Sunday, May 30, 2010

Parte de La Historia de Tomas Antonio Encinias


Click on the image to make it larger. Note lines 33 through 38.

Tomas Antonio Encinas is my 3rd great grandfather. Gleaning material from the historical record on him is fascinating, he lived such a long life. He saw a whole lot of New Mexico History. 

Tomas Antonio was born in New Mexico, New Spain in 1773 to Jose Xavier Encinias and Maria Francisca Barranca. This was 173 years after his ancestors came to this land with don Juan de Onate and three years before the American Colonies got their independence from England in 1776.

He was married 3 different times.  The first time to Maria Apolonia Benavidez on the 8th of May of 1813 at the age of 40. The battle of New Orleans was being fought in the United States in this year. The padrinos were Josef Venavides and Josefa Urioste. The witnesses were Diego Padilla and Antonio Armenta. There were 4 known children from this marriage, one daughter and 3 sons. Maria Apolonia died on the 11th of  September of 1822.

In the Spanish Colonial Census of 1823 Tomas is listed as a shoemaker, a widower and living in Rio Tesuque.

He next married Maria Rosa Roybal, my 3rd great grandmother, on the 1st of October in 1825 at the age of 52. Maria Rosa was the daughter  of Eusebio Roybal and Maria Francisca Ortiz.  New Mexico was still New Spain at this time.  He married Maria Rosa Roybal at the Pueblo y Mission de San Ydlfonso, Testigos,  or the witness,  were Miguel Ortiz y Jose el Scristan. If Miguel Ortiz and "el sacristan" were the only witnesses then it must have been a low key affair as compared to the first marriage where he had both padrinos and witnesses. The fact that el sacristan is not named indicates that the individual was probably an Indian. Between 1824 and 1845 they would have 8 children, 3 more sons and 5 more daughters.

A funny thing happened during this part of Tomas Antonio's life. His oldest son from his marriage with Maria Apolonia Benavidez, named Juan Bartolo Sepuriano Cipriano Encinias, married his father's, sister in law, Maria Estefana Roybal. Bartolo and Maria Estefana were married on the 6th of February of 1839 in Jacona, New Mexico. That means that Tomas Antonio and his son Bartolo were not only father and son but also brothers in law.

Meanwhile Tomas Antonio went through the Independence of New Mexico and the rest of New Spain from the nation of Spain. He was there at the birth of the Republic of Mexico. Then a few years later he went through the transformation again, this time with the invasion and annexation of New Mexico by the United States of America. By this time Tomas Antonio had been a citizen of New Spain, the Republic of Mexico and the United States of America.  All of this while staying in place.

On the 16th of September in 1855 he married for the last time at the tender age of 82. The woman was 24 year old Maria Dolores Aragon, daughter of Manuel Antonio Aragon and Manuela Gonsales from Las Mulas, New Mexico.  Las Mulas is now called North San Isidro in San Miguel County. They were married at San Miguel del Bado, Tomas Antonio Encinias and Maria Dolores Aragon would have 6 children, 5 sons and a daughter. All of this while living in El Gusano (Now South San Isidro), New Mexico in San Miguel County.

He, along with his family, were enumerated in the 1870 U.S. Federal Census at the age of 97 in El Gusano New Mexico. Refer to the image above on lines 33 through 38 to get a look at his family. He is listed as a farm laborer at age 97. 

He was buried in Las Vegas, New Mexico on the 6th of December of 1877 at the age of 104 years.  

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