Rael

There is a branch of the Rael family of New Mexico that was founded by a man named Pedro Marcial Rael who was married with Ysabel Cedillo. This man was a natural son of Alonso II Rael de Aguilar. This Alonso Rael de Aguilar was first married with Tomasa Montoya and then with Melchora de Sandoval.

Pedro Marcial Rael may be the same person as Pedro Marcial López, a resident of Alameda, who was married with Ysabel Cedillo on 8 October 1730, Albuquerque (ONMF: 208).

In a deposition dated 15 July 1750, Santa Fe, regarding the lawsuit filed by the legitimate children and heirs of Alonso Rael de Aguilar and Tomasa Montoya against their step-mother, Melchora de Sandoval, Pedro Marcial Rael declared he was forty-two years old (born circa 1708), a soldier of the Santa Fe Presidio. In one statement he declared that his father had left twenty pesos in silver to his second wife, Melchora de Sandoval. Another statement reads “the witness [Pedro Marcial Rael] declared that the property of his deceased father, Alonso Rael de Aguilar…"

In refuting the deposition of several witnesses, Julián Rael de Aguilar, a legitimate son of Alonso Rael de Aguilar and Tomasa Montoya recorded these two statements: "Regarding the second witness Pedro Marcial Rael, he has always been hateful to me in such manner……" and “as a natural son of Alonso Rael, he is the enemy of us who are legitimate children…"

The 1750 census of Santa Fe has this listing: "Marcial Rael; Ysabel; María; Manuel Paulín; three children" (Olmsted, SMCNM, 10).

Pedro Marcial's full name is given in a prenuptial investigation record for Lázaro Bartolo Rael, born circa 1745, son of Pedro Marcial Rael and Ysabel Cedillo (Chávez, NMR, 1526, DM 1764, April 25, no. 5, Tomé). Lázaro Bartolo Rael was seeking to marry Juana Paula Vallejo, born circa 1746, a daughter of Bernardo Vallejo and Francisca Silva.

Another son of Pedro Marcial Rael and Ysabel Sedillo was Manuel Paulín Rael who married Juana Catarina Ángel on 5 November 1753, Santa Fe, with Estevan Rodríguez (the son of the famed town crier of Santa Fe and military drummer of Governor Vargas, Sebastián Rodríguez) and Manuel Ortiz as witnesses. The marriage record for this couple does not name their parents. Both were identified as españoles. Four years later, Manuel Paulín Rael enlisted as a soldier of the Santa Fe Presidio in the place of his father on 1 April 1757. The military enlistment papers for Manuel Paulín identify his parents as Pedro Rael and Ysavel Cedillo. Manuel Paulín was twenty-two years of age (born about 1735 according to this record), 5' 3" tall, with reddish hair and eyebrows, heavy beard, blue eyes, and fair skin. He used a mark to sign his papers, rather than a signature. He was discharged from military service on 1 July 1779 (Olmsted, Spanish Military Enlistment, 53; SANM Roll 21, fr. 755).

Paulín Rael and Juana Catarina Ángel had twelve children who were baptized in the Church of San Francisco de Asis in Santa Fe between May 1755 and February 1783. Among their compadres were José Rael and Juliana Antonia Rodríguez (see baptism 1 September 1765, Santa Fe). Paulin's full name was given as Manuel Paulín Rael when he and Juana Catarina Ángel were the godparents for an orphan infant that was baptized in Santa Fe on 12 February 1764.

The 1790 census of Santa Fe provides some valuable information on Paulín Rael and Juana Catarina Ángel. He was described as being español, age sixty-one, indicating he was born about 1729. He gave his occupation as farmer. His wife, Juana Catarina, was described as being "color quebrado," broken color, indicating she probably had brown color skin as opposed to fair skin, and quite likely had some African or mulato lineage. Her age was listed as fifty-seven, indicating she was born about 1733. At the time of this census this couple had three sons, one daughter and one niece living in their household (Olmsted, NMSMCC, 69).

Pedro Marcial Rael (also known as Pedro Marcial López, a natural son of Alonso Rael de Aguilar died 10 April 1735, Santa Fe (ONMF: 263).

Researcher: José Antonio Esquibel, Alfonso Sánchez, Antoinette Durán Silva

Sources: Spanish Archives of New Mexico, Series I, no. 31; Fray Angélico Chávez, "New Mexico Roots Ltd.," 1526, DM 1764, April 25 (no. 5) Tomé; Virginia L. Olmsted, Virginia L. Olmsted, Spanish and Mexican Censuses of New Mexico 1750-1830, New Mexico Genealogical Society, Albuquerque, p. 10; Virginia L. Olmsted, New Mexico Spanish and Mexican Colonial Censuses, 1790, 1823, 1845, New Mexico Genealogical Society, Albuquerque, p. 69; Virginia L. Olmsted, 'Spanish Enlistment Papers of New Mexico 1732-1820," National genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 68, No. 1, March 1980, p. 53; Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (AASF), Roll #15, Santa Fe Baptisms; AASF, Roll #31, Santa Fe Marriages.