Rodriguez or Cavazos?
Combining DNA and Collateral Genealogy to Deliver an Answer for Descendants from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
by Claudia Casillas
July 13, 2022
Like many U.S. Americans researching
their Mexican ancestry, Joseph Rodriguez hit a brick wall when the paper
trail came to a halt. His ancestors were from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, in
northeast Mexico. In researching his Rodriguez direct male-line, Joseph was
stalled at his fifth great-grandfather named Pedro Jose Rodriguez, who
died in Monterrey on 12 November 1804.
1 Some online records for this
parish are not indexed, making it more challenging to find a breakthrough. 2 Joseph paired
traditional genealogical research with Y-chromosome testing. He opted
for the 111-marker test which revealed his closest Y-DNA matches, who
also tested at the 111-marker-level, had the surname Cavazos. Whilst waiting
for the results of the higher-resolution test, called Big Y-700, Joseph reached
out to me for professional research assistance. When the new results reached his inbox, they served
to support the documentary evidence uncovered during the research.
Brick Wall: Pedro Jose Rodriguez (5th great-grandfather)
NAME | BAPTISM | MARRIAGE | |
---|---|---|---|
i. | Maria del Carmen Rodriguez | 25 July 1787 3 | |
ii. | Maria Cecilia Rodriguez | 2 December 17894 | 6 October 1811, groom Jose Ramon Treviño5 |
iii. | Juan Jose Rodriguez | 12 November 17926 | 28 August 1818, bride Juana Garcia7 |
iv. | Jose Ramon Rodriguez | 2 April 17958 | 13 July 1817, bride Maria Trinidad Islas9 |
v. | Josefa Rodriguez | 11 August 1813, groom Jose Sipriano Garcia10 |
Colonial Endogamy and Canon Law
Collateral Genealogy
NAME | BAPTIZED | GODPARENTS |
---|---|---|
Maria del Carmen | 25 July 1787 | Francisco Javier Urresti & Maria Francisca de la Garza |
Maria Cecilia | 2 December 1789 | Vicente Lozano & Maria Francisca de la Garza |
Juan Jose | 12 November 1792 | Luis Arizpe & Francisca Rodriguez |
Jose Ramon | 2 April 1795 | Antonio Lozano & Manuela Gonzalez |
Breakthrough One: Jose Antonio Rodriguez (6th great-grandfather)
Jose Antonio’s last will indicates that he had a first marriage with Clara Rafaela Ledesma,15 who was deceased. From this first marriage, the will states, were born two daughters shown in Table 3.
NAME | BAPTISM | MARRIAGE | |
---|---|---|---|
i. | Juana Beatriz Rodriguez | 23 June 172416 | wife of Javier Garcia |
ii. | Antonia Margarita Rodriguez | wife of Jose Domingo Gonzalez |
From his second marriage to Maria Ines de la Garza,17 the will states, Jose Antonio Rodriguez had the following twelve children listed in Table 4. Jose Antonio died on 23 December 1759.18
NAME | BAPTISM | MARRIAGE | |
---|---|---|---|
iii. | Jose de Jesus Rodriguez | 8 April 173219 | 25 November 1753, bride Rosalia Guerra20 |
iv. | Ana Maria Rodriguez | 2 March 173421 | |
v. | Juan Jose Rodriguez | 17 February 173622 | 24 June 1764, bride Juana Maria de Olivares23 |
vi. | Pedro Jose Rodriguez | 3 February 173824 | 27 May 1764, Juana Cerda25abt. 1785, Maria Gertrudis Lozano |
vii. | Maria Rosalia Rodriguez | ||
viii. | Maria de Jesus Rodriguez | 24 January 174526 | |
ix. | Clara Maria Rodriguez | 7 February 174727 | |
x. | Ana Josefa Rodriguez | wife of Jose Antonio de la Garza | |
xi. | Jose Mariano Rodriguez | 22 December 174228 | 28 Jun 1777 Catarina Serna29 11 Jan 1791, Victoriana Gongora30 |
xii. | Jose Cayetano Rodriguez | 6 June 175431 | bef. 1802, bride Maria Merced de la Garza32 |
xiii. | Antonia Francisca Rodriguez | 3 July 175233 | |
xiv. | Maria Francisca Rodriguez | 4 May 175634 | wife of Francisco Arizpe |
Jose Antonio’s last will document confirms that he was the father of Pedro Jose Rodriguez. It also names his parents, who were Jose Rodriguez and Maria Garcia Vela, thus extending the tree by one more generation.
