Matias Romero (1597-1646)

The son of Bartolome Romero, Matias Romero (1597-1646) married  with Dona Isabel de Pedraza.

The following information on my next generation of Romero's is information from a article written by  José Antonio Esquibel, which was published in  “Herencia” The Quarterly Journal of the Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico Vol 11 Issue 3 July 2003,  he states that Inquisition documents are the main source of recorded family memory for documenting the genealogy of 17th century New Mexico families.

Although Matias Romero came under scrutiny by the Inquisition for trading Indians, it appears that none of his immediate descendents came under any charges. These descendents enter the records as witnesses in Inquisition cases concerning their relatives, neighbors, and the governors. It is hoped that this study not only contributes to an understanding of the genealogy and history of the Romero family but also to an understanding of the family identity, family preservation, and the transmission of values in 17th century New Mexico.

Today the records of the Inquisition are the most valuable documents relating the 17th century New Mexico family memory and history. Fray Angelico Chavez read through numerous volumes of Photostat copies of Inquisition records to compile the first genealogical account of the Romero family of 17th century New Mexico which has since provided the pivotal juncture for additional research. In the past decade research in Spain turned up church records related to the family of Bartolome Romero the progenitor of the Romero family in New Mexico.

Matias Romero and dona Isabel de Pedraza were the progenitors of as many as forty- eight descendents born before the end of the 17th century. The Pueblo Indian uprising of August 1680 claimed the lives of 8 to10 members of this branch of the Romero family. From this current study are that the greater majority of individuals with the surname of Romero returning to New Mexico in December 1693 were grandchildren of Matias Romero and Dona Isabel de Pedraza. In contrast there is no documentation to confirm that any descendents of the brothers of Matias Romero -- Bartolomeo Romero and Agustín Romero -- returned to New Mexico in 1693 or soon after. The names of 12 grandchildren of Matias Romero are still unknown. Indications as such, it is very probable that several of the Romero individuals accounted for in the records of late 17th century New Mexico were descendents of Matias Romero and Dona Isabel de Pedraza. The exceptions are the few Romero people returning to New Mexico who were members of the family of Alonzo Romero a mestizo who lived and worked in the household family of Felipe Romero son of (Matias Romero).

 The genealogical information provided by Diego Perez Romero during his Inquisition trial in 1663 is most valuable for confirming the children of Matias Romero and Dona Isabel de Pedraza whose offspring at times used the extended surname of Romero de Pedraza. Initially fray Angelico Chavez logically associated Bartolome Romero de Pedraza and Francisco Romero de Pedraza as children of Matias and dona Isabel, and eventually was able to provide confirmation through verifiable documentation from pre-nuptial-investigation records.

In March 1631 fray Esteban de Perea, Comisario del Santo Oficio de la Inquisition, sought testimony from Matias Romero in a case against his brother in law, Gaspar Perez, but Romero only stated he knew nothing about the matter in question. He gave his age as 27 indicating he was born circa 1604, and declared he was a vecino of Santa Fe. It is apparent he was literate since he was able to sign his name. By 1631 Romero already held prominent military and social positions, serving as aguacil mayor (chief constable or High Sheriff) of Santa Fe and alfarez real (royal standard bearer).

Matias Romero also served as a rigidor (town Councilman) and alcalde ordinario of the Villa de Santa Fe before his death in 1646. Romero and his wife dona Isabel de Pedraza were the parents of four sons and two daughters, as identified by Diego Perez Romero in his statement about his family background in 1663. Perez Romero named his cousins in the following order; Pedro Romero, Francisco Romero, Bartolome Romero, Felipe Romero, Louisa Romero and Catalina Lopez Robledo aka Romero. The eldest of these children appears to have been Pedro Romero who was married with Petronila de Vera, a daughter of Diego de Vera and Maria de Abendano who also went by the name Petronila de Salas. There is still no additional historical information concerning Pedro Romero. He was apparently deceased by August 1680 when Petronila de Salas and her children were killed at Pojoaque by Pueblo Indians. It was estimated that eight to ten children of this family, including grown sons and daughters, were the victims of the assault.