Ana María Magdalena de Zaldívar y Oñate

NAME: Ana de MENDOZA Y ZALDÍVAR

• BIRTH: ABT 1572, Nueva España [52048]
• DEATH: ABT 1602
• EVENT: Don Fernando de Onate (his niece) and Francisco de Zaldivar (his first cousin) relative of: [52049]
• [52046] She is mentioned in regard to the founding of a convent for nuns.
• [120446] The identity of Geronimo's wives, whether one or two is uncertain. Various assumptions have been made. It is possible that Ana de Mendoza, who did not come to Nuevo Mexico with him was the mother of the first five children and that Geronimo fathered Diego by an unknown woman in Nuevo Mexico. It is, however, more likely that Ana was the mother of Diego, born in about 1602, because Geronimo was known to have returned south on several occasions. For sure he was in Nueva Viscaya in December of 1601, in Ciudad de Mexico in May of 1602 and did not return to San Gabriel until sometime in 1603.
• [52047] [S174] HERENCIA--Quarterly Journal of HGRC-NM
  • PAGE: Vol. 12, Iss. 3, July 2004, pg. 2
• [52048] [S174] HERENCIA--Quarterly Journal of HGRC-NM
  • PAGE: Vol. 12, Iss. 3, July 2004, pg. 4
• [52049] [S2200] ORIGINS OF NM FAMILIES
  • PAGE: pg 69

_______________________________

From Jose Antonio Esquivel, genealogist of New Mexican Families

Fray Angélico Chávez wrote the following in regard to the unidentified wife of Gerónimo Márquez, a soldier in the army of don Juan de Oñate:

• His wife’s name is not known, but an ambiguous statement makes her seem to be a Doña Ana de Mendoza, daughter and granddaughter of leading Conquistadores of New Spain. She had three sisters who were nuns, and was a niece of Don Fernando de Oñate as well as a first cousin of Francisco de Zaldívar. (ONMF: 71)

The source of this information cited by Chávez was Archivo General de la Nacion (AGN), Mexico, Audiencia, legajo 72, Title 1489. In actuality the source from the AGN, Mexico, Audiencia is legajo 72, Title 148-148a, and consists of two documents with 12 pages. A photostat of this document is available at the University of New Mexico’s Zimmerman Library in the Southwest Reading Room. Undoubtedly, these documents had been consulted by individuals over the decades since the publication of Chávez’s Origins of New Mexico Families searching for clues to clear up the noted ambiguity.

No progress was made until 1996 when Patricia Black Esterley of the New Mexico Genealogical Society passed on a photocopy of the two documents to myself in another attempt to clear the question at hand. Immediately there were a couple of seemingly difficult obstacles encountered with the documents:

• 1) the name of Gerónimo Márquez does not appear anywhere in the two documents, and
• 2) the person dictating the documents could not be easily identified.

A diligent approach to reading the two documents revealed that the author of both documents was Doctor don Santiago del Riego, the husband of doña Ana de Mendoza, daughter of don Juan de Zaldívar y Oñate and doña Marina de Mendoza. The documents are addressed to the king of Spain from Riego, and provide information describing his merits and those of his wife, doña Ana. Riego's name is difficult to decipher, but is written three times, once on the cover of the first document and then at the end of each of the two documents.

The first document is dated February 24, 1597, Mexico City. Riego declared that he had served in the Real Audiencia of Nueva España for thirty-three years. Furthermore, he mentioned he had nine children by his wife, doña Ana de Mendoza, whom he described as "hija y nieta de los Primeros y mas principales conquistadores desta nueva spana." It is apparently this statement that Chávez referred to when he wrote that doña Ana de Mendoza "was a daughter and granddaughter of leading Conquistadores of New Spain." The document is addressed to His Majesty from "El Dr Santiago del Riego."

The second document contains two entries written to the king by don Santiago del Riego. The first entry is dated October 14, 1598, Mexico City, and contains the information from which Fray Angélico Chávez extracted material for his suggestive comments about the wife of Gerónimo Márquez. Riego declared he had been married with doña Ana de Mendoza for 25 years, and in addition to serving in the Real Audiencia de Nueva España and Nueva Galicia, he had been serving in the Real Audiencia de las Indias for the past nine years.

Both of his wife’s parents had died, leaving three minor daughters, each of who entered convents. This is the source of the reference made by Chávez that doña Ana de Mendoza "had three sisters who were nuns." The next references by Chávez to doña Ana’s uncle (tio), don Fernando de Oñate, and her first cousin (primo hermano), don Francisco de Zaldívar, came from the following statement found in the second entry made by don Santiago del Riego: "…como lo hizo don Frdo de Oñate su tio con quatro mil ps y Franco de zaldivar su primo hermano con tres mil… ."

There is no reference to Gerónimo Márquez in either entry of the second document. Rather, the entries relate to the foundation of the Convent of San Lorenzo in Mexico City established through doñations made by doña Ana de Mendoza, her husband, and her relatives. Doña Ana and her husband provided 44,000 pesos for the founding of the convent. Her uncle, don Fernando de Oñate, gave 4,000 pesos, while her first cousin, Francisco de Zaldívar, contributed 3,000 pesos, with an additional 4,000 pesos given by another uncle, Cristóbal de Oñate.

The information above confirms that doña Ana de Mendoza was not the wife of Gerónimo Márquez. The question of the identity of Márquez’s wife remains unanswered. However, some clues as to her identity may lay in a brief reference found in Gaspar Pérez de Villagrá’s epic account of the Oñate’s colonization of New Mexico (Historia de la Nueva Mexico, 1610). Pérez de Villagra wrote, "The next post in order he gave/ To Captain Marcelo de Espinosa,/ With Gerónimo Márquez and Juan Díaz,/ Pedro Hernández and Francisco Márquez,/ These four all brothers… " (Canto XXVI).

Ana de ZALDIVAR (aka Magdalena de Mendoza)[400],[918]

• was born (date unknown). Parents: General Vicente de ZALDIVAR and Magdalena de MENDOZA y Salazar.
• Spouse: Juan Guerra de RESSA. Children were: Capt. Vicente de ZALDIVAR y Ressa.

http://www.raullongoria.net/Genealogy/FamilyTree/b247.html#P988

Not to be confused with...

http://cdm15330.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16079coll18/...