Tom McCabes Genealogy 2022

~The Origins of New México Families, pg. 81

In March 1599 don Juan de Oñate wrote the viceroy of Neuva España and requested additional soldier and families to help strengthen the colony that had been established.

With approval, the recruitment began in late summer of 1599. 65 Spaniards and 25 servants were recruited at Mexico City. By October 1599, recruits, including women, children, and servants, were at the outpost of Santa Barbara in the Valle de San Bartolome in Nueva Vizcaya. After some delay, these settlers began their journey to New Mexico in late September 1600 on the route of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the route that Oñate had taken in the original expedition of 1598 and which by now had stopping places about every ten miles. The group arrived at Oñate’s colony on December 24, 1600. Many of these settlers became discouraged and disappointed and left in late October 1601. The families that remained from the second wave of colonization are common ancestors for people with Hispano roots in colonial New Mexico.

Juan Lopez Holguin/Olguin y Villasaña, native of Fuente de Ovejuna, Extremadura, Spain, came to New Mexico with his wife, Catalina de Villanueva, and 2 daughters. Through at least one son born in New Mexico, this family was the progenitor of the Olguin family of New Mexico. --------------------

As of good stature, black bearded, a scar over his left eye, 40 years old in the Muster Rolls of Oñate.

Listed along with his father, Juan López Villasaña, as an officer in a group of soldiers and civilians that went to New Mexico in 1600, on Captain Villagra's list. Juan Lopez Holguin was an Ensign. He was 40 yrs in 1600. A native of Fuente Obejuna, Extremadura Spain.

Juan López Holguín was an Alférez when he came to New México in 1600. His wife, who came with him, was Catalina de Villanueva. In 1626, he gave his age as sixty-four, saying that he was a "founder of the Kingdom," of New México.

His children were: Cristóbal, who married Melchora de Carvajal, Isabel, wife of Juan de Vitoria Carvajal, and Simón de Abendaño, who married María Ortize Baca. (My note: Simón was not Juan's son but he was his son-in-law, husband of Maria Ortiz, Juan's daughter. )

From José Antonio Esquibel on FaceBook:

"On August 30, 1600, the people recruited as settlers to reinforce the New Mexico colony were resting at the Valle de San Bartolomé where an inspection of the group was made by a royal official, Juan de Gordejuela Ybarguen.

"On that day the Indian women who were part of the group of travelers appeared before Gordejuela Ybarquen to be accounted for. Among those women were several who were natives of Tepeaca, including three sisters who were identified as servants of "Juan López."

"The first of the sisters listed was Maria, identified as a native of Tepeaca, unmarried, and a daughter of Don Joseph. She was unmarried and had a daughter named Mariana in her company (Hammond and Rey, Don Juan de Oñate: Colonizer of New Mexico, 559).

"The second one was Catalina, identified as a sister of Maria who was also unmarried and she had a girl in her comanpy named Maria. It is this Catalina that gets confused with the wife of Juan López Holguin.

"The third was Agustina, also identified as a sister of Maria, who was married with a man named Francisco (presumably an Indian man).

"All three were described as servants of "Juan López," but it is not clear which Juan Lopez was being referred to.

"Among the men that were part of this group of settlers headed to New Mexico were Juan de López de Medel, a single man age 36, and Juan Lopez Holguin (also identified as Juan Lopez Villasaña) who was married. It's not clear if the Indian women were the servants of the first or second Juan López.

"On August 26, 1600, four days before the list of Indian women was made, Juan López Villasaña (aka López Holguin) appeared for a muster along with his wife, Catalina de Villanueva, and two daughters, Maria Ortiz and Anna Ortiz (Hammond and Rey, Don Juan de Oñate: Colonizer of New Mexico, 537). This is the first piece of evidence that Catalina, daughter of Don Joseph, was not the same person as Catalina de Villanueva. Take note that Catalina, the Indian woman, was listed as unmarried four days after the listing for Catalina de Villanueva, the wife of Juan López Villasaña (aka López Holguin).

"Next, we know that Juan López Villasana (aka Lopez Holguín) was married with Catalina de Villanueva by around July 1593. Their daughter, María, received the sacrament of Baptism on April 2, 1594 at the Church of Santa Vera Cruz in Mexico City. This was recorded in the book of records for "Españoles." This is the second piece of evidence.

"Thus, Catalina de Villanueva was not the same person as Catalina, the Indian woman who was a servant and a daughter of Don José."