe Montoya. We know that Felipe was married with María de Paredes between at least September 1681 (estimated year of birth of Clemente Montoya, Record #10) and 1692 (estimated year of birth of Antonio Montoya, record #11). Thus, the wife named as María Dominguez was also the same person of María de Paredes. It is this record that indicates that María was a daughter Álvaro de Paredes and doña Damiana Domínguez de Mendoza.

Record #8: The next known reference to Felipe Montoya is from the list of settlers receiving goods in May 1697 at the Villa de Santa Fe. By this date, Felipe Montoya was deceased when there was mention of his orphan children, Clemente and María, who received 12 varas of wool, 2.5 varas of baize, 26 mantas, 18 sheep, 7 goats, 2 cows, and 2 bulls. These orphan children were listed immediately after the family of Diego Montoya and his wife Josefa de Hinojos. There are two versions of this list of settlers, the most accessible is SANM II, no. 65, Repartimiento hecho por Don Diego de Vargas a la vecinidad del Nuevo Mexico de los Generos recibidos asi como del Ganado, May 1, 1697, Santa Fe. A translation of this record is found in John L. Kessell, Rick Hendricks, and Meredith D. Dodge, eds., Blood on the Boulders: The Journals of Don Diego de Vargas, New Mexico, 1694-97, (UNM Press, 1998), Book 2: 1151.

Record #9: The next record is from the year 1699 and is part of the collection of the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. This is also the earliest known reference to María de Paredes as the wife of Felipe Montoya. In January 1699, María Montoya sought to marry Cristóbal Martín, age 22 (b.ca. 1677), a son of Cristóbal Martín and Antonia Moraga, natives of New Mexico. María Montoya (no age of place of birth given) declared she was a daughter of Felipe Montoya and María Paredes, natives of New Mexico. None of the witnesses for the prenuptial investigation or the marriage appear to be relatives of María Montoya. Cristóbal Martín and María Montoya were married on February 24, 1699, Bernalillo, and certified copy of the marriage record is found on the last page of this prenuptial investigation record, which is preserved on microfilm as Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (AASF), Roll 60, DM 1699, January, no. 8, Bernalillo and a summary is found in Fray Angélico Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.,” page 1096.

Record #10: The next record is also a prenuptial investigation. Around September 1701, Clemente Montoya sought to marry Josefa de Herrera. He declared he was 20 years old (b.ca. 1681) “español,” a resident of Bernalillo, and a son of Felipe Montoya and María de Paredes, both deceased. His bride to be was age 24 (b.ca. 1678), a resident Chimayó in the jurisdiction of Santa Cruz de la Cañada, and daughter of Captain Domingo de Herrera, deceased and María Martín. None of the witnesses for the prenuptial investigation appear to be relatives of Clemente Montoya. Clement and Josefa were married September 29, 1701, Santa Cruz de la Cañada. certified copy of the marriage record is found on the last page of this prenuptial investigation record, which is preserved on microfilm as Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (AASF), Roll 60, DM 1701, no. 3,Santa Cruz, and a summary is found in Fray Angélico Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.,” page 1273.

Record #11: In November 1718, in the Villa de Santa Fe, Antonio Montoya, a vecino of Chimayó, declared he was 26 years of age (born circa 1692), and a son of Felipe Montoya and María Paredes, both deceased, when he sought to marry Juana de Medina, age 18 (born circa 1700) a resident of the Villa de Santa Fe and a daughter of Captain Diego de Medina, deceased, and doña María Telles Jirón. Two of the witnesses were native of New Mexico born prior to the Pueblo Indian uprising of August 1689, but do not appear to be relatives,  José Madrid, age 46 (born circa 1672) and Juan Alonso Mondragón, age 40 (born circa 1678). The couple was married in Santa Fe on November 30, 1718, with Domingo Romero and his wife, María Montes Vigil as witnesses. The source for this record is AASF, Roll 61, DM 1718, November 14, no. 20 and a summary appears in Fray Angélico Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.,” page 1276.

