Tom McCabe's Genealogy 2025

This information can be found on several sites on the Internet. I don't know its origins, but this copy was found on NewMexicoBustamenteFamily.blogspot.com:

"On March 2, 1635, in the Real y Minas del Pueblo de San Juan del Río, Nueva Vizcaya, General Cristóbal de Ontiveros, the executor of the estate of his deceased father-in-law, Captain Pedro Sánchez de Cháves (aka Sáez de Cháves) appeared before the Alcalde Mayor y Capitán a Guerra Captain don Francisco de Simancas, jointly represented by his wife, doña María Sáez, and by Captain Gerónimo de los Reyes, the representative of Captain Diego de Ontiversos, husband of doña Ana Sáez. This last couple was described as vecinos of the Valle de San Juan. General Cristóbal de Ontiveros provided an account of the settlement of the estate of Pedro Sánchez de Cháves, identifying doña María Sáez and doña Ana Sáez as sisters and legitimate daughters of Captain Pedro Sánchez de Cháves, a vecino of the "provincia de Santa Barabara," located in the Valle de San Bartolomé. (AHP, Roll 1641A, frs. 629-635). Ontiveros then named the children and heirs of Captain Pedro Sánchez de Cháves as doña Ana Sáes, doña Ana Sáez, Antonio Sáez, and Ambrosio Sáez.

According to information provided by General Ontiveros, Pedro Sánchez de Cháves had some property valued at 9,644 pesos (approximately $290,000), which consisted of a hacienda in the Valle de San Gregorio with land for livestock (cattle, sheep and goats), a "molino de pan" (a bread mill), and operations for extracting silver. Pedro Sánchez de Cháves also owned agricultural land and land for raising sheep and goats (ganado menor) that was known as Santa María, situated in the Valle de San Gregorio. In the settlement of estate, Antonio Sáez received over 3,000 pesos (approximately $90,000 in modern monetary terms) in accordance with his father's last will and testament in the form of 1,000 pesos, and two African slaves and the property of Santa María in the Valle de San Gregorio. Captain Diego de Ontiveros and Ana Sáez received 1,500 pesos. Captain Gerónimo de los Reyes, for his "solicitud de suerte," received 1,400 pesos. The total amount for Ambrosio Saez is not stated but the remaining amount owed to him was 2,594 pesos. An attached document from Captain Diego de Ontiveros and his wife doña Ana Sáez mentions her parents as Pedro Sánchez de Chávez and María Rodríguez.

There is a document from 1633 in which María Rodríguez referred to herself as "muger legitima que fue de Pedro Saez de Chaves, difunto" ("legitimate wife of Pedro Sáez de Cháves, deceased") [AHP, Roll 1633A, fr. 634]. She referenced the last will and testament of her husband, indicating he was dead by 1633. She again referred to her husband as "Pedro Saez," rather than Pedro Sánchez, indicating that the Sáez family name came from his side of the family.

Additional documentation indicates that the Ambrosio Sáez mentioned as a son of Pedro Sánchez (Sáez) de Cháves (deceased by 1633) was not the same person named as Ambrosio Sáez (b.ca. 1636-40) who settled in New Mexico, but this second Ambrosio Sáez was very likely a close relative being either a son or nephew of the elder Ambrosio Sáez.

In 1632, the elder Amborsio Sáez identified himself as a vecino and minero of the new discovery of San José de Parral, and referred to ten varas of a mine that he owned in the cerro (hill) of San José de Parral (AHP, Roll 1632, fr. 149-150). He signed the document, indicating he was literate. On September 12, 1635, Ambrosio Sáez gave official power of attorney to Damián de Ávila, a resident of San José del Parral, stating he was a "vecino y minero y labrador del Valle de san Bartolomé, provincia de Santa Barbara de la Na Vizcaya (AHP, Roll 1635, fr. 460). Ambrosio signed this document as well. Eleven years later on July 4, 1646, at San José del Parral, Ambrosio Sáez identified himself as a vecino y labrador del Valle de San Bartolomé when he registered a mine "que esta de quarenta leguas deste Real camino carril de carros del Nuevo Mexico azia el oriente y pasando el ultimo bando del Rio de Sacramento." He titled his mine "la mina de Sacramento." In this claim he mentioned the name of a son, Juan Sáez, and he mentioned a brother, "Capitán Antonio Saes, mi hermano." (1645B, fr. 556-557).

A few days latter, Captain Ambrosio Sáez, "vecino y labrador en el Valle de San Bartolomé," wrote a letter dated July 7, 1646. He declared he was the careteaker of the belongings of General Cristóbal de Ontiveros, apparently deceased at the time. He mentioned the widow of Ontiveros was doña María Sáez, who we know was his sister from other documents. (1645B, fr. 553). "

Researchers: Robert D. Martínez and José Antonio Esquibel

Sources: El Archivo de Hidalgo del Parral (AHP), Roll 1632, frs. 149-150, Roll 1633A, fr. 634, Roll 1635, fr. 460, Roll 1641A, frs. 629-635, 1645B, frs. 553-557.