Torres

There are yet no records that identify the names of the parents of Cristóbal Torres (b.ca 1665-1668), husband of Ángela Leiba, the progenitors of the Torres family of 18th-century New Mexico.  Y-DNA research is being conducted to provide insights into the genetic ancestry of Cristóbal Torres as described in the article by Miguel A. Tórrez titled, "Cristóbal de Torres Y-DNA," that was published in the New Mexico Genealogist, Vol. 55, No. 1, Marvh 2016, and is available as a PDF online.

 Cristóbal Torres (ONMF: 294 & 396) was buried at Santa Cruz de la Cañada on December 2, 1726. His age was given as seventy-seven, indicating he was born circa 1649. His wife, Ángela Leiba (ONMF: 54, 294, & 396) was buried four months later at Santa Cruz on 1 April 1729. Her burial record identified her as age seventy (born circa 1657) and as the widow of Cristóbal Torres.

There is yet no documentation that connects Cristóbal Torres with Francisco Gómez de Torres who resided in New Mexico in the 1630s.  A man named Juan de Torres came to New Mexico in the expedition of donJuan de Oñate. He was a native of Mexico City and a son of Baltasar de Torres, but Juan de Torres did not remain in New Mexico. There are no accounts of him in New Mexico any records after 1600.

 Information on the Internet that gives the names of Cristóbal Torres and Juana Francisca Benavides is erroneous.

A couple named Cristóbal Torres and Juana Benavides were enumerated in the 1750 census of Belen with two children, Ana María and Alexo (Olmsted, “Spanish and Mexican Censuses of New Mexico, 1750-1830, page 95). By all appearances, this Cristobal Torres was a son of Diego de Torres and a grandson of Cristóbal Torres and Angela Leyva. In fact, the household of Cristóbal Torres and Juana Benavides was listed just after that of Diego Torres and his third wife, Rafaela Baca.

Also, Juana Benavides belongs to the Benavides family that came to New Mexico in 1693, so she could not have been the mother of Cristóbal de Torres (b.ca. 1665-1668), husband of Angela Leyva.

Alexo/Alejo Torres, son of Cristóbal Torres and Juana Benavides, gave his age as 34 in 1778, indicating he was born circa 1744. He was first married with Leonarda Jaramillo and then sought to marry Josefa Serna (Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.,” page 1897). Cristóbal Torres and Juana Benavides were probably married in the 1740s.

So, the question before us is, “How did the names of Cristobal Torres and Juana Benavides, who lived in the 1700s, get associated with Cristobal de Torres who was born circa 1665-1668?”

Well, there is a prenuptial investigation dated October 10, 1701, Bernalillo for Mateo de Torres, age 23 (b.ca.1678), who declared he was a son of Cristóbal de Torres and Juana Maria Francisca (no surname given); see Chávez, “New Mexico Roots, Ltd.,” page 1894. Mateo’s intended bride was Isabel González, age 19 and a daughter of Hernando Martín and Nicolasa Apolonia (no surname given). There is a chance that the women listed without surnames were Indians, or coyotas, or mulatas.

Someone entered information into their genealogy database that combined the names and families of two separate couples that lived in two different centuries. That person combined Cristobal de Torres and Juana Maria Francisca (no surname known) with Cristóbal Torres and Juana Benavides. However, these are two separate couples.


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One important branch of the Torres family of northern New Mexico was founded by Manuel Torres of Las Trampas, born circa 1773, who was identified as the natural son of Pasquala Martín when he sought to marry María de las Nieves Valdés, a native of El Pueblo Quemado (modern-day Córdova) and a daughter of Francisco Valdés y Bustos and Diega Tafoya.

By all appearances, Manuel's natural mother, Pasquala Martín, is the same individual of this name who had been married to Joaquín Torres. If so, Pasquala apparently had a son out of wedlock whom she reared as a Torres. On 29 May 1794, Manuel Torres submitted his request to marry María de las Nieves Valdés to church authorities as part of the customary pre-nuptial investigation process. He declared he was twenty-one years of age and the natural son of Pasquala Martín, a widow.

