THE PROGENY OF PADRE MARTINEZ OF TAOS

By Vicente M. Martínez ©

Published in NEW MEXICO GENEALOGIST: The Journal of the New Mexico Genealogical Society, Vol. 46, No. 2, pages 55-65.

Introduction

Much has been written about the life and legacy of Padre Martínez, Cura de Taos, and his achievements as a leader and visionary in the fields of religion, politics, and education.  Yet, little is known about his personal life and the people involved in his daily activities.  In 2003 I began the task of transcribing his Last Will and Testament, from a handwritten copy of the 1867 Spanish document, and then translating it into English.

A thorough examination of the personal estate of Padre Martínez, who died on July 25, 1867, provides insight into secular and post-excommunication religious aspects of his life, and sheds some light on his activities during his final years.  The issue of progeny is but one of many issues that I examined and am honored to present it in this article.  While it is known that Padre Martínez had putative children, few know that he acknowledged and provided for them in his last will and testament, the “Administration of the Presbyter Don Antonio José Martínez.”   The late Fray Angélico Chávez, in his book But Time and Chance: The Story of Padre Martínez of Taos, 1793-1867, researched and wrote about the progeny and the extent of relationship, but he made little mention of the will and its detailed contents.  His research, however, provided me with information that enabled me to follow and expand the family ties.  The Padre’s lifetime gifts and bequeaths to his children stated in the will provided me with an indication as to the strength and degree of these shared familial bonds.  My personal interest in this aspect of the will is that I, based on family oral history, have always believed myself to be a descendant of Padre Martínez through my great grandfather Santiago Valdez   Also, I had never explored the Romero claim to patrimony as I have done in writing this article.  

Progeny is a controversial issue with respect to Padre Martínez because of the moral issues it raises with regard to the priesthood and vows of celibacy.  Within the historical context, in my opinion, this issue was insignificant when compared to the magnitude of his accomplishments, and it must be pointed out, his moral conduct was not listed as a factor in his excommunication.  It is only through the will that we understand the love shown for his progeny through gifts and bequests of goods and property before and upon his death.  He conveyed property to individuals identified by name without specifying their relationship to him, except for his brothers and sisters.  Another exception was Santiago Valdez who he identifies as “mi familiar, ” (of my family) and
whom he declares that he adopted and raised.  He was most generous to Santiago Valdez, and to his neighbor and housekeeper by whom he had children, Doña María Teodora Romero, as evidenced by the properties that he gave her throughout his life and as bequeathed to her in his will.

Padre Martínez was well versed in property rights and estates, both subjects that he likely taught students in his law school, which was the first in the Territory of New Mexico and one of the first west of the Mississippi.  The baptismal information presented below, except for that of María Teodora Romero, is taken from: New Mexico Baptisms, Catholic Parishes and Missions in Taos, Volume II, 7 January 1827 ~ 13 July 1837 and Volume III, 10 November 1837 ~ 8 September 1844, extracted and translated from the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fé and published by the New Mexico Genealogical Society (2004); and scanned copies of baptismal records provided by NMGS, or other source as annotated.   I am grateful to the Taos born Rev. Juan Romero of Palm Springs, California and my son Antonio José Martínez, Esq. of Coral Gables, Florida for their insight and valuable contributions to this article.

His Marriage and First Child
            Antonio José Martínez was born in Abiquiú on January 17, 1793, the son of Antonio Severino Martínez and María del Carmel Santistévan of La Plaza de Santa Rosa de Abiquiú.  In early 1804 the family moved to the Taos area and established a homestead in San Francisco de Paula, known today as the Martínez Hacienda (now a museum) located in Lower Ranchitos.  On May 20, 1812, at the age of 19, Antonio José married María de la Luz Martín, the daughter of Manuel Martín and María Manuela Quintana of the Plaza de los Martínez in Abiquiú.  More than a year later María de la Luz gave birth to a daughter also named María de la Luz.  My great-grandfather Santiago Valdez, in his biography of Padre Martínez, stated that the mother died in childbirth and the daughter, María de la Luz, died twelve years later in 1825. The cause of her death is unknown, and according to Fray Angelico Chávez no death records exist in either Taos or Abiquiú.  A few years after the death of his wife Antonio José Martínez entered the seminary in Durango in 1817 at the age of 24.

            The Last Will and Testament of Padre Martínez contains a brief statement acknowledging his legitimate wife and daughter as follows: “I declare that in 1812 I was married and veiled in first nuptials with María de la Luz Martínez, and by this union we had a daughter who died in 1824.  I have nothing more to say about this.”

