Chilchota, Michoacan & 17th Century

En los libros de registros de la parroquia de Chilchota, se analizo que los indigenas era registrados en un libro aparte, los espanoles en otro libro aparte y las demas razas juntos con mulatos, mextizo etc...en otro libro.

Tambien se oberva que negros y mulatos llevaban el apellido "de la Cruz" que le fue impuesto por los espanoles para indentificarlos ya que no tenian un apellido anteriormente. A los mestizos les pusieron como apellido "de la Paz"

Hay veces, como en la esclava mulata de Juan Alvarez del Castillo, tenia una esclava que se llamaba Mariana de Lupiana - como ella era la esclava de su mujer, le pusieron "Lupiana" para identificarla como su propiedad.

So it appears that in the early church records of Chilchota, Michoacan, separate books were kept for those who were Spaniards, Indian, Mulattoes, and Mestizos.

It was also observed that black and mulatto slaves were given the last name of "de la Cruz" to identify them as they had not had a surname. With the mestizos, they gave them the last name of "de la Paz".

Sometimes, as in the case of Juan Alvarez del Castillo, he had a slave mulatto named Mariana de Lupiana. Since this slave belonged to his wife, she was given the last name of "Lupiana", which was his wife's last name - all done to indentify the slave as their property.