In March 1795, María de las Nieves gave birth to the couple’s first born son who was baptized at the mission church of San Lorenzo de Picurís on 25 March and christened José Antonio de la Encarnación Torres. Almost eighteen months later, the second son of this couple was born at Santa Bárbara and baptized at Picurís on 5 November 1796 and named Manuel de los Santos Torres. This child died less than eight weeks later and was buried at San José en el Río de Las Trampas on 26 December 1796. Immediately following this burial record was that of the child's father, Manuel Torres, deceased at age twenty-three, and who died without having received the sacraments.

Genealogy:

Known children:

3.1 José Antonio de la Encarnación Torres, baptized 25 March 1795, Picurís. This individual was married three times:

Married (1) 13 June 1817, Picurís, José Antonio Torres, español, single, legitimate son of Manuel Torres, deceased, and María Valdés, residents of Santa Bárbara, with María de la Luz Mestas, española, single, legitimate daughter of Ygnacio Mestas, deceased, and Juana Torres, residents of Santa Bárbara. Married and veiled, no impediments to the marriage. Known son:

4.1 Diego Torres, born circa 1825 [1850 census)

Taos County, sh. 181]; married María Dolores Medina, daughter of Antonio Medina and María Ygnacia Espinosa. Known children:

5.1 Juan Cristóbal Torres, baptized 25 November 1842, Picurís. (Grandparents are named in this record).

5.2 María Altagracia Torres, baptized 15 February 1845, Picurís.

5.3 María Luisa Torres, baptized 24 January 1847, Picurís.

5.3 José Candelaria Torres, baptized 12 February 1849, Picurís.

5.4 María Benigna Torres, baptized 16 March 1851, Picurís.

5.6 María de las Nieves Torres, baptized 2 February 1853, Picurís.

5.7 María Eustaquia Torres, born circa 1857.

5.8 Manuel Torres, born circa 1859.

5.9 María Francisca Torres, baptized 14 October 1860, Picurís.

5.10 José Marcelo Torres, baptized 16 January 1862, Picurís.

 

Married (2) María de Gracia Lobato, died 1852, daughter of Miguel Lobato and María Alberta González. Known children:

4.2 María Albina Torres, baptized 2 April 1827, Picurís.

4.3 María Dolores Torres, baptized 8 October 1829, Picurís.

4.4 María Encarnación Torres, baptized 1 May 1831, Picurís.

4.5 Antonio Domingo Torres, baptized 17 November

1836 (born 12 November), Picurís - died 9 March 1917, Maes Ranch (near Las Vegas); married María Manuela Casillas. With issue and descendancy.

4.6 Juana María Torres, baptized 4 November 1841, Picurís.

4.7 José de Jesús Torres, born circa 1838.

4.8 Pedro José Torres, baptized 29 June 1844, Picurís.

4.9 Juana Torres, born circa 1845 (probably the same individual as 4.6 rather than a separate child).

4.10 María Manuela Torres, baptized 26 September 1846, Picurís.

4.11 Juan de Jesús Torres, baptized 31 March 1849, Picurís.

 

Married. (3) Juana María Espinosa. On 1 February 1860, José Antonio Torres gave a gift of land in Taos County to Juana María Espinosa, his wife of six years. No known issue. 

3.2 Manuel de los Santos Torres, baptized 5 November 1796, Picurís; buried 26 December 1796, San José de las Trampas (Picurís).

Researcher: José Antonio Esquibel; and Benceslado López, Jr. (additional children of Diego Torres and María Dolores Torres and of José Antonio Torres and María Altagracia Lovato)

Sources: Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (AASF), Roll # 39, Santa Cruz: Burials 1726 - 1859; AASF Roll #28, Picurís: Marriages 1726 - 1837; AASF Roll #6 & 7, Picurís: Baptisms 1750 - 1834 & 1835 - 1867; AASF Roll #36, Picurís: Burials 1727 - 1840; AASF, DM 1794, May 29 (no, 21), Santa Cruz; 1850 Federal Census, Taos County, sh. 181 & 194; 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Taos County, p. 295; Taos County Probate B-2, 1851-1861 (20 January 1852) and B-3, p. 20.