1790: A Slice in Time

Many families can be found in the province of New Mexico in 1790 because Spain enumerated and recorded them. Like the burgeoning United States, which conducted its first census that very year, the nations counted their people for tax purposes. U.S. marshals did the task for the first 13 states, as well as Kentucky, Maine, Vermont and Tennessee. Priests counted the people in the provinces of New Spain. In the U.S., the 1790 census provided the names of heads of household and numbers of free persons and slaves. The U.S. census distinguished between males under and over age 16 to assess their military potential. The 1790 Spanish census provided names and ages of the heads of household and their spouses. Women’s maiden names were given. Also included were: ethnic derivations, occupations, marital status, number of children and their ages and sexes. Servants, mostly Indians, were also counted.

Following are some families of interest. They are ancestors of Crespin and Andreita Torres. Except for Santa Fe, all these plazas where they resided were south of Albuquerque. Note a concentration of families living in Belen. Here they are, as enumerated.

Plaza of Tome

Jose Marquez, M.,carpenter; m. Juana Sedillo, M., 48; 1 son: 21; 3 daughters: 15, 6, 3. Page 22*). (Great-great-grandparents of Andreita on maternal side).
Jose Mariano Marquez, M. 32, carpenter; m. Ma Petra Yturreita, S., 28; 2 sons: 6, 1; 3 daughters: 9, 4, 3. (Page 22*). (Great-grandparents of Andreita on maternal side).

Plaza de San Andres de Los Padillas

Eduarda Yturrieta, S., 51, widow; 2 sons: 26, 9, 6; 3 daughters: 21, 16, 11; 1 female servant, I: 11. (Page 29*). (Great-grandmother of Crespin on the paternal side).

Plaza No. 1 of Belen

D. Diego Antonio Sanches, S. 54, rancher; m. Anna Ma Albarez del Castillo, S., 51; 1 son: 13; 1 daughter: 17; 1 grandson, S.: 10; 1 male orphan, I.:16; 1 female orphan, I.: 14; 1 female servant, I.: 15; 1 female, I-Apache: 10. (Page 40*). (Great-grandparents of Crespin on maternal side).

Plaza No. 2 of Belen

Augustin Trujillo, M., 29, blacksmith; married to Lucia Montano, S. 18; 2 daughters, ages 2 and 1; 1 nephew, I: age 15. (Page 40*). (Great-grandparents of Andreita on paternal side).

Plaza No. 4 of Belen San Antonio de Los Trujillos

Lieut. D. Santiago Trujillo, S., 51, rancher; m. Da Victa Chaves, S, 49; 5 sons: 18, 16, 14, 9, 5; 4 daughters: 17, 12, 7, 3; 1 female servant, I: 16. (Page 44*). (Great-Great grandparents of Andreita on paternal side).
Pedro Anto Silva, S., 25, rancher; m. Barbara Polonia Trujillo, S. 23; 2 sons: 5, 7 months; 1 daughter: 3. (Page 45*). (Great-grandparents of Andreita on paternal side).

Plaza No. 5 of Belen N.S. del Pilar

Juachin Torres, S., 50, rancher; m. Ma Ysabel Chaves, S., 36; 3 sons: 19 11, 7; 1 daughter: 17; 2 female servants, I: 51, widow, and 18; 1 male orphan, S.: 10, native of the town of Philipe of Chihuahua; 1 male, C: 7. (Page 45*). (Great-grandparents of Crespin on the paternal side).
Xavier Garcia, S., 34, rancher; m. Ma Josefa Sanches, S., 30; 2 sons: 6, 2; 3 daughters: 14, 12, 11 months; 1 female servant, S., 23. (Page 45*). (Great-grandparents of Crespin on the maternal side).
Toribio Garcia, S., 59, weaver; m. Brijida Vallejos, S., 60; 2 grandsons, S: 16, 15; 1 niece, S: 15; 1 male servant, I: 20 (Page 45*). (Great-great-grandfather of Crespin on the maternal side with his second wife).

Plaza of San Antonio of Sabinal

Anto Montoya, S., 27, farmer; m. Ma Guade Salazar, S, 27; 2 daughters: 3, 1. (Page 48*). (Great-grandparents of Crespin on the maternal side).

Villa de Santa Fe

Dn. Xavier Ortiz, S., 46, farmer; m. Ma Josefa Tenoria, S., 33; 1 son: 1; 3 daughters: 13, 8, 6; 2 female servants, I: 15, 12; 1 males servant, I: 28. (Page 72*). (Great-grandparents of Crespin on paternal side).

Presidio Santa Fe

(Soldier) Santiago Torres, S., b. NM, 27, single (Page 108**). (Grandfather of Crespin on paternal side).

Sources: *New Mexico Spanish & Mexican Colonial Censuses 1790-1823-1845. Translated and Compiled by Virginia Langham Olmsted, G.R.S.
**Spanish and Mexican Censuses of New Mexico 1750 to 1830. Compiled by Virginia Langham Olmsted, C.G.