Parientes

By José Antonio Esquibel

Founders of the Villa de Santa Fe #3:

A bronze statute representation of chirrioneros de los carros, the occupation of Francisco de Madrid, on his trip
to New Mexico in 1603. Statue by Sonny Rivera and Betty Sabo at the Albuquerque Museum. Photo courtesy of
Reynaldo Rivera.

T
he surviving records relating to the take risks and who did not shy away from The caravan traveled from Mexico City
early history of New Mexico offer adventure and danger. Francisco de Madrid, northward on the rutted dirt path of El
very little insight into what the founder of the Madrid and Madril Camino Real through a vast expanse of land.
motivated individuals and families families of New Mexico, was such a person. Well-practiced routines were performed daily
to come to New Mexico between 1598 and Francisco de Madrid was born around as men and beasts traversed dangerous
1608. Certainly, these were people willing to 1593. His place of birth is not known. Given territory to reach security in towns like
the facts that he came to New Mexico as a Zacatecas. The caravan pushed onward
boy of about 10 and was a member of a crew through the small frontier settlements of
SPONSORED BY THE: that worked wagons, he was most likely a Fresnillo, Cuencamé and Santa Bárbara.
native of one of the realms of New Spain. Surviving attacks by various bands of
In 1603, four Franciscan friars and 10 Indians, the group completed its arduous
soldiers left Mexico City with a caravan of journey at the settlement of San Gabriel near
wagons bound for the distant frontier the Pueblo of Oque Owengue, known by the
settlement established in New Mexico by Spaniards as San Juan de los Caballeros.
Juan de Oñate. For unknown reasons, the Francisco de Madrid chose to remain in
young Madrid was enlisted to help with the New Mexico despite grueling challenges and
400th chirriones—strong, well-built, two-wheeled harsh condition that caused others to leave.
Commemorative Committee carts pulled by oxen that formed part of the By 1608 there were only 50 soldiers still
caravan. living in New Mexico, some with families.

46 La Herencia / Spring 2008

Although the Spaniards were on the verge under the leadership of Fray Alonso de
of abandoning New Mexico, the Crown Benavides, who also placed a statue of
made a firm commitment to maintain a Santa María in a chapel of the church.
presence in the region for the purpose of Apparently located in the vicinity of the
evangelization. Orders were issued by church was the convento, with its rooms,
Luis de Velasco, viceroy of New Spain, to Francisco Madril (born 1889) and his wife, Feliz Gutiérrez library, patio and garden.
establish a formal municipality for the (born 1893), were both born in Galisteo, N.M., just south of Francisco de Madrid was married by 1615
small number of remaining Spaniards. Santa Fe. Their families moved to Torrance County, where to a daughter of Capt. Alonso Martín Barba,
These orders were given to the new this couple was married in the town of Manzano in 1911. whose name is not known. She was
governor, Pedro de Peralta y Aloque, who This photograph was taken on their wedding day. Photo deceased by 1626, when records show he
arrived in New Mexico in late 1609. courtesy of Luis Madrid, their grandson. was already married to María de la Vega
In addition to selecting a suitable site Márquez. In this same year he was
for the new villa, provisions were made to described as a captain and a “vecino antiguo
elect municipal councilmen, regidores, original settlers of Santa Fe and apparently de Santa Fe” The designation of antiguo did
who would elect two alcaldes ordinarios (civil received land for his house and fields. He, not refer to his age but rather was a term
magistrates) from among their number, with his children and grandchildren remained as apparently used to distinguish him as
the authority to hear civil and criminal cases residents of the Villa de Santa Fe for the rest someone who lived at the military camp of
in the jurisdiction of the villa. The regidores of the 1600s and were active civic leaders. Santa Fe before its status was elevated to that
also had the authority to elect a notary and, The original Plaza of Santa Fe was twice as of a villa in 1610.
with the governor’s approval, an alguacil long as it is today, stretching eastward to the Despite the constant dangers of attacks by
mayor (high sheriff). The viceroy’s decree modern-day area of Cathedral Park and the various bands of Apache Indians, Francisco
then outlined that the villa would consist of Basilica of Saint Francis. It was most likely on and his family continued to live in the Villa
six districts with a public square where the this eastern side of the Plaza that the original de Santa Fe with about 30 other Spanish
casas reales (royal government buildings) church and Franciscan convento were built by families. In the late 1630s he served on the
would be located, along with other public 1613. Several brief references in early records cabildo (town council) and established a
buildings. According to these orders and in tell us that the church had an altar mayor legacy of civic service for his children and
accordance with Spanish custom, the regidores (main altar) on a raised step, an altarpiece, a grandchildren. In 1639 he was elected as one
would elect those who would succeed them gospel stand, a sacristy and a sagrario. of the two alcaldes ordinarios, a position that
in the following year. The sagrario was a side chapel where would later be held by one of his grandsons.
Velasco also made the provision for the sacraments were administered, in particular This was during the administration of Gov.
regidores to allocate plots of land for houses, those of baptism and matrimony. It was most Luis de Rosas, when the small Spanish
gardens and fields, with irrigation, for likely that the son of Francisco de Madrid population was contentiously divided into at
planting vegetables and vineyards. Those was baptized in this sagrario sometime least two political factions, those who
who received such allotments were legally between 1613 and 1615 and christened with supported the Franciscan friars and those
bound to remain as residents of the villa for the name of his father. This church collapsed who supported the royal governor and civic
10 years. Francisco de Madrid was among the and another was constructed in the late 1620s independence. Francisco de Madrid sided

