Hola prim@s,

Simón García and Clara de Maya were early residents of Mexticacán. I mentioned them in an earlier thread regarding the Benavides/Cortes/Aguayo clans. Their names had come up in the proceso against vicar Francisco de Veas of August 1570 - Simón García presented witnesses against the accused, and Clara de Maya was one of the women who refused to confess with him.

I came upon their names again while going through the notarial archives of San Luis Potosí. On 14 Oct 1593, Clara de Maya - at the time, a widow and living in San Luis Potosí - grants power to her son, Juan Bautista de Meneses, to handle all of her legal affairs. There are a number of documents regarding their efforts to collect moneys owed to them through probate, including her carta de dote and Simón García’s testamento.

On 15 Jun 1568, in Guadalajara, Simón García submitted the carte de dote of Clara de Maya (on image 41), “his legitimate wife, daughter of Pedro de Maya, deceased, who was a resident of this city… having received 1,000 pesos … 552 of which were given to him by Diego de Colio, executor of Pedro de Maya.” I’m assuming that Pedro de Maya is the same who participated in the Conquest of Mexico alongside Cortés, seeing how Diego de Colio was his executor (though, according to other records, he lived in Antequera, Oaxaca).

On 12 Oct 1585 in Mexticacán, Simón García submitted his last will & testament (image 46). He declared that he was the son of Diego Marín de Cubas and Isabel Álvarez de Meneses, naturales de Santa María en los Reinos de Castilla (according to the testamento of one of his daughters, Simón García was from Canary Islands, so this would probably be Santa María de Guía de Gran Canaria). He names his and Clara de Maya’s six children: Isabel Álvarez de Meneses cc Pedro Rincón Granado, Diego Martín, Juan Bautista de Meneses, Martín Ramírez, María Cortés and Catalina de Meneses. Of interest, are the names of his debtors and executors:

• me deve joanes de arrona Residente en la cañada de san Joan quinientos y treinta y tres psº y un tomin
• me deve Pedro narvaez Residente en el Pueblo de xalostotitlan lo que dixere en su conçiençia porque le tengo por buen cristiano porque no me acuerdo lo que es sino que le e ydo dando dineros y sal y lo que declare se cobre del
• me deve Joan muñoz Residente en el pueblo de xalostotitlan lo que el dijere y declare en su conçiençia de vacas y Ropa que le fui dando que no me acuerdo lo ques que lo quel dixere eso sera y cobrese del
• me deve baltasar garçia cuñado de joanes de arona treinta y dos psº de oro comun de tomines
• yten declaro que yo tengo enpeñado en poder de diego flores señor de suchipila un jarro de plata de los nuevos en veinte y çinco psº mando se le den los dichos veinte y çinco Psº y se cobre del el dho Jarro
• me deve alº de Robalcava veinte y seis psº de oro comun de vacas y Ropa que le di mᵈº se cobren del
• me deve Luis de benavides mi cuñado noventa psº y quatro tomines q le preste en plata mando no se los pidan hasta el dia de pasqua de Resurreçion
• yten declaro que me deve Luis de benvides El moço veinte y seis ffanegas de maiz de un cavallo q le vendi mando se cobren del
• yten declaro que ansimesmo me deve francº hernandez Residente en mytic onçe ffanegas de maiz que le preste
• nonbro por mis albaçeas y testamentarios y tenedores de mys bienes a Pedro de Umendia e a Luis de benavides su cuñado

What caught my eye, were the two men named Luis de Benavides, one whom Simón García identified as “el mozo,” and the other whom he identified as his cuñado (and who is likely the same who was his executor). If Luis de Benavides was his cuñado, then he was either: a. married to Simón García’s sister, b. the brother of Clara de Maya, or c. married to the sister of Clara de Maya. If it were “c,” in the aforementioned causa contra Francisco de Veas, one of the witnesses was Andrea Cortés, born around 1540, who was identified as the wife of Luis de Benavides. I mused that she could be another daughter of Pedro Cortés and a sister of Catalina Cortés, but is it possible that she was a daughter of Pedro de Maya? One of the daughters of Simón García and Clara de Maya was named Maria Cortés, who could have received her surname from Clara de Maya. Hmmm. I wonder what Pedro de Maya’s wife’s name was?

Simón García’s and Clara de Maya’s daughter, Catalina de Meneses, later used the name “Catalina Ramírez.” She was married to Juan Navarro “el Viejo,” of San Luis Potosí, where they lived (from them descend the Navarro of Sierra de Pinos, through their daughter Mariana Ramírez cc Melchor de los Reyes). In some records, Catalina appears with the surname “Ramírez de la Campaña.” One wonders if there is any connection to Juan Ramírez de la Campaña cc doña Francisca de Temiño de Velasco?

I hope you all find these puzzle pieces useful!
Manny Díez Hermosillo