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Por chilerey54 |

Hola Miembros , I was cruising through Baptismal Records in Jalostotitlan - 1698-1701 ,1701-1707,1694-1702 Image # 225 . States Gertrudis Escoto y Tovar baptized 13 of 1698 in San Juan de Los lagos -Morisca . Gertrudis was the daughter of Diego Escoto y Tovar and Juana Alvarez de Ulloa y Mendoza . Parents of Diego Escoto y Tovar were Antonio Escoto y Tovar and Ines Ortiz de Rodas. I have no info for Juana Alvarez de Ulloa y Mendoza. My point being Gertrudis was classified as a morisca , I was trying to figure out was this an error or what family line does her African lineage come from ?

Thank you fo time

Ronnie

Hi Ronnie - I don't have anything to offer on the morisca issue. But, interestingly, I was just working yesterday on Francisca Gertrudis Escoto y Tovar who was married to Ysidro Villalobos. They had children in Aguascalientes between 1683 and 1694, so this is definitely not your Gertrudis. But since we are talking about the Escoto y Tovar family, does anyone have any information about Francisca Gertrudis? I can't find any records about her at all, other than records for her children. I am guessing that she died around 1694-1696, as Ysidro had 2 more children in 1697 and 1699 with Angela Dias de la Huerta.

Daniel

Daniel,

Francisca Gertrudis Escoto y Tovar and Isidro de Villalobos are my ancestors too. you can find them here:

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/De_Escoto_y_Tovar-12

I'm not sure who the parents of Francisca Gertrudis Escoto y Tovar are either. But she could be this child baptized in 1656:

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/De_Escoto_y_Tovar-30

not sure, but its a possibility

Danny C. Alonso

In my experience, the "castas" system was not used based on the romanticized colonial charts (made mostly as propaganda rather than scientific research). In Mexico, from all the records I've seen, less than five per cent are true to these charts, Is obvious (to me a least) that the "race" designation was used as a physical description rather than genetic, and the words "mulato", "morisco", and "lobo" are often used simply to state that the kid is from a possible mix ancestry, and/or a times to state how they "look", similar to today's "tez morena" "tez clara". Thus if the kid look a bit dark-skin, they would likely use any of those "castas" to "describe" him/her, regardless of their parents been "Spanish". (and for the most part the parents, specially the mother, where not present during the baptism)

A pattern I've notice at times in some towns is that when Spanish people have kids of darker skin, the would use "morisco", but when the kid was from Spanish and Natives, they would likely use "mulato" or "lobo", still it was up to the priest to designate.

Also the "casta" was thought by many, to be part of their social status, at times those who descend from Wealthy and Influential Natives/Mestizos were called Spanish.

In your record, if you don't have any other than Spanish lines before the child, is likely that the "morisco" only refers to her skin tone. But never discard any possibility. Hope it helps a little.

Genealogy Research