Capitán Sebastián Martín Serrano

Sebastian Martin Serrano

Recipient of the Sebastian Martin Grant of 1703, north of San Juan de los Caballeros, or present Ohkay Owingeh, upward toward an area called "La Joya," or present Velarde. A resident of Santa Cruz de la Cañada both before and after Popeh's Rebellion, he moved his family to the abandoned ruins of the Tewa village of Pfioge after receiving the grant for this stretch of the Rio Grande (or the Rio del Norte in these parts), where he built up a new home that he named "Puesta de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad del Rio del Norte Arriba," located near present Alcalde. The fortified ranch home eventually held 24 rooms by the time of his death. This eventually was inherited by a granddaughter who married Santiago Lucero, after which the location became known as first the Plaza de los Luceros, then later, as it is known today, the Hacienda de los Luceros.

Sources:

• Roadside New Mexico: A Guide to Historic Markers, by David Pike:
  • http://books.google.by/books?id=SSXRGB21WH4C&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=Nu...
• The Adobe Kingdom, by Donald L. Lucero
  • http://books.google.by/books?id=xBm7ZGkXQJkC&pg=PA149&lpg=PA149&dq=...

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English translation of 1712 petition and grant under which Sebastian maintained occupancy of his grant for the remainder of his life:

http://www.newmexicohistory.org/uploads/23976/Seb%20Martin%20Transl...

To the Marquis de la Pezuela, Governor and Captain General.

Captain Sebastian Martin, resident of the jurisdiction of the city of Santa Cruz, appears before the greatness of Your Excellency with profound submission and in the most approved manner the law allows me, and states that, whereas in the year 1703, Antonio Martin and myself registered and denounced, for both of us, a vacant uncultivated unoccupied tract of land in the Rio Arriba district, a short distance from the Pueblo of San Juan, this present year, which many years ago was registered by Joseph Garcia Jurado, Sebastian de Vargas, and Sebastian de Polonia, who never occupied it, for which reason they lost all right and title to it as this Majesty, whom may God preserve, has ordered and directed in his royal laws, which registration and denouncement was made by us before the Marquis de la Naba de Brazinos, Governor and Captain General of this Kingdom, who by virtue there of was pleased to confer the grant upon us in the name of his Majesty, declaring the first without any right, according to the Royal laws, in order that they should never lay any claim to said tract, and therefore Royal possession was given by Sergeant Major Juan de Ulibarri, by virtue of a commission given for that purpose by General Don Narcisco de Valdez, which I took quietly and peacefully without any opposition wahtever, and myself as well as five of my brothers have resided upon and possessed the same from that time. I have broken up lands, opened a main ditch from the Rio del Norte for irrigating the land, built a house with four rooms and two strong towers for defense against the enemy in case of invasion, being on the frontier, and the patron belonging to Antonio Sisneros was bought by me at Royal sale from Josefa Lujan, the widows of the said Antonio Sisneros, which sale was effected and took place before Captain Antonio Montoya, who at that time was Judge of the first instance, and whereas all the said instruments, deeds, and titles belonging to said tract and lands have been lost and have not been able to find them, although I have diligently sought for them, and although the laws would protect me in holding them, being a possessor in good faith in case I had not registered them, however, Justice intervening.

Your Excellency will be pleased in view of what I have stated to grant to me in the name of His Majesty the said tract and arable land, also for raising cattle and horses, with waters, pastures, woodlands, and watering places, in the manner in which said Royal possession was given to me, and to the boundary assigned and measured by Lieuttenant General Juan Paez Hurtado, who ran the line from the said Pueblo of San Juan to where he ordered a cross to be placed as proof of a boundary, and the others up the river to the canyon, which reaches to El Embudo, and on the east to the road that leads from Chimayo to the Pueblo of Picuris (the present High Road to Taos), and to the west to a table land on the other side of the Rio del Norte, all of which was given to me in Royal possession by the said Sergeant Major as above stated.

Therefore, in view of all that has been stated, Your Excellency will be pleased to direct that Royal possession be given to me again so that in all time to come it may appear that said tract and lands are lawfully mine and to declare as forfeited the right of the first parties who registered, who at some future time may maliciously set up a claim against said tract.

In consideration of all which, I pray and request Your Excellency with all due reveration and respect to be pleased to direct this, my petition, to be compliled with, which I expect from Your Excellency's great Justice, who so faithfully attends to the wants of the subjects of His Majesty in the good and unpartial administration of justice, which I solicit, and I swear that this is not done through malice and whatever may be necessary, etc.

I further state before the greatness of Your Excellency that from the said year 1703 up to this time I have resided upon said land, which is on the frontier, not withstanding the great risks to be encountered from the Apache enemy, who occasionally make their descents upon us, as Your Excellency is well aware from the time you entered upon the government of this Kingdom that I have always resided there, therefore Your Excellency will be pleased to decree in my favor, justice being what I sue for.

Sevastian Martin

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In the capital city of this Kingdom and Provinces of New Mexico on the 23rd day of the month of May in the year 1712, the foregoing petition was presented before my Admiral Don Joseph Chacon Medina Salazar y Villasenor, Gentleman of the Order of Santiago, Marquis of Pezuela, Governor and Captain General of this said Kingdom, its provinces, and Castillian of its forces and garrisons by His Majesty, the contents whereof having been seen by me, I considered it as presented as the law requires, and in consideration of its contents, and the resons upon which he bases his petition, I confer upon him the new grant as he has held, enjoyed, and possessed it as appears by his petition, and of which I declare him to be the lawful owner, notwithstanding any right which said citizens may claim to said lands, who now nor hereafter shall be heard in counter out of Court, and I pray and inform my successor to protect him in the rights he is so justly entitled to as during the time of my government, I have known him to be the lawful owner (thereof) as is well known, declaring as I do declare without any legal right to any person who with evil intentions shall denounce said land or who shall enter suit against the petitioner for any private end, or any sinister representation against the said Sebastian Martin, and by virtue thereof hereby revalidate and confirm this grant as he requests, in order that he may enjoy the same for himself, his children, heirs, and successors without inquiry to his person, declaring as I do declare, as null and void any other instrument (with which an adverse claim may be set up against him), the said Sebastian Martin, having occupied the land as His Majesty directs, and having remained there at the eminent risk of his life, by the acts of the common enemy, said tract being situated on the frontier where he has presumed in remaining up to this day, and I direct my Secretary of Government and War Sergeant Cristobal de Gongora to proceed to said tract of land and leave the said Sebastian Martin in quiet and peaceable possession assignment him the boundaries he asks for and in order that this decree may be to him a sufficient title and grant and as a matter of record, I so provided, ordered, and signed with my aforesaid Secretary of Government and War (whom I directed to attach hereto) the seal of my arms on said date.

El Marquis de la Pezuela

Before me, Cristobal de Gongora, Secretary of Government and War

(The original document is much torn and portions of it are entirely abbreviated, according to the translator.)

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@R-1262306719@ Millennium File Heritage Consulting Ancestry.com Operations Inc 1,7249::0

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@R-1262306719@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

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