22 July 2013

Researching Spanish Jewish-conveso Lineages - Colorado Springs - July 28, 2013

Jose Antonio Esquibel is conducting a four-hour genealogy seminar in Colorado Springs on July 28, 2013, for the 23rd Annual Conference of the Society of Crypto-Judaic Studies. There is a fee for the individual seminar and the full conference. Below is Esquibel's blog post describing the seminar:


Genealogy Seminar: Researching Spanish Jewish-converso Lineages of Nuevomejicano Families 
  
I accepted an invitation to conduct a four-hour genealogy seminar on the afternoon Sunday, July 28, 2013, 12:00pm to 4:30pm, as a pre-conference session for the 23rd Annual Conference of the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

The registration fee for the genealogy seminar is $20. Participants can pay at the door or online.

The registration fee for the full conference, which begins on Sunday, July 28th, is $195. You can read more details about the genealogy seminar and conference, including a list of presenters, and find registration information at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/even...

Questions about the SCJS conference can be submitted to tmizer@uccs.edu.

Here is the description of the genealogy seminar—

"Generation by Generation
Researching Spanish Jewish-converso Lineages of Nuevomejicano Families"

José Antonio Esquibel
Genealogical Researcher, Historian and Author

Even with the amazing resilient survival of the memory and traditions of the Jewish faith and customs among some Hispano families of New Mexico and other regions of Spain’s former northern provinces of the Americas, the paper trail documenting lineages to specific Jewish-converso families of Spain is challenging. This is not surprising given that most conversions of Jews to Christianity occurred in the mid to late 1300s and in the 1400s.

To date, only a few Hispano families of New Mexico’s Spanish imperial era (1598-1821) can be traced to the mid-1500s, leaving a gap of 60-200 years, or about two to six generations.

This genealogy seminar will provide guidance on tracing lineages from New Mexico going back in time through communities that are now part of modern-day Mexico and then into Spain. This will include a close look at the migration patterns of settlers to New Mexico and places of origins, as well as discussing the historical context that influenced those migrations and the settlement patterns in 17th-century New Mexico and in the early 18th century. The history of the Inquisition of New Mexico will also be addressed.

The lineages of two New Mexico families that trace back to Jewish-converso families of 15th-century Spain will serve as examples of the types of records that are available for genealogical and historical research. Directions about how to access the records will be provided.

One lineage traces from the Cansino family of Andalucía to the Silva-Ruiz family that settled New Mexico in 1694 and the other is in regard to the Montoya-Góngora family of 18th-century New Mexico with ancestral family relations among the Jewish-converso Pulgar family of 15th-century Spain.

This will be an interactive seminar with time for dialogue and sharing of knowledge among participants. Also, instruction will be given in how to make the best use of specific research tools and sources available on the Web.

Whether you are a novice in New Mexico Hispano genealogy and history or more experienced, you will gain insights and direction for your future research.

Registered participants are invited to submit questions to José Antonio about Hispano genealogy research in advance of the workshop.

12 July 2013

Beginning Genealogy Workshop in Santa Fe - Friday, August 9, 2013

Beginning Genealogy Workshop in Santa Fe at the State Records Center and Archives on Friday, August 9, 2013 from 1pm to 4:30pm; presented by the Office of the State Historian.

The State Records Center and Archives is located at

1205 Camino Carlos Rey
Santa Fe, NM 87507  

For more information, contact the State Historian at:

Phone: (505) 476-9782
Fax: (505) 476-7909
E-mail: nm.historian@state.nm.us


Website link

20 June 2013

June 2013 New Mexico Genealogist

The June 2013 issue of the New Mexico Genealogist has been sent out!

Articles include:
* "Lorenzo Padilla and Maria Josefa Montoya: Early Residents of Socorro" by Robert J. C. Baca. This article extends the information about the family of one of the men listed in an 1818 military campaign contribution schedule of Socorro. This family was briefly mentioned in a previous article by the author. (Correction to the printed article, Robert Baca's website address is www.nmgenealogy.blogspot.com.)

* "The Ancestry of Jose Ramon Martin of La Estaca: Descendant of Pedro Martin Serrano" by Carmalee Owen. Using a 1893 document found on the Internet, the author traces the family's history down the generations. She discusses the Sebastian Martin Land Grant and includes the details of a will written by Sebastian's widow.

* "Antonio Sisneros of San Juan de los Caballeros: His Three Wives and Nine Children" by Henrietta M. Christmas and Patricia S. Rau. This article by two prolific and expert genealogists tells the story of a "third generation post-Revolt child who grew up in the San Juan de los Caballeros area and remained there throughout his whole life." The lives of Sisneros' children of detailed with transcriptions of documents.

* "Revisiting the 1750 Spanish Colonial Census" by Henrietta Martinez Christmas. The author describes why the 1750 census is not a census at all, but rather a church document and why this difference is important in understanding its contents.

* "San Isidro Catholic Cemetery in Agua Negra (now Holman), New Mexico Part II", by Alfonso Daniel Martinez

* "Santa Fe County Assessment Records, 1870-1883 Part IV" by Linda Tigges and Barbara Dodson.

