Perea

In March 1707, Francisco García Perea (ONMF: 257 and 383-84), a soldier of the Santa Fe Presidio, submitted his petition to marry María Romero, resident of the Villa de Alburquerque and a daughter of Bartolomé Romero, deceased, and Luisa Varela. The diligencia record for this couple is dated 27 March 1707, Albuquerque. García Perea is the surname used by Francisco. The priest and witnesses referred to him as Francisco García, Francisco Perea, and Francisco de Perea. He gave his age as twenty-eight (born circa 1679) and was a native of el Rio Abajo, but did not name his parents. He and María Romero were married on 5 May 1707.

Francisco's surname of García Perea suggests that he may have been a son of Esteban de Perea and Francisca García (ONMF: 87). However, it has also been suggested by Kessell, Hendricks and Dodge that he was a son of Juana de los Reyes [Perea], a widow who was enumerated in the May 1697 cattle distribution census with these children: Teresa, Francisco and Antonio de Perea. Juana de los Reyes was listed immediately after Francisca García, presumably the widow of Esteban de Perea. The children in Francisca García's household were Felipa, Isabel, and Teresa.

This information could be an indication that Francisco García Perea was a grandson of Esteban de Perea and Francisca García and this is supported by additional information found in the 1692-3 census of families from El Paso willing to resettle New Mexico. Francisca García was enumerated with three daughters: Felipa de Perea, Juana de Perea, and Isabel de Perea. The children of these daughters were identified as Francisco, age twelve (born circa 1680), Antonio, age eight (born 1684), Teresa, age twelve (born 1680) and another girl named Teresa, age four (born 1688).

It appears that the boy Francisco, age twelve, may have been the same Francisco listed in the family of Juana de los Reyes Perea and who was married with María Romero. In 1728, Juana de los Reyes Perea was still living when she conveyed land in Santa Fe.

Matías Perea, son of Francisco Perea and María Romero, was married at Albuquerque on 18 October 1771. A witness to this union was José Eugenio Perea, identified as an older brother of Matías.

José Eugenio was married with Gregoria Gallegos, and according to a document from the Spanish Archives of New Mexico concerning a land dispute, José Eugenio Perea and Gregoria Gallegos were the parents of Mariano Antonio Perea (SANM #697).

Mariano Antonio Perea became the husband of María Loreta de la Luz González. In 1806, Mariano, age fifty-two, was enumerated with his second wife, Margarita de Sena, and had these individuals in his household: María Lugarda, age thirteen, Manuel, age four, Juana Gurulé, age twenty-five, Juan José, age ten, Vicente, age twelve. Listed immediately after Mariano Perea was Baltasar Perea, age twenty-six, with his wife, María Petra Chaves, age twenty-four, and their five children: Pedro Antonio, age seven; José María, age five, María Manuela, age three, and Margarita, age one.

Researchers: Angelo Cervantes and José Antonio Esquibel

Sources: Chavez, "New Mexico Roots:" 1482; Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Roll 60 (Diligencias 1697-1710); 1692-93 census in John Kessell, Rick Hendricks, and Meredith D. Dodge, To the Royal Crown Restored: The Journals of Don Diego de Vargas (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1995), 44; 1697 census in John Kessell, Rick Hendricks, and Meredith D. Dodge, Blood on the Boulders: The Journals of Don Diego de Vargas (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1998), 1143, 1164 n41; Marriages, Albuquerque, San Felipe de Neri Church, 1726-1855 (Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Roll #26); Spanish Archives of New Mexico I: 21 and 697; and SANM Roll 21, frames 580-83 (Census of Bernalillo).

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Francisco de Perea (ONMF: 257, 383-384), apparently the same person who was the son of Francisco García de Perea and María Romero Varela, married Rosalía (also known as Rosa) Torres. In addition to the children listed in Origins of New Mexico Families (Lucas and Isabel), they were the parents of the following progeny:

Antonia Quiteria Perea, baptized 22 January 1735, Albuquerque. Padrinos: Vicente García and Ynés de Gracia. Antonia Quiteria Perea married 29 January 1755, Albuquerque, Antonio Fernández. There is a second marriage record for this couple dated 15 August 1755, without an explanation. It could be that the first marriage was invalid, or one record could be the marriage and one could be the veiling.

Esmerigildo Perea, baptized 17 April 1736, Albuquerque. Padrinos: Tomás Casillas and Antonia García.

Alberto Perea, age thirteen in 1750 (born circa 1737). He may be the person of the same name who married Juana Anaya. Alberto Perea and Juana Anaya had these two sons: Simón de Jesús Perea, baptized 21 February 1773, Albuquerque; and María Angela Perea, baptized 19 July 1775, Albuquerque.

Manuela Perea, age eleven in 1750 (born circa 1739).

Andrés Perea, age eight in 1750 (born circa 1742).

Researcher: Yolanda Romero Chávez

Source: Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Roll 1, Albuquerque, San Felipe Church, Baptisms 1706-1736, and 1743-1776; AASF, Roll 26, Albuquerque, San Felipe Church, Marriages 1726-1855; and Virginia L. Olmsted, compiler, Spanish and Mexican Censuses of New Mexico 1750-1830, Albuquerque: New Mexico Genealogical Society, 1981, 76.

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PEREA—Promising Lead

The origins of the Perea family have been difficult to ascertain. It is curious to note that among the Perea individuals of New Mexico in the latter seventeenth century was a man named Esteban de Perea, a native of Corpus Christi de Ysleta. One possible avenue to explore is that the Perea family took their surname from fray Esteban de Perea. Perhaps an orphaned male in the care of fray Esteban adopted the Perea surname, or perhaps fray Esteban fathered a child.

Fray Esteban de Perea was a native of the Villanueva del Fresno near Jerez de los Caballeros in Extremadura, according to information recorded about his proof of lineage. He had entered the religious order of San Francisco as a boy. Before coming to the Americas he was a “religioso del scalzo” (sic descalzo; barefoot friar) in the province of San Gabriel in Extremadura and went by the name fray Estevan de Villanueva. His parents were Rodrigo Alonso and Inez Núñez, vecinos of the Villa de Villanueva de Fresno, both of them natives of Portugal —his father from Beja and his mother from Semejana in an area known as Alentexo. His paternal grandfather was Roque de Pesaña and he did not know the name of his paternal grandmother because he had entered the religious order as a boy. His maternal grandparents were Estevan Núñez, for whom fray Estevan was named, and Juana Fernández, vecinos and natives of the Villa de Monzaraz “en la raya dePortugal,” three leagues from Villanueva de Fresno. Fray Estevan claimed that his maternal grandparents were of the lineage of the Martinos and that there is a small village located four leagues from the Villa de Monzaraz called Aldea de los Martinos. He named Gaspar Pereira as a paternal uncle. Fray Esteban also had a brother who took the religious name of fray Roque de San Vasilio and was part of the Colegio de San Vasilio in Sevilla.

Researcher: José Antonio Esquibel

Source: Archivo General de la Nación, Inquisición, t. 365, exp. 11, f. 1.