Miguel Hermenegildo Baca

  General Notes:

~New Mexico Marriages and Baptisms San Augustin de la Isleta Church, p. 124
Batismal Padrinos: Domingo de Luna & Doña Jasinta Pelaes. ³⁴

  Noted events in his life were:

• Census: Spanish Colonial, in 1790, in Belén, Nueva Méjico, Nueva España. ³³
Plaza 2 de Belén

Household #761
Miguel Esmerijildo Baca, español, 47, silversmith; married to María de los Reyes Padilla, española, 35; one son, age six; and four daughters, ages ten, eight, seven and one.

New Mexican Spanish & Mexican Colonial Censuses, 1790 * 1823 * 1845, p. 42

Miguel married María de los Reyes Padilla, daughter of Pedro Padilla and María Victoria de Chávez, on 9 May 1779 in San Augustín de la Isleta, Isleta, Nueva Méjico, Nueva España.³⁴ (María de los Reyes Padilla was born in 1756 in Belén, Nuevo Méico, Nueva España and was baptized on 7 Jan 1756 in San Augustín de la Isleta, Isleta, Nueva Méjico, Nueva España ³⁴.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Diligencia Matrimonial. ⁴³⁸
Miguel Hermenegildo Baca and María de los Reyes Padilla, Isleta, 11 Feb-13 Mar 1779 AHAD-30 f. 51-55

Miguel Hermenegildo Baca, español, 33, citizen of the puesto of Belen, was the legitimate son of Baltsar Baca and the late Manuela Rael de Aguilar. María de los Reyes Padilla, 21, española, citizen of the same puesto, was the legitimate daughter of Pedro Padilla. The couple was related in the fourth degree equally of consanguinity on a traverse line. Father Pérez Narro received Miguel's petition at San Augustín de la Isleta. Miguel explained that the impediment arose from the fact that Isabel Chaves and Pedro Chaves were brother and sister, thus related in the first degree. Margarita Mata, daughter of Isabel, and Quiteria Chaves, daughter of Pedro, were related in the second degree. Baltasar Baca's son of Margarita and Victoria Chavez, daughter of Quiteria, were related in the thrid degree. Miguel Hermenegildo Baca, son of Baltasar and María de los Reyes Padilla, daughter of Victoria Chaves were related in the fourth degree. Baca stated that he wanted to marry despite a prohibited relations because he lost hope of finding a young woman of honor and had sexual relations with María on various occasions. She was pregnant, but it was not publicaly known. He added that he had not had relations with her to facilitate a dispensation; rather it was because of weakness of the flesh and his hope of marrying her.

María de los Reyes admitted to the fourth-degree relationship, but still wanted to marry Miguel Hermenegildo Baca because she was two months pregnant with his child. She had gotten into such a state because she loved him. Still, she did not wish to lose her honor and feared her father would punish her.

Witnesses: Pedro García, 60, repeated testimony, as did other witnesses.
Juan Baca, 52, citizen of Belen

Fray Juan José Hinojosa, custos of New Mexico, received the petition at the mission of San Ildefonso on 19 Feb 1779 and forwarded it to Fray Rivera in El Paso. FAther Domínguez approved the dispensation of 12 Mar 1779. The following day, Father Rivera granted the dispensation and admonished the couple of their sins. On the day they were to receive their nuptial blessing, they were to hold black candles in their hands during mass. Afterwards, they were to prostrate themselves and kiss the celerant's feet. Kneeling on the top step of the high altar, with their arms spread in the form of a cross, they were to pray aloud the estación mayor to the Blessed Sacrament with as much devotion as possible, praying to God for the welfare of the church, for its supreme head, for the blessed souls in purgatory, for the success of the Spanish monarchy, and for the present public needs and temporal goods. If they accepted this penance, the marriage was to go ahead.

~New Mexico Prenuptial Investigations From the Arcivos Históricos de Arzabispado de Durango, 1760-1799. pp. 45-46

  Marriage Notes:

~New Mexico Marriages and Baptisms San Augustin de la Isleta Church, p.24 ³⁴