Are you interested in becoming a member of the New Mexico Genealogical Society? Become a member today and receive the March and June 2013 issues soon after. Then receive the September and December 2013 issues when they are published. To become a member, click on this link: www.nmgs.org. Once you are on the site, click on the "Membership" link, print up the membership form, complete it and send it to us with the membership dues.

27 May 2013

Discussion about Y-DNA testing

The following post is NOT an endorsement by the New Mexico Genealogical Society of FamilyTreeDNA.com or any other type of genetic genealogy testing site. It only offers options for the reader to consider regarding genetic genealogy.

On the New Mexico Genealogical Society's Facebook Page, we have been have been discussing Y-DNA results. FamilyTreeDNA.com and other similar companies have tests in which men can test their Y-DNA against others to see if they are closely related. Only men can do this test because only men have the Y chromosome. The Y chromosome is the thing that makes men male - women have two X chromosomes instead of an X and a Y. However, women can have their brothers, fathers, grandfathers, or uncles and cousins who are on the same paternal line take the test for them.

The great thing about the Y-DNA test is that it often shows the relatedness of individuals along the paternal line, which is the line that we often get our surnames from. The Y-DNA test shows the DNA of one's father's, father's, father's, father's, father, etc. Since this is passed on from father to son with little change, we can compare our DNA to people who may be our relatives within a few generations and see if we match with people who have the same or similar surnames as us. Sometimes people don't match. This might mean that one of the two people in the comparison might have a female ancestor who had a child with someone other than her husband, or an ancestor may be adopted, or an ancestor took on his mother's name rather than his father's.

What is a surname, anyway?

It's my opinion that surnames are arbitrary anyway. Western Europeans have been using surnames for only about 500 years, with a few going back further. Even then, many families named their children after grandparents who were not along the direct paternal line. For example, Cristobal Baca, the first Baca who came to New Mexico with his family in 1600, had daughters by the names of Juana de Zamora, Isabel de Bohorquez, and Maria de Villanuevo. Spanish explorer Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca (no relation to the other Baca) took his mother's surname rather than his father's because it was more prestigious. I find through my own research that many surnames in New Mexico seem to become standardized by the middle 1600s. However, that's only about 350 to 400 years ago. If we look at each generation being approximately 25 years, we're only talking about 14 to 16 generations. Not much at all.

To add to the confusion, there were many adoptions in New Mexico. Because of war, disease and general bad health, parents sometimes died early. Children were raised by uncles and aunts and other relatives. Sometimes they kept their names, sometimes they took their adopted parents names. In addition, many household had Native American slaves who they adopted. These people often took their slave owner's surnames as their own.

However, a Y-DNA test might be helpful in solving some genealogy problems. I have two of them in my own family tree. The first is that my uncles claim that my great-grandfather Juan C. de Baca y Luna was adopted. They say that we are not actually Bacas. The other is that I'm not too sure about my genealogy past my fifth great-grandfather Juan Antonio Baca. Does it continue straight along the Baca paternal line, or does it veer off towards Josefa Baca, who had children out of wedlock and gave them her last name? I'm closer to answering the 1st problem, but I'm waiting for some responses from other people to try to answer the other. For more information on my quest, read my blog post.

Which Y-DNA test to take

There are five options for Y-DNA testing on FamilyTreeDNA.com: 12, 25, 37, 67, and 111 markers. The more markers, the higher resolution of the test. With higher resolution, you are able to more directly pinpoint how closely two individuals are related to each other. However, both individuals can only compare at the lowest common resolution. For instance, if one person took the 67 marker test and another took the 37 marker test, the resolution will be only as high as the 37 marker test.

Many New Mexicans have ancestry that goes back 12 to 14 generations in New Mexico. Because of this, I believe that 12 marker tests do not have enough resolution to accurately pinpoint someone who is related within that timeframe. According to a chart on the FamilyTreeDNA website (link), a person with an exact match of 12 markers on a 12 marker test has a 50% probability of being related within 7 generations, 90% probability of being related within 26 generations, and 95% probability of 29 generations. If two people only match 11 markers out of 12, the 95% probability goes up to 47 generations. I have people who match me perfectly who have Irish roots. Since my haplotype is Celtic, that's not a surprise. However, the separation between the Spanish Celtiberians and the Irish Celts is over 2,000 years!

25 marker test are better, but not good enough. The same chart shows that someone who matches 25 out of 25 markers is 50% likely to be related within 3 generations, 90% likely to be within 10 generations, and 95% likely to be within 13 generations. This is not close enough within the 12-14 generation timeframe.

37 marker test are probably good enough for most New Mexicans. A perfect match has a 50% probability of 2 to 3 generation separation, 90% probability of 5 generations, and 95% probability of 7 generations. If you are off by one marker, 50% to 95% go from 4 generations to 10 generations. Most people who are close matches to me have taken the 37 marker test. However, if you wish to get a little bit more resolution, try the 67 marker test.

