Valdez Family of New Mexico: Maternal Genealogy

By Robert D. Martínez

José Ruiz de Valdés, native of Oviedo in Asturias and the son of Francisco Ruis de Valdés and Maria de Casso, married María Hernández de Medina Cabrera of Mexico City, daughter of Alonso Hernández and Josefa de Cabrera. The banns of matrimony were recorded in Mexico City on 16 April 1690.[1]

Hernández – Medina

María Hernández de Medina Cabrera’s parents, Alonso Hernández and Josefa de Cabrera, were married on 6 November 1667 in Mexico City.[2] From this record we learn Alonso was the son of Lucas Hernández and Francisca de Medina. In researching the deeper maternal genealogical roots of New Mexico’s Valdés family in Mexico, the following marriage record was located in the marriage documents for Mexico City[3]:

En 29 de oct<ubr>e <1634>
Lucas Her<nande>z, nat<ura>l desta ciudad, hijo de Gonzalo Gutt<ierre>z y de Petrona Her<nande>z
Con
Francisca de Medina, nat<ura>l desta ciudad, hija de Luis de Medina y de Violante Lopez
29 October 1634
Lucas Hernández, native of this city, son of Gonzalo Gutiérrez and Petrona Hernández
With
Francisca de Medina, native of this city, daughter of Luis de Medina and Violante López

From this record we learn the parents of Lucas Hernández were Gonzalo Gutiérrez and Petrona Hernández. We also learn Francisca Medina’s parents were Luis de Medina and Violante López.

Cabrera-Sánchez

From the same marriage record of 1667, we learn the parents of Josefa de Cabrera were Tomas de Cabrera and Gertrudes Sánchez. The marriage record for Tomas de Cabrera and Gertrudes Sánchez was located at the Santa Veracruz Church in Mexico City[4]:

20 Sep 1646
Tomas de Cabrera, vez<in>o desta d<ic>ha vec<inda>d, hijo de Manuel P<ere>z y de Ynes de Cabrera
Y a
Xetrudes S<anche>z, n<atura>l del Pu<ebl>o de queretaro, hija de Fran<cis>co Lucas y de Maresa P<ere>z
20 September 1646
Tomas de Cabrera, resident of this community, son of Manuel Pérez and Inés de Cabrera
With
Gertrudes Sánchez, native of the town of Querétaro, daughter of Francisco Lucas and Maresa Pérez

This record reveals the parents of Tomas de Cabrera were Manuel Pérez and Inés de Cabrera, and the parents of Gertrudes Sánchez were Francisco Lucas and Maresa Pérez. Gertrudes was a native of Querétaro, Mexico. Some internet sources read the father of Tomas de Cabrera as Manuel Gutiérrez, but from the second marriage record for Inés de Cabrera, the name is clearly Manuel Perez[5]:

2 Marzo 1631
Geronimo de Arellano, vecino desta ciudad, viudo de Maria de Roa, residente al presente en el pueblo de Ascapulcalco
Con
Ines de Cabrera, viuda de Manuel Perez, residente en el dicho pueblo
Testigos: Anton Martin y Hernando de Figueroa
2 March 1631
Gerónimo de Arellano, citizen of this city, widower of María de Roa, presently a resident of the pueblo of Ascapulcaco
With
Inés de Cabrera, widow of Manuel Pérez, resident of the same pueblo
Witnesses: Anton Martín and Hernando de Figueroa
Josefa de Cabrera, wife of Alonzo Hernández whom she married in Mexico City on 6 Nov 1667, was baptized in Mexico City:[6]:
Josepha
En quinse de noviembre de mill y seis Sientos y quarenta y ocho con lisen<ci>a del Cura seminario Baptise a Josepha, hija de Tomas de Cabrera y Gertrud<is> Sanchez Sabaranca; fue su padrino Francisco Estebes
D<o>n D<octor> Christoval Gut<ierre>z de Medina [rubrica]
Antonio de la Vega [rubrica]
Josefa
On the fifteenth day of November of 1648 with license of the weekly priest I baptized Josefa, daughter of Tomas de Cabrera and Gertrudes Sánchez Sabaranca; her godfather was Francisco Estévez
Sir Doctor Cristobal Gutiérrez de Medina
Antonio de la Vega

From Josefa’s baptismal record, we learn another surname of the family, Sabaranca.