Santiago Valdez: Obedient Son, Controversial Parentage
            Santiago Valdez is listed in his marriage and other records as “Santiago de Jesús.” Based on the records that I have been able to locate, I have not ever been able to confirm the exact year of his birth.  Fray Angélico Chávez’ theory was that he was a child from El Rancho [de la Purísima], baptized José Santiago Márques on 10 February 1830 in the parish of San Geronimo de Taos.  According to the baptismal entry the mother of record was María Teodora Márques del Rancho[de la Purímisa], and an unnamed father.  With regard to the father, the baptismal record gives no name but states: “…y de padre natural se hallará rasón en un cuaderno secreto de la noticia.”   No paternal grandparents were listed and the maternal grandparents were shown as Vicente Márquez and his wife María Guadalupe Trujillo of El Rancho.  The Padrinos (godparents) were Nepomuceno Duran and María de la Lus Sánches.  Padre Martínez performed the baptism.

            A cursory search of the Márques family reveals that they may have been from Santa Cruz. Baptismal records for the parish of Santa Cruz de la Cañada show that three of their children -two sons and a daughter- were baptized there between 1798 and 1802, but none the children bear the name, María Teodora.  Their only daughter, baptized on 8 July 1802, was named María Manuela.  An amplified search by Nancy Anderson of the surrounding parishes of San Juan, Abiquiú, Pojoaque, Nambé, Santa Clara, and Picurís produced no baptismal record for a María Teodora Márques. Is it possible that María Teodora Márques and María Teodora Romero might be one and the same? Chávez does not mention this and apparently did not pursue the identity of María Teodora Márquez.  Experienced genealogist, Alberto Vidaurre of Taos, has informed me that missing records were not unusual due to the mobility of either the family, or the priest.  Nor would it be unusual for itinerant priests to record daily entries in notebooks at night or later, possibly resulting in forgotten or misspelled names.

            Combined, the information contained in the baptismal record poses some additional questions regarding Santiago who was allegedly from El Rancho (de la  Purísima).  All baptisms were recorded in the parish seat of San Geronimo but the records do not identify the church where the baptisms took place, however, they do identify the parishes of the parents and godparents.  Santiago’s baptism most likely would have taken place at Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Church in Taos, a mission of San Geronimo until 1834 when the Taos church became the parish seat. The notation about the secret tablet containing information on the father indicates that there was a strong reason to conceal the paternity for reasons that will be examined.  According to Rev. Juan Romero some information is contained in marginal notations on the actual record, but that it would not be unusual for a parish to have a confidential book on matters not intended for the public.   Finally, we do not know if, or when, the maternal grandparents moved to El Rancho de la Purísima, as the only records that we have located for them are in Santa Cruz.

Because of the documents cited above, the debate continues around the paternity of Santiago Valdez, with the oral history of his descendants on my side (Martínez) of the family stating, unequivocally, that he was the illegitimate son of Padre Martínez. While I grew up with the knowledge that my great grandfather Santiago de Jesús Valdez was the first-born son of Padre Martínez no one in the family was certain as to the identity of Santiago’s mother until Chávez published the information about the Márquez connection in “But Time and Chance.”  Chávez, and other scholars, speculate that Santiago may have been the illegitimate son of José Santiago Martínez, the padre’s brother and that is why the child was given the name.  He further suggests that this paternity required secrecy to avoid scandal, to which I would agree, but to whom?  Santiago was raised by the family of José Ignacio Valdez and his wife María Manuela Sánchez, who lived on a farm at Placita de los Dolores, (also known as Estiércoles, and now known as Placitas/El Prado) and he took the surname Valdez.  On 29 October1849 Santiago married a Valdez daughter, María Agustina, with whom he was raised.  According to Chávez, Padre Martínez continued to hide Santiago’s paternity when he performed the marriage without entering the parents of either party, noting….”Bans dispensed with for reasons contained in the Dilengencias Matrimoniales” a document yet to be found.

            Despite his uncertain paternity, the will leaves no doubt about Santiago Valdez’ patrimony, and the degree that he was favored by Padre Martínez and where he is recognized as a family member: “I declare and dispose that in consideration to Santiago Valdez, a member of my family, who I raised since infancy and adopted with all of the privileges of a formal adoption, I educated, and that he recognizes no other father, or mother, than me, and in addition to this he has been obedient to me, for this I dispose, and it is my will that his children take, share, and carry my surname in the future.“ In the will Santiago is identified as the recipient of lifetime gifts of lands from the padre in Taos, and particularly, Estiérocles as follows: “I declare that to Santiago Valdez, a member of my family, I have made a gift, and later made additional gifts, because I agreed to provide for his subsistence. I now bequeath, one hundred varas of land in the place of Estiércoles from where the road dips and then begins to climb…”   And further, “I constitute Santiago Valdez and Vicente Romero as patrons of my chapel, its belongings and rights, so that in their presence and at their choice, Divine Offices may be held… I declare, command, and dispose that my papers and books, of whatever nature, and those that contain accounts, I bequeath and place with Santiago Valdez, a member of my family, so that they will be preserved, kept, and secured for further use, and be safeguarded in the bookcase abovementioned to serve him as a memorial [record] of my legacy.”   And finally, “I declare, and constitute as witnesses, executors, and administrators of this, my last will and testament Santiago Valdez and Pedro Sánchez, to both and each one “in solidum.”

