Don Manuel
Gallegos and “Cajetito”
While I have
established that my paternal surname is an adopted name, it’s still my family
name, descending from a long line of Gallegos men – at least eight generations
to Manuel Gallegos, who served as Alcalde Mayor of Santa Fe in 1761-63, shortly
before his death.
I always assumed
that since he held a prominent position in the local Spanish government of the
capital city, there had to be more records about the Alcalde Mayor. No doubt,
he must have been a descendent of the first Gallegos men who came to New Mexico
in the mid-1600s, before the Pueblo Revolt. But I haven’t determined the
identity of his parents.
I found a
handful or records about Manuel’s time as mayor. But I recently came across
more detailed estate records related to his death in 1763, thanks to the
transcription of the Spanish Colonial records posted online by researcher Henrietta
Christmas. Those estate records confirm my assumptions that Manuel Gallegos
left plenty of material goods – worth about 1,075 pesos -- to his wife, Juana
Maria Baca, and nine heirs when he died.
What I didn’t
expect is one of those possessions was a servant named Joseph Antonio, known by
the alias “Cajetito,” an Indian genizaro. I’m note sure of the origin of the
nickname, which basically means little bucket. But the designation as Indian
genizaro meant he was an Indian slave or servant, probably captured or purchased
from a nearby tribe or pueblo.
That news on its
own wasn’t a major surprise. Many prominent Spanish families in the 17th
and 18th centuries, including my own Chavez ancestors, had servants.
I have been meaning to write about the capture and trade of Indian children,
and sometimes children of Spanish colonists. It is a complicated subject, and I
have seen examples of both sides of the practice in my family tree.
The surprise in
this case was two-fold: first it was a shock to see Joseph Antonio listed as a possession after the death of Manuel Gallegos;
and second, the name Joseph Antonio suggests that perhaps this servant is the
father of my own ancestor, Jose Antonio Gallegos, who was raised in the home of
Manuel’s son, Manuel Gallegos Jr., in the early 1800s.
I know – it’s
confusing. My paternal family tree, starting with myself, goes like this:
1.
Gilbert
Gallegos, Jr.
2.
Gilbert
Gallegos Sr.
3.
Carlos
Gallegos
4.
Luis
Gallegos (raised in the home of Manuel Gallegos)
5.
Manuel
Gallegos
6.
Gregorio
Gallegos
7.
Jose
Antonio Gallegos (“criado” or raised in the home of Manuel Gallegos)
8.
(possible)
Joseph Antonio, aka “Cajetito” (genizaro in the home of Alcalde Mayor Manuel
Gallegos)
I can’t be
certain whether my Gallegos line extends to Indian ancestors or the Alcalde
Mayor Manuel Gallegos. And as I said, I already know through my DNA that my
paternal heritage is linked to the original Duran y Chaves family. My
Great-Grandfather Luis Gallegos was raised by a Gallegos family, but his own
paternal ancestry is not known.
What is clear is
that Luis Gallegos, and his ancestors before him, were raised with the Gallegos
name – the same surname my grandfather, my father and I inherited.
While I have not
determined the parents of Manuel Gallegos, the Alcalde Mayor of Santa Fe, this
is what I know about him:
He was born
about 1720, based on records that identified his age later on in life. Without
his baptismal or marriage records, I have not found records identifying his
parents or his place of birth.
He married Maria
Josefa Baca, and they had nine children, including Manuel Antonio Gallegos, who
was born in 1753. Manuel Jr. married Maria de la Luz Ortiz, and gave his
Gallegos surname to Jose Antonio, my ancestor who was either Indian or a mix of
Indian and Spanish.
Manuel Sr.
served at Lt. Alcalde Mayor of Santa Fe in 1751 and 1752. A decade later, he
was Alcalde Mayor and War Captain from 1761 to 1763.
Manuel
Gallegos died on Dec. 29, 1763, according to the estate record transcribed by
Henrietta Christmas. The next day, the Lt. Governor took an inventory of his
holdings, followed several months later by the completed inventory, which was
valued at 1,075 pesos:
Ø
One house that consists of four
rooms, one large hall, one room, one kitchen and one store room,(150 pesos)
Ø
Built upon 30 varas of land with all
its agricultural lands lying adjoining the house, that consists from north to
south 400 hundred and some varas and from east to west 200 varas (100 pesos)
Ø One
old saddle with its equipment (40 pesos)
Ø One
old rifle with its case “San Miquelena.” (30 pesos)
Ø One
pair of spurs (6 pesos)
Ø One
leather jacket with six button holes (40 pesos)
Ø One
coat of Spanish cloth and pants of the same (45 pesos)
Ø One
pipe with an old gold stem (8 pesos)
Ø One
old hat (3 pesos)
Ø One
cloth cloak from “Queretaro” (15 pesos)
Ø One
axe (4 pesos)
Ø One
weaving frame (15 pesos)
Ø Fourteen
male mules and one unbroken mule (460 pesos)
Ø One
female burro (15 pesos)
Ø One
male mule that is to be paid by a servant of Vicar Santiago
Ø Five
pesos due him by Roque Lobato
Ø Three
pesos due him by the Indian Antonio Vigil
Ø Joseph
Antonio, alias “Cajetito” Indian genizaro
Ø Due
by Miguel Romero, deceased one cow and a calf (25 pesos)
Ø Due
by the deceases six varas of cloth to Bicente Martinez, soldier (6 pesos)
Ø Due
by deceased, to Pedro Rendon, three peso
The
inventory was completed several months later:
Ø Five
male mules and serge cloth with trimmings (30 pesos)
Ø Four
pairs of shoes (8 pesos)
Ø Two
handkerchiefs (3 pesos)
Ø One
piece of cloth sufficient to make a cape (24 pesos)
Ø One
peso in soap (1 peso)
Ø Two
pounds of chocolate and two pounds of sugar (6 pesos)
Ø One-half
pound of bluing (2 pesos)
Ø Three
varas of ribbon (1.5 pesos)
Ø Three
canvas sheets for the patio (24 pesos)
Ø One
cotton shawl (5 pesos)
Said property being acquired by the
sale of two male mules and six fanegas of piñon nuts, also five pesos in silver,
which were delivered in good to the widow of the deceased Manuel Gallegos, six
equipment’s with riata lassos (24 pesos)
Juana Maria Baca, the widow of
Manuel Gallegos testified that she brought with her to the marriage: 156 ewes
and a part in two ranches farming land that she inherited from her father and
sold for 196 pesos