48 La Herencia / Spring 2008

with the latter faction, as did his son and particular expedition in June 1669 following
namesake in later years. a raid on the Pueblo of Ácoma, in which 12
It is not certain how many children Pueblo Indians were killed, two women
Francisco de Madrid had, by either or both of taken captive and more than 800 head of If You’re a
his wives, due to the loss or destruction of livestock stolen.
the early church records of Santa Fe. At least Between December 1668 and June 1669, the
three individuals appear to be his children:
Francisco de Madrid II, María de Madrid and
Apaches killed six Spanish soldiers and 373
Pueblo Indians and stole more than 2,000
Descendant of
Francisca de Madrid, wife of Juan Varela de horses, mares and mules and more than 2,000
Losada. head of sheep. Gov. Juan de Medrano Messia One of Santa Fe’s
Francisco II, born about 1613 to 1615, was commented that the Apaches kept New
in all likelihood a child by his first wife. As
an adult, Francisco II was identified racially
Mexico “so ravaged and destroyed that it is a
miracle anyone remains.” This was also a Founding Families
as castizo, a term used for a person with one time of great famine in New Mexico, and
Spanish parent and one mestizo/mestiza (part Medrano Messia noted that the Pueblo
Indian and part Spanish) parent. This
indicates that one of his grandparents was an
Indians were “dying of hunger on the roads,
feeding on hides, herbs of the field and
Please send Photos
Indian. vermin, while the Spaniards and other
Francisco II first married Sebastiana Ruiz
de Cáceres, a daughter of Capt. Juan Ruiz de
civilized people sustain themselves only with
little meat and milk.”
and Information to
Cáceres, with family roots in the Canary In response to the Apache raid on the
Islands. Their children were Lorenzo (born Pueblo of Ácoma, Gov. Medrano Messia
about 1633), Juan (born about 1641), Roque
(born about 1644), and apparently Francisco
commissioned Francisco de Madrid II to lead
an expedition consisting of 50 soldiers and
[email protected]
(born about 1638) and Pedro (born sometime 600 Pueblo Indians. In all likelihood one or
between 1630 and 1640). Firm documentation more of his sons participated in this
of parentage is lacking in the case of these expedition. In New Mexico, boys often began
last two. their military careers between ages 11 and 14,
A widower, Francisco II subsequently serving as caretakers of the horses and
married María de Albizu, a native of Santa Fe livestock as they learned military skills and settled in the jurisdiction of Santa Cruz, now
born about 1621 and a daughter of Maestre strategy from their elders. part of the city of Española.
de Campo Tomás de Albizu. Doña María was By 1680, the sons of Francisco de Madrid II Many descendants of the Madrid family
a mestiza with Spanish and Indian were already seasoned and well-respected trace their lineage to Roque de Madrid. Over
antecedents; first husband, Cristóbal soldiers. Lorenzo de Madrid began his time, some of these descendants adopted the
Enríquez, was executed in 1643 for his role in military service in 1652 and held the rank of spelling of Madril, a variation closer to the
the murder of Gov. Rosas. It is not certain sargento mayor in the 1680s and 1690s. He original pronunciation of the surname,
whether Francisco II and Doña María had also served as alcalde ordinario of the cabildo articulating a softer consonant at the end and
any children. of Santa Fe in 1684, 1693, 1694, 1696 and emphasizing the sound of the second vowel.
In 1662, Francisco de Madrid II held the 1703. Descendants of this family eventually spread
military rank of sargento mayor and the post Lorenzo’s brother, Capt. Roque de Madrid, across New Mexico and into southern
of comisario del cabildo, administrator of the became an accomplished and trusted military Colorado.
material goods of the town council. Juan leader who also served as an interpreter of at The next column will feature the history
Luján referred to him as one of the honorable least three Pueblo Indian languages—Tewa, and genealogy of Juan López Olguín and
men in the Villa de Santa Fe. In this same Keres and Towa. His estancia was located less Catalina Villanueva, the progenitors of the
year, Santa Fe was described as a town with than six miles south of Santa Fe near the Holguín family of New Mexico and
30 “casillas de adove” (adobe houses), one of Arroyo de San Marcos and was abandoned as founders of Santa Fe. If you are a direct
which belonged to Francisco II and Doña a result of the Pueblo Indian uprising of descendant of this couple, consider
María. The population of Santa Fe was small August 1680. submitting a family photo of grandparents,
because New Mexico remained a dangerous The various members of the Madrid family great-grandparents and possibly even great-
land. In fact, there were only about a were among the fortunate survivors of the great-grandparents.
hundred Spanish vecinos in the entire Pueblo Indian uprising. Despite the severe
province around that time. hardship and poverty they experienced in
Bands of Apaches frequently attacked exile at El Paso del Norte, these hardy
Pueblo Indian communities as well as the frontier people persevered in their resolve to
estancias of settlers, stealing sheep, cattle and remain close to the land of their birth, with
horses, taking women captive and killing the hope of eventually returning to their
those who stepped in their way. These daring former homes. José Antonio Esquibel has
marauders even raided Santa Fe. Francisco de After the restoration of New Mexico to the roots in northern New Mexico
Madrid II very likely participated in many Spanish Crown in 1692–1693, Lorenzo de and northeastern Mexico.
campaigns to chase Apache raiders in an Madrid and his brothers returned with their He’s the co-author of two
attempt to regain lost livestock and captives. families to live in the Villa de Santa Fe. books on genealogy.
He was appointed as field commander of one Roque de Madrid and his family eventually

Spring 2008 / La Herencia 49