 Of the twelve children that Santiago and Agustina had, seven survived and they were: Daniel, José David, Teodora (Read), Malaquias, Marina (Romero), Mariquita (Montaner), and Demóstenes, and all were given, and retained, the Martínez surname.   Demóstenes would be my biological grandfather and his sister, Mariquita, who, with her husband, José Montaner, adopted my mother, was my adoptive grandmother. 

            Santiago Valdez was educated in the Padre’s school and went on to become a successful attorney and politician.  His political service included the following positions: Probate Clerk of Taos County; Probate Judge and School Board member of Mora County; State Senator of Taos County (for 20 years), and a member of the New Mexico Statutes Commission that compiled laws in 1884.   Santiago served as the Captain of Company H 1st New Mexico Volunteer but resigned his commission in late 1861 prior to the U S Civil War. In 1877 Santiago Valdez authored, as charged by Padre Martínez in his Will, the manuscript Biografía del Presbítero Don Antonio José Martínez, Cura de Taos. The original manuscript is stored at the Huntington Library near Los Angeles. Santiago died on April 19, 1888.

María Teodora Romero and Her Children
As mentioned, Padre Martínez was most generous to María Teodora Romero throughout his life as evidenced by the properties that he gave her during his lifetime and as stated in his will: ” I declare, that to María Teodora Romero who has assisted me, and who assists me at present, I have given a house, land, and other property for payment for her services.  In addition I have conveyed other properties to her as payment for money that I borrowed from her when I was in need.  I ratify and confirm all this in favor of said Romero.”   The later statement indicates a relationship that went beyond that of head-of-household/housekeeper. Among the first record of deeds to Teodora is a tract of land near his gristmill in Estiércoles in 1833, and in the will he further bequeaths…”I declare and order that a garden-plot being tended outside of the main graveyard of my Chapel be designated to the property of Mrs. Teodora Romero, along with the rest of my land in that place, up to the (Manzanares) Arroyo, and between the properties belonging to Manzanares, and the other that was deeded to Santiago Romero. “

Little is known about the early life of  María Teodora Romero, but she was baptized on April 1, 1809  as María Josefa Romero.    Her parents were José Romero and María de la Luz Trujilllo, vecinos of San Fernandes de Taos.   In Teodora Romero’s Last Will and Testament of December 1888 she declared that she had been previously married to José Oliver Vigil and that they had a daughter who was baptized and buried, and that her husband had died in the same year as the child.   She further states that in her state of widowhood she had the children named below whom she recognized as her legitimate heirs.   When their first son, George Antonio, was born she would have been twenty-two years old and the Padre thirty-eight. This would make Santiago fifteen months older than George.

            George Antonio Martínes was baptized shortly after birth “out of necessity” by Don Santiago Martínez, brother of Padre Martínez and the child’s Padrino.  Nine days after his birth on 1 May1831 Padre Martínez anointed the newborn child with Holy Oil and Chrism. It has been speculated in Romero family lore that the English name, George, not the Spanish “Jorge,” was given to honor George Washington.  The baptismal entry of George Antonio reads that he was the legitimate son of “Antonio Martínez” and María Teodora Romero.  His paternal grandparents were the Padre´s parents, Antonio Severino Martínez and his wife María del Carmel (Santistevan), both deceased.  His maternal grandparents were José Romero (deceased) and his widow, María de la Luz Trujillo. Godparents were Santiago Martínez, who performed the baptism, and his wife María Dolores Lucero.  All were listed as being, vecinos del varrio de San Fernandes.

            In his Will Padre Martínez wrote: “I command, in favor of George Antonio Romero, who is currently staying in the two rooms where he dwells, from the corner on the North and continuing to the rooms where my books and papers are, and inclusive of a small room that forms a passage to the house of Teodora Romero, shall be the property of said George Antonio Romero-“            This description indicates a portion of the Padre’s own home.  George was also given land in Estiércoles during the Padre’s lifetime.

