Sergio Gomez Family Nov 2020

The Prenuptial Investigation for the marriage of Francisco Chavez's grandson reveals the pedigree of Francisco de Chavez. Francisco Chavez was the illegitimate son of Tomé Dominguez of Nuevo Mexico but had taken the surname Chavez because he was raised in the household of Pedro Chavez.

Prenuptial Investigation Into the Engagement of Joaquin Garda Villegas and Marla Josefa de Baca. [ Parral, 9 January.14 February 1781, AHAD- 92, f. 115-30.]

Joaquin Garda Villegas, more than 20, a native of Parral jurisdiction, was the legitimate son of Joaquin Garcia Villegas and [illegible]. Maria Josefa de Baca, 15, a citizen of the Parral jurisdiction, was the legitimate daughter of Francisco Baca and Paula Rubí. Fray Jose Francisco de Frías conducted the proceedings at Parral before the notary, Felix Mariano de Bejarano.

3 Witnesses: Melchor Rodriguez, 40, married, citizen of the Parral jurisdiction, had known the couple since they were children. Santiago Munoz, 49, widower, citizen of the Parral jurisdiction.
 Jose Rodriguez, 35, single, citizen of the Parral jurisdiction.


The banns were ordered published. On 27 January 1781 Father Frias noted that the widow Ana de Enriquez, 54, a citizen of the Parral jurisdiction, had heard the second reading and come forward with an impediment based on a relationship in the fourth degree equally of consanguinity. This was because Francisco Javier Chaves, the natural son of Tome Dominguez, used the surname Chaves because he was an orphan raised in the home of Pedro Chaves. Tome was the brother of Francisco Dominguez, great-grandfather of the petitioning couple, which produced the impediment.

As a result of this charge, Frias suspended the third reading of the banns, and the couple was told of the denunciation and called to retestify. They stated that at the time of their first testimony they had been ignorant of any fourth-degree consanguinity relationship equally on a transverse line and of the fact that Francisco Javier Chaves was the natural son of Tome Dominguez. They still wished to marry with the bishop's dispensation. Garda Villegas prepared a lengthy statement identifying Matiana de Chaves as his mother. She was a second cousin of Francisco Baca, Josefa's father.

Witnesses: On 3 February 1781 Bernardo Ronquillo, 60, a married citizen of the Parral jurisdiction said it was public knowledge that Tome Dominguez was the father of Francisco Javier Chaves. Francisco Javier was called Chaves because he had been raised by Pedro Chaves. Ronquillo also knew Esrefanla Dominguez, the daughter of Francisco Dominguez, the brother of Tome. She was the mother of Francisco Baca, father of the intended bride. From this it could be clearly deduced [hat the couple was related.

Francisco Saenz Moreno, 73, of that area, a businessman and widower, repeated the previous testimony and added that Joaquin Garcia de Villegas was a person who applied himself to work and that there was no doubt that his intended wished to marry him and that her parents were poor.

Jose Saenz Moreno, 60, a laborer and citizen of the same jurisdiction, repeated the previous testimony and added that because of the intermarriage of the Dominguez and Baca families and others, there was much suffering in that place, since everyone was related.

Father Frias had a genealogical tree prepared:

Tomé Domínguez(1), father of Tomé Domínguez(2) and Francisco Domínguez Tomé Domínguez(2), father of Francisco Javier Chavez ; Francisco Domínguez, father of Estefanía Domínguez Francisco Javier Chavez, father of Matiana Chavez ; Estefanía Domínguez, mother of Francisco Baca Matiana Chavez, mother of Joaquín García de Villegas ; Francisco Baca, father of María Josefa Baca

On 6 February 1781 Frias forwarded the proceedings to Durango for review. He justified a dispensation based on the high degree of intermarriage in the area. A doctor of canon law, Felipe Marcos de Soto, acting in the place of the ill bishop, received the proceedings. The bishop granted the dispensation on 14 February 1781.

Taken from: New Mexico Prenuptial Investigations From the Archivos Historicos del Arzobispado de Durango, 1760-1799 (pg 64) Rick Hendricks Editor; John B. Colligan Compiler