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The Mystery of José Asención Benavides and María Asención Lobato

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Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: San Miguel, Nuevo México, Méxicomap
Surnames/tags: Benavides Lobato Gutierrez
Profile manager: Marcie Ruiz private message [send private message]
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María de la Asención Lobato was born 7 May 1807 to José Angel Lobato and María Gregoria de la Soledad (Archiveque) Ortega.[1] In 1827, she married Juan Pablo Brito[2] and gave birth to a daughter, María Manuela.[3] Note that on her marriage record, she used the name "María de la Sencion Butierrez," or Gutierrez, one of the three surnames her deceased mother used. Pablo Brito died in 1831.[4]

José Asención Benavides was born about 1819 to José Rafael Benavides and Ana María Lovato.[5] In 1834 he had a daughter, María Manuela and possibly a son, Jesus María, about 1835/36, with María Acención Lobato.[6]They were married in 1837.[5][7] Note that on this marriage record María Asención used the name "María Asencion Carrillo y Telles." Telles is María Asención's paternal grandmother's surname and Carrillo was her paternal great-grandmother's surname. Also note that her age on the prenuptial investigation is incorrect. It states that she was 20 when they married but the widow of Juan Brito was 30 years old.[5]

On María Manuela Benavides baptism record, it listed her paternal grandparents as José Rafael Buenavides and Anna María Lovato, and her maternal grandparents as José Lobato and María de los Angeles Cariyo (Carrillo). María Asención's mother's LNAB was María Gregoria de la Soledad Archiveque (Gregoria's mother was Francisca Archiveque) and she also used the surnames Ortega (possibly her father's last name) and Gutierrez (her padrinos' surname). There is no record of her using María de los Angeles but María Gregoria's paternal grandmother was named Juana Carrillo.

In 1839, María Macedona (Macedonia) was born and baptized.[8] Her parents were named as Cencion Venabides and María Gutierrez. Her paternal grandparents were Rafael Venabidez and Ana María Lobato and her maternal grandparents were José Gutierrez and Juana Sabadra. The priest almost always lists whether the child is legitimate or natural but in this case he didn't. It only says "daughter of." This is important because it appears that the mother is not Maria Asención even though Gutierrez is one of her family surnames. However, the maternal grandparents are completely different.

In 1841, José Mateo de Jesus Benavides was born and baptized and he is the legitimate son of Ascencion Benavides and María Butierres.[9] Again, his paternal grandparents are Rafael Benavides and Ana Mariá Lobato but his maternal grandparents are named José Gutierres and Francisca Archiveque. Francisca is a very common name but it still seems too much of a coincidence that she has the same name as María Asención's paternal grandmother.

In 1843, José Geronimo is born and he is the legitimate son of Ascención Benabides and Ascención Telles.[10] María Asención's paternal grandmother's surname was Telles Jiron.[11] It was common for colonial New Mexican women to use their grandmothers' surnames but not common to switch their surname with every child's birth.

The next two children are José Ylario born in 1845[12] and María Secilia born in 1847.[13] Both are the legitimate children of Asencion Benavides and María Lobato (or Lovato). Both records specify that the grandparent's names were not given. Is María Asención now using María Lobato as her name or is this a third woman? The final baptism record is for María Francisca Benavides born in 1849.[14] Her parents are named Asencion Benavides and Anamaria Lobato. This suggests that María Lobato is a different woman, however, José Asencion's mother is also named Ana María Lobato. Did the priest mix up the names?

Next, there is a census record for 1845, the last one taken by Mexico before the United States took over jurisdiction.[15] In the Plaza del Torreon (see Research Notes), this family is listed:

Sencion Venabides, M, age 29, Head
María Lobato, F, age 32, wife
Jesus María Venabides, M, age 12
Macedonia, F, age 9

A few things come to mind:

  1. Jesus María may have been another child with Maria Asención who is missing a baptism record. His age may be incorrect just as Macedonia's is 3 years too old.
  2. It is rare to see a girl with the name Macedonia in colonial New Mexico. Of the 50 women named Macedonia with a Hispanic surname on WikiTree born between 1800 and 1875, the vast majority, 95%, were born in Mexico. New Mexico has four women counting José Asención's daughter and her 2nd cousin, once removed, Macedonia de la Trinidad Benavides. In 1845, her cousin was living in Santa Fé with her parents, Manuel Benavides and María Josefa Blea.
  3. Where are the rest of the children?

A final census record for 1850, this one for the United States. The 1850 and 1860 U.S. Census records for New Mexico are rife with errors, misspellings, entire canyons being overlooked. One major issue is that the U.S. Government sent U.S. Marshals to take the census. Not only did they not know New Mexico custom, many of them didn't even speak or write Spanish. They also appeared to depend on neighbors for information who may or not have been close enough to know the names, sex, and ages of the children. This seems to be the problem with the Benavides family in 1850.

The 1850 Census lists Cencion Venavadis, María Lobato, Francisca (female, 11), Lucía (female, 8), Masidon (male, 8), Candelaria (female, 5), and Cresencia (female, 3). At this time, his known children were Macedonia (female, 11), Ylario (male, 5), Secilia (female, 3), and Francisca (female, 1) according to their baptism records. Also, either Geronimo (male, 9) and/or Mateo (male, 9) may still be alive. They could line up like this:

female, 11 Francisca could be Macedonia
female, 8 Lucía could be Geronimo
male, 8 Masidon could be Mateo
female, 5 Candelaria could be Ylario
female, 3 Cresencia could be Secilia
and Francisca was born but somehow not counted.