Record #12: Felipe de Montoya participated in the expedition lead by Maestre de Campo Juan Domínguez de Mendoza between December 1683 and July 1684 into Texas. This is known from an entry made in Domínguez de Mendoza’s journal dated January 20, 1684, at a site christened San Ygnacio along the Pecos River. On that day, Domínguez de Mendoza was given seventeen elkskins that he distributed to men of his expedition that were in need of the skins. Felipe de Montoya received two of the elkskins. Although Montoya is not mentioned again in the journal, he apparently continued with the expedition that travelled from the Pecos River to Concho River and then to the Colorado River in central Texas. This river was christened the Río de las Nueces. Domínguez de Mendoza and his men returned to El Paso del Río del Norte in July 1684. There are seven surviving copies of the Domínguez de Mendoza journal of the expedition. The following transcription is from the Biblioteca Nacional de México, Archivo Franciscano, Fondo 21/443.1, folio 16v: “En veinte dias del dicho mes y año en d[ic]ho// paraje de San Ygnaçio el g[obernad]or Don Juan Sabeata// paraçio ante mi deçiendo que para se armasen// algunas hombre me traia diez ysiete gamuças las// quales trujo y serepartieron a los que mas ne//çesidad tubieron y prometio que se conforme se fuesen// hablandando las demas que faltavan las yrias tra//yendo y se partirian dichas gamuças en las// personas siguentes = el Capitan Hernando Martin Serrano, tres= Nicolas Luzero dos, Mig[ue]l// lujan dos= Melchor de Archuleta dos= Phelipe// Montoia dos= el Capitan Phelipe Romero// Una= el Capitan Ygnacio Vaca otra= a el// Alferez Antono Solis otra= al sargento.” The copy and transcription are found in Brian Imhoff, editor, The Diary of Juan Domínguez de Mendoza’s Expedition into Texas 91683-1684): A Critical Edition of the Spanish Text with Facsimile Reproductions (Texas, 2002).

Record #13: In 1792, Felipe Montoya was remembered as son of Diego Montoya, the husband of María de Paredes and the father of Clemente Montoya during a prenuptial investigation dated June 1792, Santa Cruz, for the proposed marriage of Salvador Montoya and María Paula González (AASF Roll 65, Diligencias Matrimoniales, frames 281-382: Image 383). It was thought that the couple were related through the Montoya family, but this turned out not to be the case. Fray Ramón Antonio González recorded his findings as follows:

Haviendose concluiudo estas dilig[encia]s, y corrido ya dos Ameonestaciones puso

imp[edimien]to Luis Archuleta Vez[in]o de esta Jurisd[ici]on diciendo q[u]e los contrayentes

se hallavan ser parientes, y npor lo mismo no sepodian Casar, sin saver

en q[u]e grado; y siendome preciso hacer la Ynformacion en conciencia

como es Justo, halle no ser parientes los h[ic]hos por los declaraciones

de hobre biejos, y de sinterejados de ambar partes, y que por que ser

los Padre de la Novia q[u]e dotasen a su hija, se avia puesto el d[ic]ho

impedim[ien]to, y para mayor claridad pongo abajo los Peronas de donde

salieron, estos contrary[en]tes segun he podido averiguar

P[adre]s de Clemente Phelipe Montoya            Antonio Hernando No se save ni quien

                                 María Paredes                                lo pario, ni quien lo egendro

                                 Clem[en]te Montoya          Juliana hija del dicho Hernando

                     Salv[ad]or Montoya contrary[en]te  Candida Dordiva

                                                                                 Paula contrayente

Este es la Declaracion q[u]e dieron varios Testigos ancianos q[u]e conocieron, y

trataron al d[ic]ho Ant[oni]o Hernando, y que no ssupieron tuviesse parentesco

ni Reconociesse tampoco a Phelipe Montoya por su p[adr]e por lo q[u]e averigue

el Parentesco de los Montoyas, y hallo no ser estos montoyas sino desienden

tes de Maria Paredes para el Año despues del Alsam[ien]to Segundo de este

Reino casso Maria Paredes con Phelipe Montoya, hijo de Diego Montoya,

y Clem[en]te ya era nacido, y Ant[oni]o Hernando no lo reconocieron por hijo ni me

nos se apellido Montoya, sino siempre Hernando Martin, y para q[u]e conste

que dan estas dilig[encia]s en este Archivo por lo q[u]e pueda ocurrir, lo q[u]e firme en

Veinte y seis dias de el Mes de Julio de Mil set[iciento]s noventa y dos a[ño]s

                                             Fr[ay] Ramon Antonio Gonz[ale]z [rubric]

                                             M[inist]ro de Cañada

A note in the margin indicates that María Paula González was previously married with Bernardo Vigil, who was said to be a son of Manuel Vigil, but instead, Bernardo was a son of Juan de Archuleta and had been raised in the Vigil family household from which he took the Vigil surname.

Using the citations above, individuals can locate copies of the original records for their family genealogy files. More importantly, the records challenge us to continue researching the available records pertaining to seventeenth-century and early eighteenth-century New Mexico in an attempt to uncover additional records for Felipe Montoya.

Research by José Antonio Esquibel

Narrative by José Antonio Esquibel