Hola prim@s,

It’s been a while since I’ve found anything on our favorite gangsta family, los Malos Davalos. I found this one in the Guadalajara Protocolos; it’s a promissory note, dated 21 Oct 1637, in Villa de Lagos: Grabiel de Abalos (how he signed his name), vecino desta Villa (Lagos), as principal debtor, and Alº Davalos Ludena (how he signed his name), as his guarantor, promises to pay Esteban de Anda Altamirano 94 pesos and 4 tomines in Reales, for the same amount loaned to him.

The last time we saw Grabiel de Abalos was 1 Jan 1630, in San Matias, Pinos, when his slave, Maria Negra Adulta, was baptized (her padrinos were Sebastian Perez and Luisa, Negros Esclavos de Luis de Urdiales). If he is the same Gabriel de Avalos who married Agustina de Velasco, then he next appears on 26 Jul 1639, in San Luis Potosi, when they baptize Nicolas.

As for Alonso Davalos Ludena, I don’t know of any other Alonso de Avalos living in Villa de Lagos in 1637, other than the one married to Catarina de Orozco, and who we know was brother of Gaspar de Abalos. If it is him, “Ludena” is a new surname for this branch. I wonder if there is any link to Maria de Ludena/Luduina/Ludueña, who married Rodrigo de Ornelas y Mendoza, 26 Nov 1615, in Lagos, and who died, 19 Dec 1674, in Jalos? Does anyone know who she is? From the timeline, she could easily be a sibling of the Avalos’.

Saludos!
Manny Diez Hermosillo

We last saw Gaspar de Avalos and Luisa de Quezada in March 1657, living on their rancho, called "El Ojo de Muerte," near Valle de Armadillo, SLP. Their sons, Nicolas Garcia and Gaspar Garcia, along with cousins, Juan and Geronimo Aparisio de Avalos Orozco, plus another accomplice, had just been tried and executed for murder & robbery. After their deaths, the condemned were decapitated and quartered, their heads placed on poles on the 4 roads leaving San Luis, and their bodies, gibbeted where the murders took place. Within days, the heads of Juan and Aparisio de Avalos had disappeared from their poles, and authorities had gone to the rancho of Gaspar de Avalos, searching for them. Gaspar and his sons were gone, and only the women remained. And that's where we left off.

Cut to 3 years later: it's 4 Feb, 1660, and Gaspar de Avalos and Luisa de Quezada are now residents of Huaniqueo, Michoacan, where they had been living for well over a year (since 1658). Alonso Rodriguez de Montemayor, of Pachuca, has petitioned to marry their daughter, Luisa de Avalos y Quezada (confirmed 22 May 1624, Sta Maria de Lagos), but there's an impediment (my heart jumped...): Alonso Rodriguez has had a previous relationship with a cousin of Luisa's, requiring a dispensation for 2o con 3o de amistad ilicita (!!GOOOOL!!).

Now, as I was reading this document, I was super impressed with the amount of information given by the notary - on the testigos, in particular: not just their castas and ages, but also, in some cases, their occupations, or who they're married to (Ysabel de Liebana Española de 50a, casada con Juan de Torres, vnos de Huaniqueo). And then, for the number of testigos, of which there are several, including a couple of surprises. I just hoped that the dispensation gives us something new, like Gaspar's parents' names, or perhaps confirming a link to Gabriel & Sebastian de Avalos, or to Baltasar & Juana de Avalos? Or a new branch, altogether?

Well, it appears to be the latter:

“dixo conosse a dho alonzo hernandes de montemayor dos messes y a luissa de abalos desde que nasio que es su hija lexitima y que cotidianamente hastado de baxo su obediencia y amparo como donssella birtuosa y que pueden contraer el matrimonio que an tratado y conossio a juo de abalos su herno lixitimo [hermano legitimo] que mataron en este puo [pueblo, i.e. Huaniqueo] y conossio a bartolome de abalos hijo bastardo de dho Juan de abalos el qual tubo una hija llamada maria con quien dho alonso hernandes dissen tubo amistad ylicita la qual fue sobrina de dha luisa de abalos su hija porque dho bartolome de abalos fue Primo de dha su hija y la hija de dho bartolome de abalos es sobrina de dha luissa de abalos su hija y que todo lo referrido lo bido y passo como esta dho y es la berdad … “ - Declaracion del padre de la contrayente, Gaspar de Abalos, edad de 60a, lo firmo con el sr cura, 22 feb 1660 (Image 079).

Yup. Gaspar de Abalos himself. Giving an account of a brother named Juan de Avalos, whom "they had killed in Huaniqueo" (years before, according to another testigo), and who had a bastard son named Bartolome de Avalos (Mestizo), who had a daughter named Maria de Avalos, with whom Alonso Rodriguez had relations. All of the witnesses give the same account, but there are some additional snippets of info:

- Testigo Juan de Yepes Esp 50 says Juan de Avalos Difunto was married to his aunt.
- Testigo Juan Sidbensiz (or Juan Bensisio - anyone?), Esp age 24, says he's a cuñado de Luisa de Avalos, who is sister of his wife. The only daughter of Gaspar de Avalos and Luisa de Quezada that I don't have married, is Mariana de Avalos, who was baptized 04 Jul 1638, in Sagrario, SLP.
- Several of the testigos say they knew the Avalos from Lagos, with none mentioning Armadillo nor Sierra de Pinos. Of course they wouldn't!!!
- The biggest surprise (and the creepiest...), is testigo NICOLAS GARCIA, age 30, brother of the bride. But how can this be?? Nicolas Garcia de Avalos was hung, beheaded and quartered, 3 years before, in San Luis Potosi!!?? The only explanation: one of the younger siblings adopted his name, after his death. This family was all about aliases and shadows.