Research Notes

  1. San Miguel was a major stop on the Santa Fe Trail. In 1845, it was a booming town with several plazas. In the Census, each plaza is named separately, including Plaza del Torreón.
  2. My next steps on this research project:
    • Research and add the rest of José Asención's children to his profile in the hope of either finding more records or possibly explaining why they aren't on the 1845 Census.
    • Researching José Asención's cousins to see if possibly some of these records belong to a different Asención from his family.
    • Go through the digital death records for San Miguel in the hopes of finding information about any of his "wives."

Sources

  1. "New Mexico Births and Christenings, 1726-1918", digital images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSQB-8B19 : 20 January 2020), Maria de la Asencion Lovato, baptized 9 May 1807 when 2 days old, San Felipe, New Mexico; FHL microfilm 16,999, image 51.
  2. "New Mexico Marriages, 1751-1918," digital images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSQY-B345-5 : 10 February 2018), Juan Pablo Brito and Maria de la Sencion Butierres, 08 Oct 1827; citing Catholic, Galisteo, Santa Fe, New Mexico, reference ; FHL microfilm 16,775, image 105.
  3. "New Mexico Births and Christenings, 1726-1918," digital images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-L9DX-83M5 : 11 February 2018), Maria Manuela Brito, baptized 22 Oct 1827 when two days old, Nuestra Senora de los Angeles, Pecos, New Mexico; FHL microfilm 16,859, image 229.
  4. "New Mexico Deaths and Burials, 1788-1798; 1838-1955", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HWFH-SHPZ : 20 January 2020), Juan Pablo Brito, buried 20 May 1831, husband of María de la Asención Lobato, San Miguel, New Mexico; FHL microfilm #17,002, image 141.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chávez, Angélico. New Mexico Roots Ltd: a demographic perspective from genealogical, historical and geographic data found in the diligencias matrimoniales or pre-nuptial investigations (1678-1869) of the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. PDF image copy, UNM Digital Repository, http://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cswr_reference/5 : 1983, Vol. #2, p. 224; about 1837, José Asencio[n] Benavides, age 18, and María Asencion Carrillo Telles, age 20, widow of Juan Brito.
  6. "New Mexico Births and Christenings, 1726-1918", digital images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 3QSQ-G9DX-H7QJ : 20 January 2020), Maria Manuela Vuenavides, baptized 11 Jan 1834 when four days old, San Miguel del Bado Parish, New Mexico; FHL microfilm #17,001, image 92.
  7. "New Mexico Marriages, 1751-1918," digital images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 3QSQ-G9DX-8FR6 : 10 February 2018), Jose Asencion Venabidez and Maria Asencion Carrillo y Telles, 03 Nov 1837; citing Catholic, San Miguel, San Miguel, New Mexico, reference 2:1R6NNR6; FHL microfilm 17,002, image 49.
  8. "New Mexico Births and Christenings, 1726-1918", digital images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-L9DX-H4NT : 20 January 2020), Maria Macedonia Venabides, baptized 5 Aug 1839, San Miguel del Vado Parish, San Miguel, New Mexico; FHL microfilm #17,001, image 221.
  9. "New Mexico Births and Christenings, 1726-1918", digital images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-L9DX-H431 : 20 January 2020), Jose Mateo de Jesus Benavides, born 7 Oct 1841, baptized 9 Nov 1841, San Miguel del Vado Parish, San Miguel, New Mexico; FHL microfilm #17,001, image 296.
  10. "New Mexico Births and Christenings, 1726-1918", digital images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-99DX-H4MW : 20 January 2020), José Geronimo Benabides, baptized 12 Feb 1843 when 7 months old, San Miguel del Vado Parish, San Miguel, New Mexico; FHL microfilm #17,001, image 332.
  11. "New Mexico Marriages, 1751-1918", database, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSK7-GQZ6-W : 20 January 2020), José Angel Lobato and María Manuela Aragon, 17 Oct 1788, Sandia, New Mexico; FHL microfilm #16,998, image 422.
  12. "New Mexico Births and Christenings, 1726-1918", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FDNL-XL4 : 20 January 2020), Jose Ylario Benavides, baptized 21 Feb 1845 when 19 days old, San Miguel del Vado Parish, San Miguel, New Mexico; FHL microfilm #17,001, image 418.
  13. "New Mexico Births and Christenings, 1726-1918", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FDNL-F4S : 20 January 2020), María Secilia Benavides, baptized 25 Apr 1847 when three days old, San Miguel del Vado Parish, San Miguel, New Mexico; FHL microfilm #17,001, image 612.
  14. "New Mexico Births and Christenings, 1726-1918", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FDN1-P41 : 20 January 2020), Maria Francisca Benavides, baptized 6 Oct 1849 when one day old, San Miguel del Vado Parish, San Miguel, New Mexico; FHL microfilm #17,001, image 684.
  15. Translated and Compiled by Virginia Langham Olmsted, G.R.S., New Mexico Spanish & Mexican Colonial Censuses, 1790 * 1823 * 1845, New Mexico Genealogical Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1975, Revised 2015, p. 276.




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Categories: Family Mysteries