Breakthrough Two: Jose Rodriguez (7th great-grandfather)
NAME | BAPTISM | MARRIAGE | |
---|---|---|---|
i. | Beatriz Rodriguez | abt. 1699 | 17 August 1716, groom Jose Garcia Guajardo37 |
ii. | Jose Antonio Rodriguez | abt. 1700 | 28 Feb 1723, Clara Ledesma38 4 Feb 1731, Ines de la Garza39 |
iii. | Miguel Rodriguez | abt. 1710 | 3 May 1734, bride Juana Maria Sanchez40 |
Key Documents: Marriage Dispensations in Guadalajara, Jalisco
PETITION | IMPEDIMENT | BETROTHED COUPLE |
---|---|---|
28 January 174941 | 4th degree consanguinity | Antonia Margarita Rodriguez & Domingo Gonzalez |
5 January 177042 | 4th degree consanguinity | Josefa Rodriguez & Jose Antonio de la Garza |
“…of blood in equal fourth degree which proceeds in the following manner, Margarita Cavazos and a certain person that at present would not be convenient to name were siblings, from doña Margarita came doña Michaela Garcia and from her came captain Marcos Gonzalez and from him, came me the groom = and from the certain person who remains nameless, as is notorious, came Don Jose Rodriguez and from him came don Jose Antonio, and from him came the bride…”
“…find ourselves related in equal fourth degree in the following manner, Doña Maria Cavazos and a certain person that should not be named were siblings and from Doña Maria came Clara, and from her Antonio, and from him Me the groom = from the person not mentioned, as is known came Joseph Rodriguez, and from him the bride, and is necessary for us to obtain dispensation…”
DNA Results
Captain Juan Cavazos: Patriarch of the Cavazos –and Some Rodriguez– Descendants from Monterrey
The last will and testament of Captain Juan Cavazos is dated 26 June 1680. 47 He died on 15 June 1683, in Monterrey. 48 In his will, he proclaims to have been a native
“of the Villa of Santa Maria, in Old Castille.” He declares to be the
legitimate son of Gabriel Cavazos and Simona del Campo, who were residents
of said villa. He was the widower of Elena de la Garza, a native of Monterrey.
His will names their children in the following order, in Table 7.
NAME | BURIAL | MARRIAGE | |
---|---|---|---|
i. | Friar Juan Cavazos, a Franciscan Priest | ||
ii. | Margarita de la Garza | wife of Pedro Garcia de Avila | |
iii. | Antonio Cavazos | abt. 1661, Bernarda Rodriguez de Montemayor | |
iv. | Clara de la Garza | d. 24 June 168949 | wife of Agustin de la Vera |
v. | Maria de la Garza | d. 17 December 167550 | wife of Ignacio Guerra |
vi. | Lucia de la Garza | wife of Antonio de Estrada | |
vii. | Pablo Cavazos | "died before reaching adulthood"51 | |
viii. | Gabriel Cavazos | d. bef. 1680 52 | |
ix. | Jose Cavasos | d. 19 February 170153 | 8 January 1679, Jacinta de la Cerda54 |
The estimated year of birth for Jose Rodriguez (Cavazos) is 1675. He could have been the son of any of the following sons of Captain Juan Cavazos: i.) Friar Juan, iii.) Antonio, viii.) Gabriel, or ix.) Jose. The possibility also exists that the person who fathered Jose Rodriguez may have been an illegitimate son of Captain Juan Cavazos, the settler.
