José de Padilla Villasenor

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ²⁵²
José Padilla had been living in "New Mexico" for more than twelve years when the Pueblos rebelled in 1680. He passed muster then as a captain, with his wife, five children, and six servants, and signed one declaration as "José de Padilla Villaseñor." In 1681 he declared himself to be thirty-four years old, a native of Querétaro, and married in New Mexico. He was briefly described as having a robust medium stature. Some years before, he had gone on a campaign as a substitute for Pedro de Chaves II; he said that he had twelve years' experience as Alcalde Mayor "on the frontier." This means, very likely, that he had not always lived in New Mexico proper, but in the frontier district of Guadalupe del Paso.

In 1683 he left the exile colony with the Sargento Mayor Fernando de Chaves, without permission, to lay a petition of certain colonists before the Viceroy. His wife, María López, is mentioned in this connection. Again, in 1689, he journeyed to Mexico City to escort some friars; he took this occasion to demand back-pay, declaring that he was a resident of Guadalupe del Paso, where his wife and children were, and that he had already served in New Mexico for twenty years.5 Padilla's actual place of residence at this time was Senecú del Paso.

0 /ot having been a member of the northern New Mexico colony, he did not join the Vargas troops and colonists for the Reconquest, but remained in the Guadalupe del Paso area. However, some of his sons did come up to New Mexico shortly after, perhaps also taking part in the Reconquest.

~ Origins of New Mexico Families: A Genealogy of the Spanish Colonial Period, p. 84 (Kindle Locations 3882-3900)

José de Padilla's and his wife María López's known sons José, Diego, and most likely Juan Antonio. From the marriages of their children, we can tell that María was dead by 1711, and José died less than two years later.

~ Origins of New Mexico Families: A Genealogy of the Spanish Colonial Period, p. 253

• Background Information. ²⁵⁰
José Padilla [ONMF: 253] and his wife María López had two additional sons besides the ones identified by Chávez in ONMF:

Cayetano Padilla, son of Captain José Padilla and María López, was baptized at Guadalupe del Paso on 16 October 1686. His padrino was Governor don Domingo Xironza Petris de Cruzate.

Luis Padilla, son of José Padilla and María López, was baptized at Gudalupe del Paso on 3 May 1688. His padrinos were don Pedro Remeros de Posada and Ana de Tapia.

Researchers: Walter V. McLaughlin and John B. Colligan

Sources: Walter V. McLaughlin, Texas Western College, August 1962 (University of Texas at El Paso Library); and John B. Colligan, "Spanish Surnames Found in the First Book of Baptisms of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Paso del Río del Norte"

José married Maria López, daughter of Francisco de Valencia and Maria López Milán, in 1694 in Santa Fé, Nuevo Méjico, Nueva España.²⁵² (Maria López was born about 1655 in Nueva España and died before 1711 in Guadalupe del Paso, Nuevo Méjico. Nueva España ²⁵².)