Research by Lucas Markey, Richard Lucero Aragon, and José Antonio Esquibel
Narrative by José Antonio Esquibel
According to Fray Angélico Chávez, Juan Simón Santillan and Bárbara Manuela Garicochea resided in the jurisdiction of Isleta from as early as 1744 (Chávez, Origins of New Mexico Families, 284). This couple was enumerated in the 1750 census of as household #7:
#7 Simon Santillanes, español, 70, master weaver, his wife, Bárbara Ariachua [Aricochea], 60, with 4 children: Juan Francisco Loreto, age 16; María, age 11; Juan José, age 6; adopted daughter, not named, age 5; and María, Indian servant, age 12.
Fray Angelico did not have any information on the origin of this couple. Their surnames were not among the surnames of any families that arrived in New Mexico during the period of 1693-1695 when numerous families arrived as settler following the restoration of New Mexico to the Spanish crown under the leadership of Governor don Diego de Vargas.
There is a marriage record dated May 7, 1728, San Bartolomé, Nueva Vizcaya, for Simón Juan Antonio de Santillán, native of Toluca, resident of the Valle de San Bartolomé, and a of Lorenzo de Santillán and María de Barela [Varela], both deceased, and Bárbara de Loera, parents unknown and who was widow of Cristóbal de Echavarría (Chihuahua, Valle de Allende, San Bartolomé, Matrimonios, 1693-1729; extracted by Lucas Markey). The witnesses to this union were Inocencio de Mendoza and Juan de Vergara and the padrinos were José Méndez and Luisa de la Cruz, vecinos of the jurisdiction of San Bartolomé.
Bárbara de Loera was also known as Bárbara Manuela de Guycochea (Goicochea), which was the name recorded in the book of marriages of the San Bartolomé when she married Cristóbal de Chabarría [Echavarría]. The marriage record dated July 25, 1714, identified Cristóbal as a mestizo and a son of Gaspar de los Reyes, deceased, and Juana García. Bárbara Manuela was identified as a native of the Real de Santa Bárbara and a natural daughter of Juan Antonio de Guycochea (Goicochea) and Lorenza de Carrascosa (Chihuahua, Valle de Allende, San Bartolomé, Matrimonios, 1693-1729; extracted by Luca Markey). The witnesses to the union were Pedro Ponce, Juan de Torres, and Domingo del Hierro. The padrinos were Melchor Fernandez and Ana (surname illegible).
The burial record of Cristóbal de Chavarría, dated June 19, 1727, San Bartolomé, identified him as a soldier from Sinoloa who was a mestizo and married with Bárbara (no surname recorded), a mestiza (Chihuahua, Valle de Allende, San Bartolomé, Bautismos 1769-1799 y Entierros,1727; extracted by Lucan MarkeyO. If Bárbara Manuela Goicochea, aka Bárbara de Loera, was a mestiza, then either both her parents were mestizos or her father was español and her mother was an Indian.
Goicochea is a distinct Basque surname. Curiously, there an account of a man named Martín de Goicochea who was a scribe (escribano) in the jurisdiction of San José del Parral. There is an archive of his public records from the Real de San Diego in the area of Parral consisting of 9 fojas preserved in the Archivo Histórico de Hidalgo del Parral (Notarias protocolos, Protocolos, Real de San Dieg. 2 de julio de 1645, Registro de escritas públicas ante Martía de Goicochea). Could Martín de Goicochea be a grandfather of Bárbara Manuela de Goicochea?
Martín de Goicochea married María de Barrios and they had a daughter named María who was baptized at San José del Parral on October 12, 1636.
Additional research of the church and archival records for San José del parral and the Valle de San Bartolomé may in cover records related to the genealogies of the Goicochea and Carrascosa families. Research of records related the City of Toluca may turn up additional information on the Santillán-Barela family.
According to Fray Angélico Chávez (ONMF, 284), Juan Simón de Santillanes and Bárbara Manuela Garcicochea [Goicochea] were the parents of two sons, as seen in the 1750 census of Albuerquerque:
1. Juan Francisco Loreto Santillanes, married January 2, 1755, María Catalina Aragón. They were the parents of at least one child:
Miguel Nicolás Santillanes, bt. September 10, 1759, Alburquerque.
