Sierra de Pinos: Juan Diaz de Leon “El Viejo”

Hola primos y primas,

I descend from Juan Diaz de Leon “El Viejo” and Francisca de Ortega, through their son, Juan Diaz de Leon “El Mozo,” and his marriage to Jacinta Martin de Sotomayor. From them, I descend from 2 sons: Jacinto Diaz, m. Sebastiana Gil, and Joseph Diaz, m. Antonia Delgadillo, the 2 lines reconnecting with the marriage of their grandchildren, Andres Diaz de Leon-Duron and Maria Estefania Carrillo-Diaz de Leon.

Recently, I came upon some notary records, which might establish when this family first settled in Sierra de Pinos. I thought I might share them here, for review and discussion.

First, though I have later generations well-documented, I don’t have a hard fix on the first. According to Don Jaime Holcombe, in his Varias Cartas (p. 171), Juan Diaz de Leon and Francisco Ortega had seven offspring:

a. Maria de Ortega, m. Hernan Perez de Mojica. With issue.
b. Pedro Diaz de Leon, b. 1615-1619. Testigo on various IM’s in Pinos, possibly married to Josefa de Santiago, with issue.
c. Juan Diaz de Leon “El Mozo”, m. Jacinta Martin de Sotomayor, md 17 Aug 1648, Pinos. With issue.
d. Antonio Diaz de Leon, b. 26 May 1621, Pinos. (Holcombe)
e. Antonia Diaz de Leon. (Holcombe)
f. Luis Diaz de Leon. (Holcombe)
g. Joseph Diaz de Leon, b. 13 Jun 1630, Pinos (Holcombe); was a testigo 21 Dec 1648, age 20.

I’ve only found records for four (a, b, c & g); would anybody have anything else on this family group?

BIRTH OF JUAN DIAZ DE LEON EL VIEJO

From 2 IM’s for which he was a witness, we can establish that Juan Diaz de Leon was born around 1580:

10 May 1650 IM for Joseph Gonzalez and Anna de Casteñeda; Juan Diaz de Leon El Viejo (as he’s listed) gave his age as “around 70” (ca. 1580). Left image:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939N-B75W-C?mode=g&i=133&wc=3PS9-W38

21 Feb 1651 IM for granddaughter, Antonia Perez Mojica and Gines Carrion; his age is given as “over 60” (before 1591). Left image:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939N-B75N-3?mode=g&i=90&wc=3PS9-W38

MINE & LAND REGISTRATIONS

In the San Luis Potosi Registros de Minas 1604 Exp 1-5, on 1 Mar 1604, Juan Diaz de Leon files claims on no less that 7 mines, located in Pinos. Credible witnesses present were Jorge Leal, Diego Delgado and Maria Fernandez Pinto. Other miners/individuals named are Francisco Gonzalez, Antonio Gutierrez?, Leonor de Segura, Julian de Santa Maria, Diego Camacho, Juan de Morales, Juan Ruiz de Roza, Maria de Ortega, Juan del Campo, Francisco Lopez, Pedro Anrrq.z?, and Juan Dias.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G58X-S7DY

On the same roll, from a document dated 27 Oct 1604, Juan Diaz de Leon registers “a sitio en el Descubrimiento de Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion de Cuzco [de Sierra de Pinos],” with a main house, a compound for Indians, and an ore mill and smelter for his metals; located in la Cieneguilla de las Encinillas, on a water hole, it was bordered by the properties of Jorge Leal, Juliana de Sotomayor, and Julian de Santa Maria.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G58X-S74T

This is likely when Encinillas became the family seat of the Diaz de Leon, though Juan Diaz was already in the area, previously: found at the General Archives of the Indies in Sevilla, is a map, dated 12 Nov 1603, of a proposed town, “to be founded on the Goleta plains, 4 leagues from the mines of Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion de Sierra de Pinos.” It shows the proposed layout of a town, with streets, a plaza mayor, and lots, assigned to individuals. One of the lots is assigned to Juan Diaz de Leon (one block south of the main plaza).
Código de Referencia: ES.41091.AGI/27.17//MP-MEXICO,51
Archivo General de Indias
Mapas y Planos
Mapas, planos, etc.: México
Planta de la nueva población que se ha de hacer en los llanos de la Goleta, a cuatro leguas de las minas de Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion de Sierra de Pinos.

I hope you find this information useful, and comments, questions and corrections are welcome.

Gracias y Saludos,
Manny Diez Hermosillo

PS & Historical Note: Even though Real de Minas de Sierra de Pinos was in the jurisdiction of Nueva Galicia, during the first decades of the 1600s, residents still had to file in San Luis Potosi, which was in the jurisdiction of Mexico City. This reflects the historical conflict over the jurisdiction of Sierra de Pinos, between the Audiencias in Mexico and Guadalajara, during the first decades of its founding. These are some of the bureaucratic headaches that our ancestors had to deal with!