Profile picture for user robros12

Online Status

Por robros12 |

Hola a todos,

I recently traced my ancestry to Sebastian Merino and Thomasa de la Cruz (Rodriguez?) from Aguascalientes. I descend from them through their daughter Rosa Maria de Arenas who married Juan Salado de Aguilar.
Here is the burial info of my ancestor Rosa Maria de Arenas:

Name: Rosa Maria Arenas
Gender: Female
Burial Date: 29 Aug 1738
Burial Place: Aguas Calientes
Birthplace: Aguas Calientes
Race: Black
Marital Status: Widowed
Spouse's Name: Juan Salado
Father's Name: Sebastian Merino
Mother's Name: Thomasa De La Cruz

Now, at first I thought that this Sebastian Merino was the same Sebastian who was son of Bernabe Merino and Maria Gutierrez, but then I read on his testament that this Sebastian was married three times: first with Juana del Castillo, then to Maria de Jaen and lastly to Nicolasa Ruiz de Esparza. He never mentions his marriage with Thomasa de la Cruz (Rodriguez?).

Here is the link to the testament:
http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Merino-11

But then, on the last paragraph of his testament he states that a piece of land should be given to his "hijos naturales" Nicolas Merino and Sebastian de Arenas. His last son made me suspect that he has to be somewhat related to my ancestor Rosa Maria de Arenas.

Then, I found the burial info of Sebastian de Arenas (he has the same parents of Rosa Maria de Arenas). I believe this Sebastian de Arenas is the one on Sebastian Merino's testament.
Name: Sebastian Arenas
Gender: Male
Burial Date: 16 Jan 1748
Burial Place: Aguascalientes
Birthplace: Aguascalientes
Race: Black
Marital Status: Single
Father's Name: Sebastian Arenas
Mother's Name: Thomasa De La Cruz

Now, this got more confusing because I ended up finding the marriage record and marriage dispensation of Sebastian Merino (de Arenas) and Thomasa Rodriguez, not sure if it is the same Thomasa de la Cruz. They married on 13 Nov 1689 in Aguascalientes. On his dispensation he is "hijo exposito."

Here is la dispensa:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-18409-32133-10?cc=1874591&wc…

But then if this was the Sebastian Merino who married three times, then he would also be marrying Nicolasa Ruiz de Esparza during the same time, exactly months after his marriage with Thomasa Rodriguez. Thanks to George Fulton's indexes matrimoniales, I found the index of la informacion of Sebastian Merino and Nocolasa Ruiz de Esparza on 22 Nov 1689 in Aguascalientes. This is really really fast to re-marry, not only that but Sebastian's former spouse as stated in the index is Maria de Jaen, not Thomasa. Unless, this Thomasa Rodriguez is not the same Thomasa de la Cruz and therefore mother of Rosa Maria and Sebastian.

Is anyone familar with Sebastian Merino's family and descendants?

I am really confused, I hope I explained myself good.

Thank you.

Roberto Rosales V

Thanks Austin for your response!

Yes, I think you are right. After posting my post, I realized that Sebastian de Arenas (Merino) and Thomasa Rodriguez couldn't be the same Sebastian Merino and Thomasa de la Cruz (parents of Sebastian de Arenas (El Joven) and my ancestor Rosa Maria de Arenas). I concluded this by checking the dates. Sebastian Merino and Thomasa Rodriguez married in 1689, while Rosa Maria de Arenas married around the mid to late 1690s. If Rosa Maria was indeed daughter of this Sebastian Merino and Thomasa Rodriguez, then Rosa Maria would be really young to marry (less than ten years).

So now, I concluded that both Rosa Maria de Arenas and Sebastian de Arenas (married to Thomasa Rodriguez) were siblings, their parents were Sebastian Merino (the older) and Tomasa de la Cruz, like stated in the burial records. What initially confused me was that Sebastian de Arenas' wife was also named Thomasa like Sebastian and Rosa Meria's mother Thomasa de la Cruz.

This makes me think that Sebastian Merino (the Older) had an affair with Thomasa de la Cruz, and they were never married since Thomasa is not stated as a previous wife on his testament. But they both had children. Both Sebastian and Rosa Maria (my ancestor) are classified as mulattos, meaning that Thomasa de la Cruz, their mother, was either a black freed/slave or mulatta. Maybe that is the reason why Sebastian de Arenas is said to be hijo natural in Sebastian Merino's testament because his mother was a slave or mulatta and was not recognized (that is my assumption, not sure how it actually worked).