If you are an exact match on the 67 marker test, the 50% to 95% probability range is 2 to 6 generations; off by 1 and it's 4 to 9 generations and off by 2 it's 6 to 14 generations. Many people testing in New Mexico are using the 67 marker test.

Although the 111 marker is an option, I actually believe that it is unnecessary for most New Mexicans. Not many people who have tested have used this option.

I hope this discussion helps out with any questions you may have about Y-DNA testing.




18 May 2013

July 2013 NMGS Program (NO PROGRAM IN JUNE!)


The Genealogy Center
On the Second Floor of
The Albuquerque Main Library
501 Copper SW
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(on the northwest corner of 5th and Copper) 

Saturday, July 20, 2013
10:30 AM – Noon

No NMGS Program in June!

On June 15, 2013, enjoy the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America Conference in Albuquerque instead. Click on this link for more information: http://www.gsha.net/Events.html
  

July 20, 2013 NMGS Program 

The New Mexico Genealogical Society
Presents a

Genealogy Brick Walls Workshop

Bring your charts and materials. Ask questions our of genealogy experts. Break down your genealogy brick walls and discover hidden branches of your family tree!
We’ll be in the Genealogy Center on the Second Floor of the Main Albuquerque Library on 5th and Copper. See you there!

For more information about our programs, check out the New Mexico Genealogical Society’s website at www.nmgs.org.

This program is free and open to the public.

26 March 2013

April and May NMGS Programs


April 20th Program
 
The Auditorium
In the Lower Level of
The Albuquerque Main Library
501 Copper SW
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(on the northwest corner of 5th and Copper)
                                   
Saturday, April 20, 2013
10:30 AM – Noon

Please note that our programs are at a new location this year! 

The New Mexico Genealogical Society

Presents 

Miguél A. Tórrez
Independent New Mexico historian and genealogist 

The Espinosa DNA Quest

In 1695, Nicolás de Espinosa, a colonist listed as a Coyote and son of Jose Gomez and Maria de Espinosa came to New México as a member of the Juan Paez Hurtado. The origins and ancestry of the contemporary Espinosa families of Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado were investigated by comparing genealogies and Y-DNA test results of male Espinosa participants. The goal of the study was to determine if Nicolás de Espinosa was indeed the sole progenitor for contemporary Espinos(z)a families of New Mexican ancestry. Miguél will be presenting his discovery of the Y-DNA genetic code of the Nicolás de Espinosa lineage and which 18th century branches belong to this clan. 

Miguél A. Tórrez is a research technologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory and has his degrees in Natural Resources, Southwestern Studies and is currently pursuing a BS in Environmental Science. Miguél has served as a member of the board directors for the Chimayó Cultural Preservation Association in the capacity of President and Vice President. He is currently involved in a “Family Tree” project for the City of Española

For more information about our programs, check out the New Mexico Genealogical Society’s website at www.nmgs.org.

This program is free and open to the public.
 
May 18th Special Workshop:
The Auditorium
In theThe Lower Level of
The Albuquerque Main Library
501 Copper SW
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(on the northwest corner of 5th and Copper) 

Saturday, May 18, 2013
10:30 AM – 12 Noon
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

 
The New Mexico Genealogical Society

Presents an All Day Workshop 

FamilyTreeDNA

Of Houston, Texas

 Featuring

Bennett Greenspan

Founder and president of FamilyTreeDNA

 Family Finder and Family Tree DNA

Seating is limited! RSVP Today!

You may RSVP by sending an email with the heading “Family Tree DNA Workshop” to president@nmgs.org

 or mail a note to

 Family Tree DNA Workshop
c/o New Mexico Genealogical Society
PO Box 27559
Albuquerque, NM 87125-7559

Please include the names and number of people attending

 This program is free and open to the Public!

 

01 March 2013

Member passing: Albert Vidaurre

We at the New Mexico Genealogical Society are sad to report that one of our members passed away recently. According to people who knew him, Albert Vidaurre was a very dedicated and helpful genealogist. Below is his obituary.

"Albert Vidaurre, 65, of Taos, loving husband and father was called home into the arms of the Lord on February 26, 2013. He graduated from Quantico, VA FBI Academy and was a major for the Taos Police Department. His passions were geneology, painting and woodcarving. He is preceded in death by his parents, Juan and Alice Vidaurre and grandparents, Tranqulino and Matilde Romero. He is survived by his wife, Diana, children, John Vidaurre (Terra), Yvonne Vidaurre, Yvette Vidaurre, grandchildren, Christopher Vidaurre and Nekai Tsethlikai, brothers and sisters, Juan (Lydia), Joann (Pat) and Helen Vidaurre, many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

"Public visitation will be held on Monday, March 4, 2013 from 6 to 7 PM at Rivera Chapel. Rosary will be recited on Monday, March 4, 2013 at 7 PM at Rivera Chapel in Taos. Funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, March 05, 2013 at 9 AM at San Antonio de Padua Catholic Church in Penasco with interment to be held at 3 PM at the Santa Fe National Cemetery."