Crespin Torres' Beginnings

Baptismal records from San Miguel Catholic Church provide proof of the birth of Crespin Torres. His full name was Jose Crespin Torres and he was born Oct. 25, 1847 in a village on the east bank of the Rio Grande called La Parida, just outside of Socorro, N.M. (In 1847, that community was in Valencia County; La Parida was later swallowed up by the river).

Crespin's parents were Jose Anastacio Torres and Maria Josefa Montoya.

(See hard-to-read baptismal record. Click on image, at top left, to enlarge).

Crespin was an orphan by age 3. We know this from his obituary (see earlier blog entry) and because he was living with his maternal grandfather Juan Montoya in the 1850 U.S. census. He lived to age 89.

Crespin (pronouced Kres-PEEN) is the Spanish variant of Crispin, a not-often-used name. It means curly-haired one. Those who remember Papa Crespin say he wasn't curly-haired, at least not later in life when he had a full gray beard and mustache. Below, see Crespin in the household of "J. Montollo" in an error-riddled page from the 1850 U.S. Census, Socorro, Valencia County, N.M. (Click image below to enlarge.