Nieto Corona

Wow. If I had seen the relationships given here on an online family tree, you know, one of those sourceless trees on which the relationships are based purely on matching names&surnames, I’d have ignored this. But this is the actual description of the contents of an actual file catalogued at an actual government archive; unless the documents are doctored, there is no reason to doubt the veracity of the relationships given. 
Many of us have wondered whether Josefa Corona descended from Martin Monje cc Isabel Alvarez Corona, and if so, how? This appears to confirm that, and reveals how. And you’re right, times & locations do match: a limpieza & probanza done for Josefa Corona cc Pedro Nieto in 1646, and the power of attorney to do so granted to her cousin, Lic. Martin de Leon (son of Pedro Villanueva and Beatriz Corona, who was sister of Catalina Corona), and before Francisco Morales (escribano publico and alguacil mayor in Sierra de Pinos). Btw, the name of the ancestor who was granted an escudo de armas in 1539 was Martin Monje and not Manuel Monje, but that’s academic. 
I wonder why Josefa Corona needed to do a limpieza & probanza? Maybe for her son, Fray Lorenzo Nieto, who I believe joined the Dominican order? And I wonder how Antonio Luis de la Plaza, born 1672 in Madrid, Spain, descended from them? Could he be a grandson of Manuel Nieto Corona, who was said to be residing in Spain when Pedro Nieto wrote his testamento in 1658? Maybe his mother, Maria Carrera, was daughter of Manuel Nieto? That’s the only possible link. Wow. I don’t descend from this family, but I’d still love to get my hands on this dossier, and see how all of the pieces fall into place!

Anyway, I looked for the power of attorney granted in 1646 to Lic. Martin de Leon in the online Guadalajara notary archives, but the only document regarding Pedro Nieto and Josefa Corona that I could find was this one, dated 30 Nov 1635, in which, as the executors and heirs of her deceased brother, Juan Perez Barlota, they grant powers to Diego Fernandez de Cordoba, to settle some accounts on their behalf: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSDL-83SK-4?view&lang=…

I’ve seen no record of Cosme Lopez cc Catalina Corona having a son named Juan, nor have I seen the surnames Perez Barlota associated with them. Other than a carta de pago dated 2 Jun 1627 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSDL-69LV-T?view&lang=…, I’ve been unable to find anything on Juan Perez Barlota, who would’ve died some time before 30 Nov 1635; unless his wife preceded him in death, I doubt he was married, since he named Doña Josefa and Pedro Nieto as his executors and heirs. I searched for his testamento, but no luck; maybe someone else can try?

Anyways, thanks for sharing this, Tristan - great find!

For anyone descending from Pedro Nieto cc Josefa Corona, this would be how she descends from Martin Monje:

i. Alonso Gutierrez de Leon cc Doña Inés de Alonso Monja
ii. Don Martin Monje de Leon cc Doña isabel Alvarez Corona
iii. Doña Catalina de Leon y Corona cc Juan Fernandez Nieto
iv. Doña Catalina de Leon y Corona cc Cosme Lopez
v. Doña Josefa Corona m. Pedro Nieto

As per his testamento, Pedro Nieto was from Linhares, Coimbra, Portugal, son of Hernando de Almedia and Isabel Hernandez.

Saludos!
Manny Díez Hermosillo

Very interesting lead! Initially I too thought it seemed a bit far fetched however after connecting some dots I now think this has some traction! 

From what we do know, in 1641, around 10+ years after our ancestors Pedro Nieto and Josefa Corona married, they convened to the justices to affirm their marriage dowry. Josefa’s dowry was given to Pedro by Nicolas de Urdiales (Valdes) and his wife Catalina Lopez Corona! The sudden apparent need for it to be in written form was to “maintain the peace, amicability, and ensure no fraud to the dowry givers.” A second document confirms the receipt of the dowry, shedding light that it was originally agreed upon in 1630. The dowry was valued at 4,200 pesos and was loaded with goodies like; 

-a pair of blue silk sheets

-2 pink goatskin pillows with floral designs from Ruan

-5 Agnus Dei (cordero de Dios/lamb of God figurines) ornate with gold, feathers, and pearls

-10 spoons and 1 large ladle all minted of silver

-a decorative ornate salt shaker 

The documentation is so vivid with details and mentioning numerous times how Catalina and Josefa are sisters, but it fails to mentions who their parents are. In any event I can now correlate Josefa having a sister who supposedly is her mother's namesake. 

As Manny stated above, let us recall our ancestor Pedro Nieto’s 1658 testamento... it makes mention that his and Josefa’s son Manuel (the first born son) was residing in "Los Reinos de Castilla" and their son Lorenzo was of the religious order of San Francisco. Therefore, in my eyes, it seems obvious there was some immediate contact/connection with Castilla in their generation. 

Also I too have never seen the surname Perez Barlota or any mentioning of a brother named Juan in the documents I have encountered. Perhaps a brother-in-law to Josefa? Even more intriguing. Also the document Manny cited “Revista de la Sociedad de Historia, Genealogía y Heráldica de Jalisco" fails to mention a daughter named Catalina? After a quick comb through of other couples within this document, there is no mention of known children to the couples born before 1600 (here and there only in 1599, but this is obviously so as this is intended for the 17th century only). 

I too am now very curious as to why Josefa would need a probanza de hidalguía and a limpieza de sangre? What are the contents within these documents? Also the fact that they are stored in the Vizcaya archives, is this a clue to where her family is from? Or was this merely because her son Manuel living there? 

Hola Tristan,

Others have researched the Monje de Leon/Alvarez Corona families. Silvia H. Corona comes to mind, and has published many studies available online. I’ve also posted some work I’ve done on this family here at NR: https://nuestrosraices.com/en/node/25061
That document from August 1594 isn’t Catalina de Leon’s testamento, it’s regarding her late husband’s estate. Throughout that document, Catalina Corona is identified as their daughter and heir. She was already married to Cosme Lopez and said that she was over the age of 24 years.
Catalina Corona is also mentioned in the testamento of her half-sister, Mariana Osorio, who was daughter of Catalina de Leon from her first marriage, to Cristobal de Giron Osorio, in which she identifies Catalina Corona, wife of Cosme Lopez, as her sister. She also bequeaths a slave named Maria to her niece, Doña Jusepa Corona, though she doesn’t say whose daughter Jusepa is. She also mentions another niece - a nun named Josepha de Jesus: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSDL-69L5-5?view=explo…

Antonio: in which city was Josefa Corona’s dowry card submitted? And is it available online? If so, please share the link. Thanks!

I don’t think this family had roots in Vizcaya. This file is located in that archive because that’s where Antonio Luis de la Plaza was living, and he needed to provide proof of his status as an hijodalgo. But he was born in 1672 in Madrid, where he was baptized at the church of San Justo. His father was a member of the king’s Guardia Amarilla, so they would’ve lived where ever the court was. But they do mention someone named Rafael Carrera, who presented his probanza/limpieza in 1636 in the principality of Catalunya, “to enter into the service of His Majesty.” Rafael Carrera is obviously related to Maria Carrera, Antonio Luis’ mother, so the Carrera’s might have roots in Catalunya. My guess is, Maria Carrera was the daughter of Manuel Nieto Corona; “Carrera” is not among the surnames of the known ancestors of Manuel Nieto, so it might be his wife’s surname, but that’s just a guess.

Saludos!

Manny Díez Hermosillo