2. Juan José Santillanes, bt. April 10, 1744, Alburquerque. He married May 2, 1765, Alburquerque, María Juliana González Bas, daughter of Juan González and Manuela Baca and they were parents
Juan Miguel Santillanes, español of Los Corrales, who married September 29, 1785, Alburquerque, Juana María Aragón, española, daughter of Juan Cirilio Aragón and Rosa Varela (Archives of Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Roll 66, DM 1785. September 11, no. 9, Albuquerque; and Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.,” page 1779). Miguel and María were related in the 3rd with 4th degree consanguinity.
María Micaela Santillanes, married January 26, 1785, Sandía, José de la Encarnación Montaño, son of Pedro Montaño and Paula Gallegos.
Miguel Guadalipe Santillanes, bt. December 17, 1772, Albuquerque.
Miguel Nicolás Santillanes, bt. September 13, 1775, Alburquuerque.
Miguel Antonio de Jesús Santillanes, bt. May 10, 1778, Sandía.
Miguel Venansio Santillanes, b. July 27, 1769, Alburquerque.
Micaela Casilda de los Dolores Santillanes, bt. April 14, 1782, Sandía.
Bárbara Micaela Santillanes, bt. Juna 24, 1784, Sandía.
The 1790 census of San Carlos de la Alameda in the jurisdiction of Alburquerque lists Juan Miguel Santillanes, español, age 22, and Juana María Aragón, age 22, as household #3 with two sons, ages 4 and 2 (Virginia Langham Olmsted, G.R.S., New Mexico Spanish & Mexican Colonial Censuses, 1790, 1823, 1845, Albuquerque: New Mexico Genealogical Society, 1975, 127, citing Spanish Archive of New Mexico, Reel no. 12 frame 501). The occupation if Miguel Santillanes was recorded as sheepherder.
The second Santillanes household enumerated in the 1790 census as residents of Alameda was that of Miguel Facundo Santillanes, español, age 32, farmer, his wife, Vitoria González, Española, age 31, with one son, age 1, listed as household number 8. Miguel Facunda have been another son of Juan José Santillanes. Miguel Facundo and Bárbara Victoria González were residents of Corrales when they were married October 14, 1782, Sandía. The names of their parents were not recorded, but one of the witnesses was Juan José Santillanes.
In fact, listed just two households after that of Miguel Facundo in the 1790 census was the following entry for Juan José Santillanes and his second wife:
#10 Juan José Santillanes, español, age 50, weaver, his wife, Gertrudis Tafoya, espeñola, age 20, with six sons, ages 18, 14, 12, twins aged 5, and 2, and one daughter, age 1.
It was in the previous year that Juan José Santillanes, a widower, married September 6, 1789, Alburquerque, María Gertruds Mirabal.
It is worthwhile to note that Juan José followed in his footsteps as a weaver, an indication that he learned the trade from his father, Simón Santillanes.
In September 1799, Juan José Santillanes, a resident of Los Corrales, gave his age as 59 when he was a witness in the prenuptial investigation for Juan Cristóbal Romero an María Perfecta Martínez (AASF, Roll 66, DM 1799, September 29, no. 17, Alburquerque; and Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.,” page 1590). In 1802, he was again accounted for as a resident of the Puesto de Jesús María y José de las Corrales with his then wife, María Gertrudis Tafoya ,when they were enumerated as members of the Alburquerque Cofradía (Confraternity) de las Benditas Animas del Purgatorio (Virginia Langham Olmsted, C.G., Spanish and Mexican Censuses of New Mexico 1750 to 1830, Albuquerque: New Mexico, 1981, page 132, citing AASF, Loose Documents, 1802, no. 2).
Several years later, in 1805, Juan José Santillanes, age 65 and a citizen of Alburquerque, was a witness in the prenuptial investigation of José Antonio Gutiérrez and María Bárbara Lucero who declared that he knew that María Bárbara was a poor orphan who was seeking protection in the marriage with José Antonio (Archivo Histórico del Arzobispado de Durango, 361, folios 564-69, Albuquerque, 16 September-4 December 1805, summarized in Rick Hendricks, editor, John B. Colligan compiler, New Mexico Prenuptial Investigations From the Archivos Históricos del Arzobispado de Durango, 1800-1893, Las Cruces: Rio Grande Historical Collections, New Mexico State University Library, 2000, page 45).
Researchers: Lucas Markley, Richard Lucero Aragon, and José Antonio Esquibel
Narrative by José Antonio Esquibel