So, now we know that after the executions, Gaspar de Avalos and Luisa de Quezada would have collected and buried the bodies of their sons, when the authorities allowed it. They were then likely forced to leave SLP, perhaps even forfeiting whatever property they owned. They still had 2 sons, under the age of 16, and 4 daughters, all of marrying age. Gaspar de Abalos & the OMG then headed south to Huaniqueo. We've seen them in Irapuato, Gto, but this is the first time we've placed anyone from this branch in old Michoacan. And now we know that he had a brother named Juan de Avalos, who lived & died there. This gets us that much closer to the Avalos/ Tobar/ Villasenor / Cervantes etc.

Additional notes:

- Daughter Andrea de Avalos still has to marry Roque Flores, on 02 May 1664, in Lagos. Women usually lived with their parents until married, though in her case, she was at least 40 years-old (most of their 8 daughters married rather late - well after 30). But it's possible that she still lived with her parents, and that Gaspar and Luisa returned to Lagos before 1664. Que vida mas loca!

- I've located 2 men named Bartolome de Avalos, one, who was Mestizo, living in Angamacutiro and married to Catalina Gutierrez Mulata Libre, and another, who was categorized as Morisco, and who married Melchora Juana India, 25 May 1659, in Indaparapeo. Since his daughter, Maria de Avalos, was said to have had her affair with Alonso Rodriguez in 1659, our Bartolome is likely the first. It's possible they're the same person, or perhaps father and son.

- Gaspar de Abalos signed his name, revealing that he had received an education, and that he had at least a middle-class upbringing.

Saludos!
Manny Diez Hermosillo

04 Feb 1660 IM de Luisa de Avalos y Quezada, con Alonso Rodriguez de Montemayor.
"México, Michoacán, registros parroquiales y diocesanos, 1555-1996," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-KGSB-TB?cc=1883388&wc=3NTX… : 20 May 2014), Morelia > Arquidiócesis de Morelia > image 72 of 1421; parroquias Católicas, Michoacan (Catholic Church parishes, Michoacan).

Hola Marcelina y Rick,

With all of this talk of Davalos, Villaseñor, Orosco y Cervantes; I came upon this capellania regarding the Villalobos (Augustin Villalobos; Diego Villalobos Clerigo, nephew of Antonio Villalobos, others) img78:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-2KS9-HZ?i=77&wc=3NTL-N3D

What interested me (and what might interest you) is img152: Francisco Antonio Peredo, en nombre de Maria Magdalena Davalos Bracamonte Orosco y Cervantes, Viuda del Capitan Pedro Antonio Trebuesto(?) Cavallero, hija legitima del Conde Don Pedro Alonso Davalos Bracamonte, del Orden de Santiago, Conde de Miravalle cc Condesa Doña Francisca Antonia de Orosco y Cervantes (hija legitima de Manuel Orosco y Cervantes, hijo de Mariana de Villalobos). The date is 30 May 1740, I believe.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-2KS9-SL?i=151&wc=3NTL-N3D

I just thought I'd post this for your records, as there are a lot of relationships defined in this document, and perhaps it can be of use to you.

Gracias y saludos!
Manny Diez Hermosillo

Sebastian de Avalos was an arriero (muleteer), and they lived in Pozos, SLP. I have them with eight children:

1. Salvador de Avalos Castro, b. 08 Nov 1638, Sagrario SLP.
2. Augustin de Avalos Castro, b. 01 Oct 1640, San Francisco de Pozos, SLP; m. Magdalena Ruiz-Camarillo, 20 Mar 1661, San Francisco de Pozos, SLP.
3. Francisca de Avalos Castro, b. 19 Oct 1642, San Francisco de Pozos, SLP.
4. Geronima de Avalos Castro, b. 24 Oct 1644, San Francisco de Pozos, SLP; m. Manuel de Luna, 10 Apr 1663, San Francisco de Pozos, SLP.
5. Maria de Avalos Castro, b. 24 Mar 1647, San Francisco de Pozos, SLP.
6. Josepha de Avalos Gatica, b. 31 May 1649, Sagrario, SLP.
7. Juan de Avalos, d. 01 Nov 1681, Sagrario, SLP.
8. Sebastian de Avalos Castro, b. 13 Feb 1655, San Francisco de Pozos, SLP.

Sebastian de Avalos died and was buried 11 May 1658, in San Francisco de Pozos, SLP. No testo por no tener de que.

I don’t have Sebastian’s nor Mariana’s ancestry, but from the 09 Jun 1712 dispensa for Nicolas Castaneda and Maria Gomez in Pinos, Zac, we know that Sebastian was brother of Gabriel de Avalos cc Maria Quezada. The testigos in this dispensa mistakenly call him “Baltasar de Avalos,” but as far as I know, he never used “Baltasar.” My guess is that the testigos confused his with Baltasar de Avalos of Lagos, who married Juana Ruiz, and who might be his brother.

On 19 Sep 1639, in Pozos SLP, Sebastian and Mariana were padrinos for Gaspar, son of Gaspar de Avalos and Luisa Quezada, revealing a connection between these two.

I descend from their granddaughter, Ysabel de Avalos, who changed her name to Ysabel Ruiz de Villaseñor, after she married in 1683. I haven’t seen any of her other family members using this surname, but I have seen “De Avalos Villaseñor,” used by Gabriel de Avalos’ daughter, Ysabel de Avalos Villaseñor, who married Diego Carrion. “de Avalos Villaseñor” appears in parts of SLP, Guanajuato and in Aguascalientes, though I don’t know how and if they’re linked.