The following marriage record at Mexico City gives some clues and information about the Cabrera family[7]:

 

6 Abril 1631

Juan Martin, natural de la Villa de Ayamonte en Castilla, hijo de Anton Martin y de Caterina Gonzalez

Con

Clara Perez de Betancor, natural de dicha ciudad, hija de Geronimo de Orellana y de Ynes de Betancor

Testigos: Cristobal de Medina, Andres Arias, y Luis de Solis

6 April 1631

Juan Martín, native of Villa de Ayamonte in Castile, son of Anton Martín and Catarina González

With

Clara Pérez de Betancur, native of this city, daughter of Gerónimo de Orellana and Inés de Betancur

Witnesses: Cristobal de Medina, Andres Arias and Luis de Solis

 

Anton Martín was a witness to the second marriage of Inés de Cabrera to Gerónimo Arellano/Orellana in March 1631.

One month later, in April 1631, the son of Anton Martín married Clara Pérez de Betancur, daughter of Gerónimo Orellana and Inés de Betancur. It is intriguing that Gerónimo Arellano would marry Inés de Cabrera in March, then be listed a month later as the father of Clara, and the mother being listed as Inés de Betancur, and not Cabrera. Is Clara actually the daughter of Manuel Pérez and Inés de Cabrera Betancur? It seems to be the case, as Clara married only a month after her mother was remarried to Gerónimo de Arellano.

As we will see, Inés de Cabrera also used the surname Betancur.

The following record is the baptismal record for Inés de Cabrera, wife of Manuel Pérez and mother of Tomas de Cabrera:[8]:

Ynes

Y en treinta de abril de seisci<ento>s y seis años bapt<is>e a ynes, hija de Antonio Lopes y de m<ari>a de Cabrera de Beta<n>cor, su mujer fueron sus pa<dri>nos diego perez y dona Anna Perdoma de Beta<n>cor

Lic. Aug<usti>n P<ere>z de r<odrigue>z [rubrica]

Ines

And on 30 April 1606, I baptized Inés, daughter of Antonio López and María de Cabrera de Betancur, his wife. Godparents were Diego Pérez and doña Ana Perdoma de Betancur

Lic. Agustin Pérez de Rodríguez [rubrica]

María, mother of Inés, used the dual surname Cabrera de Bétancor. This confirms Inés’ use of both surnames harkens back to her mother. It follows that Alonso López and María de Cabrera Bétancor are the maternal grandparents of Tomas de Cabrera.

Alonso López and María de Cabrera had four more children baptized in Mexico City[9]:

21 Sep 1599

Maria, hija de Antonio Lopes y de Maria de Cabrera, su mujer

Pad: Francisco Ruis y doña Ynes de Betancor

11 March 1601

Ana, hija de Anton Lopes y de su mujer doña Maria de Cabrera

Pad: Mateo Gorge y Mariana Salacar

4 Sep 1603

Agustina, hija de Antonio Lopez y Maria de Cabrera

Pad: Baltasar Ruis Luis y doña Ines de Betancoso su mujer

8 Jan 1608

Melchora, hija de Antonio Lopez y de Maria Cabrera Betancor, su mujer

Pad: Diego Perez de Alcola y doña Mariana Abanica

From these records we learn Lucas Hernández was the son of Gonzalo Gutiérrez and Petrona Hernández. Francisca de Medina, wife of Lucas Hernández, was the daughter of Luis de Medina and Violante López. We also extend the Cabrera line: Tomas de Cabrera was the son of Manuel Pérez and Inés de Cabrera, and Gertrudes Sánchez was from Querétaro, and the daughter of Francisco Lucas and Maresa Pérez. Inés de Cabrera also used the surname Betancor and was the daughter of Antonio López and Maria de Cabrera Betancor. Also, many of this family’s madrinas, or godmothers, carry the surnames of Betancor and Perdomo as well, which points to roots in the Canary Islands.

María Manuela Medina, daughter of Alonso Hernández and Josefa de Cabrera and sister of María Hernández de Medina, married Miguel José Laso de la Vega at Mexico City on 19 July 1693. Therefore, the above genealogical data also applies to the Vega y Coca maternal line as well.

Notes:

 

Valdes family genealogy; research and writing of Robert D. Martinez

Mascareñas-Acostas Family:Maternal Genealogy