George married María Dolores Medina and they had three children, Gustavo, María de la Luz, and Bernardo.  In 1882, fifteen years after the death of Padre Martínez, the family sold their share of the Padre’s home to Santiago Valdez, and moved to the Ocate Valley in Mora County.  Their granddaughter, Dora Ortiz Vásquez, a daughter of María de la Luz, became the voice of the Romero progeny of Padre Martínez when she wrote her book, Enchanted Temples of Taos: My Story of Rosario, cited in a footnote above.  In her book Vásquez relates a series of stories about life in the Padre´s household as told to her by Rosario, the Navajo captive of Padre Martínez.  In the book she refers to the relationship between Padre Martínez and María Teodora Romero as a marriage.   To my knowledge no record of a marriage exists, however, the relatioship is recognized by most Padre Martínez scholars, including Chávez, as a conjugal relationship.

            On May 3, 1833, “Antonio Martínez” and María Teodora Romero had a legitimate daughter named María de la Luz Martínez, who was baptized shortly after birth, again, “by necessity” by Don Antonio Ortiz. On May 9, eleven days after her birth, Padre Martínez anointed the newborn child with Holy Oil and [Sacred] Chrism.  It is presumed that she died shortly thereafter.  The paternal and maternal grandparents were the same as with George; the godparents were Don Antonio Ortiz and his wife, María Dolores Trujillo of Holy Trinity Church in Arroyo Seco. 

More than two years later, “Antonio Martínez” and María Teodora (vecina del la plasa de de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) had another legitimate daughter who was also named María de la Luz Martínez.  She was baptized on 1 June 1835 by Don Francisco Leyva, a visiting priest from Abiquiú.  Again, Don Severino and Doña María del Carmel were listed as the paternal grandparents and José Romero and María de la Luz Trujillo as the maternal grandparents.  The godparents were the Padre’s sister Juana María and her husband Juan Manuel Lucero - vecinos de la plaza de San Francisco de Paula.  Obviously, Padre Martínez had an affinity for the name María de la Luz, perhaps to honor his first wife and daughter.  According to the Padre’s Will, and prior to his death, María de la Luz was given a large portion of the Padre´s home as well as a house and land in Estiércoles.  She seems to have been favored among the daughters.  

A second daughter, María Soledad Romero was baptized by the Padre’s associate priest, Don José Vigil, on 1 June 1842, eight days after her birth.  This time, the daughter is listed as the hija natural [illegitimate daughter] of María Teodora who is listed as viuda (widow), and no name is given for the father or the paternal grandparents, but the maternal grandparents remain the same.  The godparents were Antonio Otero and María Nicolasa Trujillo also of San Fernandes.  In the Will, no bequests are made to María Soledad except to note that in describing his house, Padre Martínez states the following: “It is a small square surrounded by porches on the inside, and the wall on the north side belongs to the house of María Soledad, that I deeded to her with a yard and back-corrals.”  

            On April 5, 1844, Vicente Ferrer Romero was born to the “widow” María Teodora as hijo natural [illegitimate son] and was baptized by Padre Martínez on April 21, with the entry recorded on the following day.   Again, neither the father nor the paternal grandparents are listed. José Romero and María de la Luz Trujillo are listed as the maternal grandparents.  The Padrinos were Pascual Martínez and his wife María Teodora Gallegos, the brother and sister-in-law of Padre Martínez.  Like Santiago Valdez, Vicente Romero was also favored by Padre Martínez and was given a portion of the Estiércoles land prior to the Padre´s death.  In the Will the Padre bequeathed to Vicente goods from the estate valued at one hundred and forty-one dollars.  Padre Martínez named Vicente, along with Santiago Valdez, as Patrónes of the “Chapel, its property and rights.”  

            During his young life, Vicente witnessed the turmoil in which Padre Martínez was embroiled.  He was barely a teenager when the Padre’s letters decrying the re-imposition of church tithes were printed in the Santa Fe Gazette, and about 14 when Padre Martínez was publicly excommunicated.  These events most likely influenced Vicente to turn away from the Catholic Church. Later, Vicente seems to have had access to the Padre’s printing press and used it to print religious tracts hostile to the Catholic Church.  

In 1872, Vicente Ferrer and a legislator by the name of José Domingo Mondragón, approached early Presbyterian missionaries and became founding members of the Taos Presbyterian Church and Mission School, which they established on Vicente’s land in El Prado (Estiércoles ).  Although they were licensed lay preachers, they were never ordained.   Vicente Ferrer served as an active and effective lay-evangelizer for the Presbyterian Church at Laguna Pueblo and the Taos/El Prado area. Vicente was married in the Presbyterian Church to Anastacia Lucero of the family of Don Agustín Lucero.  He died in 1924 at the age of 80.   Most, if not all, of the Romero family members became Presbyterians, as did Pascual Bailón Martínez, the Padre’s brother.

