Note taken from familysearch.org by Zulema Trejo & José Marcos Medina
at https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/35503030
"I have gleaned fragments of their story. I believe Isabel was baptized
1613 in Albacete, Spain in the church of San Juan Bautista. (When
referencing online where the Spanish colonist of Parra Chihuahua
mainly came from in Spain I found reference to Andalusia which fits
with Isabel’s origins.) I don’t know why Isabel came to be in the Valley
of Allende, Chihuahua but she shows up here in the church records
having married Simon Cordero and have three or more children with
him beginning in 1636, again verified with baptismal church records.
Isabel would been 23 at the baptism of her first child. Simon Cordero
was named as one of the original settlers of this area. Simon is also
references as ‘tutor’ to Pedro Ronquillo de Amaya for a position of
Encomendero de San Bartolomé for the Conchos Indian people. This
title and practice of ‘encomendar’ is explained in the below critique.
“Another type of forced labour was the encomienda system by which
certain Spaniards had the obligation of christianizing a native group
and in return the indigenous people had to give tribute.” Simon dies
and Isabel and Pedro marry in 1650. They have three children,
Pedro, Andrea and Angela. Her second child, Pedro Ronquillo de
Amaya Benitez is our ancestor. Isabel was 37 at this point. Pedro dies
either from a fall or in the fall of 1654 and leaves much debt. (Here is
a part of the story that is a mystery. Why if Pedro inherits Simon’s
wealth of land and animals, which was substancial, does he die in
debt?) After his death two men come forward and claim the whole lot.
Isabel enters into a civil suit to get back her property, property she
brought from Simon into the marriage with Pedro."
Marriage