Also, what does "hijo exposito" mean? Does it mean the child was an orphan? I am asking this because when Sebastian de Arenas married Thomasa Rodriguez, Sebastian is said to be hijo exposito. But then there is consanguidad between Thomasa Rodriguez and Sebastian de Arenas (Merino).

Here is a bit of what the dispensa states:
"...el inpedimento en el grado de parentesco, que con quien dicha Thomasa tubo copula lisita, es sobrino carnal de mi Padre, hijo de hermana lexitima, con que yo bengo aser primo del tal y nos dicen que en segundo grado, y otros que en tercero…"

If Sebastian was indeed a "hijo exposito," how did they know Tomasa Rodriguez and Sebastian were related.

Thanks Austin!

Hi Roberto,

Hijo exposito refers to an abandoned child. From reading other dispensas it seems common that an "hijo exposito" or "hijo de padres no concidos" keeps that label even if claimed by one or both parents. And this would seem to be true for Sebastian's dispensa with Tomasa Rodriguez, where he is listed as hijo exposito and later states to know who his father is. The fact that he knows the identity of his father is consistent with Sebastian Merino's (son of Bernabe's) testamento where he acknowledges his hijos naturales. It is unfortunate though that in the dispensa Sebastian does not provide the name of his father or the cousin who had the affair wih Tomasa.

After reading the dispensa that you provided, another possible theory is that there are 3 generations of Sebastians: Sebastian(1) Merino, espanol, hijo legitimo de Bernabe Merino, Sebastian(2) de Arenas, mestizo, hijo natural de Sebastian(1) Merino and Sebastian(3) Arenas, mulato, hijo legitimo of Sebastian(2)de Arenas and Tomasa de la Cruz (aka Rodriguez). You have a good point that Rosa Maria de Arenas could not have been the daughter of Sebastian(2) based on the facts that Sebastian(2) and Tomasa married in 1689 and Rosa Maria married some time in the 1690's. Unless Rosa Maria was one of Sebastian(2)and Tomasa's four children that were born prior to their marriage. Tomasa's declaration in the dispensa states:

"...que ella [Tomasa] de toda su voluntad, siempre la tiene y ha tenido, de casarse con el dicho Sebastián Merino por palabra que le dio de ser su marido y en esta fe ha estado en su amistad ilícita y torpe tiempo mas de ocho a nueve anos en los cuales han cargado de cuatro hijos..."

If Rosa Maria was the eldest child then that would put her age around 18 years old when she married. This is just a theory, hopefully we can find supporting records to make the connections for your Sebastian and my Bartolome.

Buena suerte!

Austin Perez

Hello Roberto,

I have the following information for Sebastian Merino son of Bernabe Merino and Maria Gutierrez:

Sebastián Merino (February 1636 - ? ) m. Juana del Castillo m. María de Jaén m. Nicolasa Ruiz de Esparza

1. María Merino, daughter of Juana del Castillo ( ? - September 21, 1694) m. January 28, 1691 in Aguascalientes to Antonio Núñez
a. María Antonia Núñez (December 1692 - May 1, 1742) m. May 8, 1709 in Aguascalientes to Domingo de Medina

2. Nicolás Merino, hijo natural, m. March 20, 1695 in Aguascalientes to Antonia Montaño (aka Burgos)
a. María Merino ( ? - November 7, 1738) m. Cayetano Arias
b. Juana Merino de Burgos ( ? - July 16, 1710) m. Martín Monreal
c. Antonia de Burgos m. Lorenzo Calvillo
d. José Manuel Merino (March 27, 1695 - ? )
e. Nicolás Merino, hijo natural, (July 1698 - ? )

3. Sebastin de Arenas, hijo natural. This Sebastian maybe the one who was married to Tomasa Rodriguez?

My Merino/Arenas ancestry is from Bartolome Merino who married Bernabela de Esqueda on June 14, 1704 in Aguascalientes. I have their children as Damaso, Francisca Teresa, Roman and Francisco Tadeo (my 7th Great Grandfather). A connection between Bartolome and your Sebstian de Arenas is found in Roman's baptism record, where Sebastian and Tomasa Rodriguez are listed as godparents.

"Roman, mestizo, hijo legitimo

En la villa de Aguascalientes en ocho de marzo de mil setecientos diecisiete, bauticé y puse los santos óleos a Román, mestizo, hijo legitimo de Bartolomé de Arenas y Bernabela de Esqueda, madrina Antonia Arenas..."

I'll be sure to pass on any new information that I find.

Hasta pronto.
Austin Perez

Genealogy Research