Nuestros Ranchos (NuestrosRaices.com)

I have hit the proverbial brick wall on researching the surname Aguayo from the present back to the late 1700s in Aguascalientes. So I decided to try to locate the first Aguayos who came to the New World during the Conquest and work forward from them to see if their was a connection with my research working back. In September 2007, my wife and I visited Cantabria, Spain where legend has the Aguayo surname beginning. Allegedly there were three Goth brothers who participated in the reconquest of Spain during the 12th and 13th centuries. The family gave their name to the region of Aguayo and to three villages -- Santa Olallya de Aguayo, Santa Maria de Aguayo, and San Miguel de Aguayo. We visited all three villages, asked questions about the history of the region, and about the surname. The present villagers knew little about the surname, but we met Manuel Garcia Alonso, who has a home in San Miguel de Aguayo and is a professor at a university in Santander. Alonso has written Aguayo y los Aguayos, an ethnographic and historical study of the region. According to Alonso and other sources, the Aguayos were gone from the region by the 15th century. They continued fighting in the reconquest around Cordoba, Saenz, and Ejica. For their service to the various kings, they received titles and a coat of arms. This coat of arms is still visible on a Casa Fuerte in San Miguel de Aguayo where they apparently retained some ties to the area.

Good Labor Day to all!
 
I wanted to reach out to the experts in the group for some help with the Santiago family from Villanueva, Zac.  I was so excited to break one more generation last night on the Santiago branch.  Up to now, I was stuck in the Juchipila/Moyahua area.  The couple is named Felipe de Santiago and Maria de la Candelaria Albares.  They were parents to Maria Catarina de Santiago.  Any insight in working the Villanueva area? What other towns can I focus on through Family Search?  The lists of Santiago in the area go on and on so any insight would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!!

Busco los archivos parroquiles de Nochistlan Zac. alguien que pueda decirme donde los encuentro, se agradece de antemano
Jose Antonio

There's a general mis-perception that if you were Español you would have to be white or fair skinned and blonde and blue eyed.

I watch many, many movies that are made throughout latin America and Spain and I have to tell you, based on the movies that I see from Spain, most people in Spain are still mostly brown haired and brown eyed, some blue eyes and some blonde but mostly brown. I also watch many Italian films and have many Italian friends and most are brown eyed and brown haired with a few blonde and blue eyed people, depending on how and with whom they have inter-married.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Dear Corrine--

I loved your email. It reminded me of the discussions I have had about certain members of the family--things like if you are left-handed you are probably with this family, or if you are long and lean in the face, probably from that family, if you have a long torso but short legs, you are from yet another family. Then the eyes are interesting because some have blue or green or brown and look like their so and so cousins.

Great discussion!

What got me started with family history research, was the fact that people
always tell me that I don't look Mexican, but always ask me if I am Native
American (Indian), because of my high cheekbones, my profile, dark skin and

En el transcurso de las investigaciones sobre mis antepasados en México me hé dado cuenta de que en lugares como los Altos de Jalisco en donde se evitó concientemente el mestizaje, es posible seguir la linea de asendencia de las familias que se asentaron en esos lugares durante el tiempo de la Colonia. Como en mi caso 'Los Navarro de Tepatitlán' que espero poder estudiar en los libros por salir del Lic. González Leal, ojalá pronto. Tuve problemas con dos de mis antepasados pues encontré varias personas con el mismo nombre y apellido, en un caso ambos apellidos son idénticos aunque los padres del bautizado son diferentes, todos en la misma época y en Tepatitlán.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Dear Researchers--

One of my favorite books is called History of Mexico by Inigo Fernandez, translated by David Castledine. The first edition was published in 2002 and my fifth reprint was done in 2006. In Chapter 2, The Conquest of Mexico and the Viceroyalty (1519-1808), pg 41-42, it states the following:

One of the goals in doing genealogy for me is to instill pride and responsibility in the coming years in generations yet to come. As my grandmother told me, "you don't know who you are if you don't know where you come from." She said this at a family reunion where the new generations no longer speak Spanish and had brought many other nationalities into our lines. She cried as she said there would not be a Mexican in the family in 50 years. My research honors her and makes sure we know our roots and sometimes humble and sometimes proud beginnings. My goal is never to loose any part of my heritage even though we sometimes seem to focus on the Spanish lines.

I've added New Files Added To Folder
http://www.nuestrosranchos.com/node/13828 please go there in the files
under "Puentes, Joseph" to see my genealogy for the following new files:

AntonioGonzalez 68.18 KB