Mateo Naranjo

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹⁴⁶⁹
The original ancestor of this family of Naranjos was a very dark Black servant who married a Native American woman. According to Father Angelico Chávez, the investigation of 1766 included a very man of very dark complexion (negro atezado) who married a Native criada of Juana de los Reyes, the wife of Alan so Martín, also referred to as Alonso Martín Naranjo. Only one male negro atezado is noted in the Oñate papers of 1579-1600. This individual was a recently freed mulatto who arrived in New Mexico as a squire to Juan Bautista Ruano. He is described as a mulato by the name of Mateo, twenty years of age, "a tall man branded on the face as a slave and with other letters bit well outlined." Mateo gave Oñate an affidavit from his owner giving Mateo freedom as long as he served the King of Spain by joining Oñate's expedition. Mateo's owner, Mateo Montero, resident of Puebla de los Angeles, had purchased him from Alonso de la Torre, resident of the mines of Pachuca. Juan Bautista Ruano did not stay in New Mexico, but to remain free, Mateo had to stay.

Alonso Martines, or Martín, often referred to as Alonso Martín Naranjo, was also one of the Spanish soldiers who took part in the Oñate expedition. It is more than possible that Mateo attached himself to Alonso Martín Naranjo, and took Naranjo's name. It is also very possible that one of the Native American women, Juana, who came along with with man Mateo originally squired for was "Juana de los Reyes," the wife of Alonso Martín Naranjo. While investigating Oñate's dealings in New Mexico, a chief auditor testified that Oñate's livestock at Santa Clara was in the care of "a certain Naranjo." This man is more than likely the Afro-Españo progenitor of the Naranjo family in New Mexico's Pueblo population.

There were three Tlascaltec sisters, known to be the daughters of a "Don Joseph" of Tepeaca who traveled to New Mexico with Juan López. One of these sisters named Agustina married Francisco, the Native American servant of Juan López. Of the other two, both were unmarried, brought their daughters along with them to New Mexico. Their names were María and Catalina. There are a few clues thaat lead Chávez to believe one of these women married Mateo. Mateo lived not far from Tepeaca, the home of the sisters, and one of Mateo's grandchildren from Santa Clara used the name López Naranjo, López coming from his grandmother, a possible servant of Juan López. Also Mateo's son, Domingo Naranjo, the representative of Pohé-yemo in the Pueblo Revolt council, was very fluent in Mexican Indian lore.

~"Pohè-Yemo's Representative and the Pueblo Revolt," New Mexico Historical Review, XLII:II, pp. 97-98

Mateo married María or Catalina López.