Close Relations on my Family Tree

Sometimes, I forget how few families arrived in Socorro in its early years. According to a letter sent in 1817 to the Governor of New Mexico by Javier Garcia and Anselmo Tafoya, there were 70 families that settled the Socorro area in 1815 or 1816. Although a few other families arrived a few years later, including the Santiago Torres family, there were still not many families around. And many of these families were already related either by blood or by marriage.

In my presentation to the Historical Society of New Mexico Conference this may, I indicated that my fourth great-grandmother Maria Guadalupe Torres married two men who were distant cousins. Guadalupe’s 1st husband Francisco Antonio Garcia Jurado was the half 2nd cousin, once removed of her 2nd husband Pedro Antonio Baca. These two cousins were related through Ramon Garcia Jurado, separately through his two wives.

Francisco Antonio Garcia Jurado is my fourth great-grandfather. Pedro Antonio Baca is not my ancestor.

What I had not realized, though, until I read a blog post written by my cousin Maurine Pool, was that Guadalupe’s brother Anastacio Torres married the niece of Guadalupe’s 1st husband Francisco Antonio Garcia Jurado. It wasn’t that I didn’t have that information in my database - after all Francisco Antonio’s niece was my 3rd great-grandmother - but I did not make the connection until I read the blog post.

As I said, many of these families were closely related either by blood or by marriage. No wonder I have so many instances of pedigree collapse in my ancestry.

Sources:

Robert J. C. Baca, “The Torres, Garcia and Baca Families and the Defense of the Socorro Land Grant”, unpublished paper presented at the 2012 Historical Society of New Mexico Annual Conference, May 5, 2012.

Maurine Pool, “Crespin’s Line”, Torres Family Genealogy and History Blog, , retrieved May 28, 2012.

June 16, 2012 NMGS Program

Botts Hall

Albuquerque Special Collection Library

423 Central NE

Albuquerque, NM

(On the corner of Central and Edith)

 Saturday, June 16, 2012

10:30 AM – Noon

The Albuquerque Special Collections Library

and

The New Mexico Genealogical Society

Present

Richard Garcia

“Grandma, Where Do We Come From?” 

Isleta Pueblo Diversity

Isleta Pueblo, from its early contact with other pueblo and non-pueblo tribes, to its first contact with the Spanish, has experienced infusions into the tribal homeland from the Hopi, Acoma, and Laguna Pueblos etc.  These infusions have all contributed to the genetic makeup resulting in an interesting amalgamation that has strengthened the cultural identity and traditional values still present today among the Isleta people.  In addition, Isleta peoples reach out spatially across the Manzanos, south to Ysleta del Sur and the surrounding area thus, further adding to the diversity of the group.

Richard Garcia is an independent genealogical and historical researcher with special interest in the Pueblo Indians and specifically Isleta Pueblo.  He has given many presentations locally and has assisted with archaeological investigations in the Pueblo of Isleta.  His knowledge of the migrations and genealogy of Isleta is without equal and he is always willing to share this knowledge with everyone. 

For more information about our programs, check out the New Mexico Genealogical Society’s website at www.nmgs.org.

This program is free and open to the public

New book "So That It May be Validated"

HIGH NOON ARMIJO - Family History Archives: Andrés Armijo announces the premiere of his latest work titled:   "So that it may be validated:  Family History in the Río Abajo". To read more about the book - check out this link.

My presentation at the 2011 HSNM Conference

I just found my presentation about Luis Maria Baca at the 2011 Historical Society of New Mexico Conference. It is on the Los Alamos Public Access TV website. Click on this link. Scroll down to the bottom, and find the heading "NM Historical Society 2011 Conference". Click on "Baca".

Or click on the link below:

Robert Baca's presentation at the 2011 Historical Society of NM Conference