            Finally, José Julio María de Jesús Romero was baptized on December 25, 1850, six days after he was born, as hijo natural [illegitimate son] of the “widow” María Teodora Romero. Father and paternal grandparents are unknown, and José Romero and his wife María de La Luz Trujillo were listed as maternal grandparents.  The Padrinos were Juan Ygnacio and María Casilda Martínez of San Francisco del Rancho. Little is known about Julio, but Padre Martínez, who acknowledged that he had not given Julio anything during his lifetime, did, in his Will, make a sizable bequest of land, a sizeable portion of his house, and livestock with a total value of $800:  “My house of residence, starting with the two rooms where I now reside, including the blacksmith shop and continuing to the corral, a room that serves as a pig-pen, and a wall that continues to a door in the corral… He [Julio] shall also be given sixty-three varas of farmland, which belonged to one Coca… I order that he [Julio] he be given fifteen cows and two bulls, at fifteen dollars per head…”

Conclusion
            As evidenced by the Last Will and Testament, Padre Martínez recognized his progeny through lifetime gifts and bequests made to each and to their mother, Teodora Romero.  The bequest of portions of his home and adjoining property to the Romeros, and his wish to confer the Martínez surname to Santiago’s descendants seems to confirm a strong relationship.  The baptismal record entries of his abbreviated name, ANto. Martínez, that of his parents, and the Martínez surname on the first three of Romero children all but proves their parentage.  Regarding the baptismal records of María Teodora’s remaining children, Padre Martínez changed her status to that of widow to reflect her legal state, but in all likelihood Padre Martínez was the father.  The change in these entries may have been a ploy to distract church authorities during periodic inspections of parish records.  The Padre’s bequests to María de la Luz and Julio were quite generous in giving them significant portions of his home and land, and livestock given to Julio.

Verification to support either side of the presumed paternity of Santiago Valdez, will always remain contentious because of the absence of the “secret tablet” from Santiago’s baptismal record and Diligencias Matrimoniales [Premarital Investigations] from his marriage to Agustina Valdez.  Chávez speculates that Santiago was the illegitimate son of José Santiago Martínez, the Padre’s brother and that is why the child was given the name.  Chávez further suggests that Santiago Martínez, the Padre’s brother and alleged father of Santiago Márquez required secrecy to avoid scandal.  In my opinion, the name of Santiago shared by both the Priest’s brother and the young Valdez “adopted” by Padre Martinez, might have drawn more attention to the issue.  Finally, there is no written record that shows how José Santiago Márquez (baptismal record) became Santiago de Jesús Valdez (marriage record).   Are they the same person?  Rev. Juan Romero suggests that the name change may have been the result of the adoption, for which we have no written record.   A more extensive search and study of the baptismal, marriage and death records of Santiago and Agustina, and their children might yield additional clues. 

Also, during the course of writing this article a second major problem was uncovered with this complex issue of Padre Martínez’ paternity of Santiago Valdez, since the identity of Santiago’s mother remains in question.  Was María Manuela the only daughter of record of Vicente Márquez and María Guadalupe Trujillo the actual mother? Could Padre Martínez have made an error in the entry of her name – inadvertently or, intentionally?  Was this a cover name for María Teodora Romero, his longtime housekeeper and companion?  An extensive search for her needs to continue in the marriage and death records in order to verify her existence. 

We may never know the answers to these questions, but because of the stated adoption, Santiago’s descendents have the right to refer to Padre Martinez as their progenitor - regardless of whether the relationship is blood or adoptive.  Perhaps DNA evidence can someday be collected from both the Romero and Martínez descendants to clarify the parentage of Santiago Valdez as well as the progeny of the Padre’s many descendants who, to this day, carry the Martínez surname.

            Of the all progeny, Santiago Valdez and Vicente Ferrer Romero went on to gain political or religious recognition in their respective careers.   Santiago became a politician and attorney and Vicente, the Presbyterian lay minister, and both continued the Padre’s legacy.  More information needs to be gathered on the descendants of George, María de la Luz, María Soledad, and Julio about whom we know so little.  Some of the Martínez-Romero descendants might still live in Taos, and we know others moved to Ocaté.  In my lifetime I have gathered much genealogical information on the Valdez/Martínez families, but need more on the Romeros.

ã Vicente M. Martínez, all rights reserved 4/30/07

Postscript: Follow this link.