Conclusion
Brick walls are inevitable, even more so where there is a scarcity in available records. The parish of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon is such a place. Some records there are missing, while others have not yet been indexed. However, even with limited records, the method of Collateral Genealogy will sometimes yield results when researching ancestors from Mexico. This case would not have been conclusive were it not also for the client’s DNA results. Although the question remains of who exactly fathered Joseph’s 7th great-grandfather, Jose Rodriguez, the existing evidence proves that Jose's grandfather was Captain Juan Cavazos, an early settler of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon.
A Note of Gratitude
Breaking through a genealogical brick wall is not easy. Those who succeed take a no-holds-barred approach and tackle the problem from multiple fronts. Joseph Rodriguez managed to document his paternal ancestry up to his 5th great-grandfather. He also invested in multiple DNA tests for ancestry. When the limited evidence he had didn’t answer his questions—he commissioned professional research. This case study is generously shared with his permission with the view of helping others. Joseph can be reached at: jmrodriquez81@yahoo.com.
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Defunciones 1795-1809 > image 256; entry for Dn. Pedro Rodrigues burial, 12 Nov 1804. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1768-1792 > image 392; entry no. 801 for Ma del Carmen Rodrigues baptism, 25 Jul 1787. Small discrepancy in mother’s name, the scribe wrote Ma. Josefa, but Carmen’s mother was named Ma. Gertrudis. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1768-1792 > image 484; entry no. 614, for Ma Cecilia Rodrigues baptism, 2 Dec 1789. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1800-1837 > image 150; entry no. 68, for D. Ramon Treviño and Maria Cecilia Rodrigues marriage, 6 Oct 1811. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1792-1800 > image 45; entry no. 132, for Juan Jph Rodrigues baptism, 21 Nov 1792. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1800-1837 > image 296; entry no. 60, for Dn Juan Jose Rodriguez & Da Gertrudis Lozano [sic] marriage, 23 Jun 1818. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1792-1800 > image 119; entry no. 121, for Jose Ramon Rodrigues baptism, 23 Apr 1795. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1800-1837 > image 276; entry no. 36, for Jose Ramon Rodrigues & Ma Trinidad Yslas marriage, 13 Jul 1817. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1800-1837 > image 190; entry no. 60, for Dn Sipriano Garcia and Da Maria Josefa Rodrigues marriage, 11 Aug 1813. ↩
- María Cecilia Ponce Contreras, Coordinator at the Historical Archives of the Archdiocese of Monterrey; email response to inquiry by Claudia Casillas, 30 June 2022. Held electronically by Claudia Casillas. ↩
- Crispin D. Rendon, Familias de Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (USA : self published, 2020); search for Pedro Jose Rodriguez marriage to Maria Gertrudis Lozano in years 1760-1800, index of “Matrimonios 1667-1800,” FHL microfilm 605179. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 486; entry for Jose Franco Arispe-Ma Franca Rodriguez marriage, 1 May 1779. ↩
- Israel Cavazos Garza, Catalogo y Sintesis de Los Protocolos del Archivo Municipal de Monterrey 1756-1785 (Ayuntamiento de Monterrey, 1988), 11-13; referencing Archivo Historico de Monterrey, Protocolos Vol. 16 (1756-1759), fol. 55, no. 24., Testamento de Jose Antonio Rodriguez, 18 Oct 1758. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 131; entry for Jose Antto Rodrigues-Clara de Ledesma marriage, 28 Feb 1723. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1668-1731 > image 472; entry for Jua Beatris Rodrigues baptism, 23 Jun 1724. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 163; entry for Jose Antto Rodrigues-Maria Ygnes de la Garza marriage, 4 Feb 1731. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Defunciones 1752-1794 > image 81, entry for Jose Antonio Rodrigues burial, 23 Dec 1759. This record names his father as Antonio Rodriguez and his mother as Maria Garzia. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1731-1768 > image 22; entry for Jose de Jesus Rodrigues baptism, 8 April 1732. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 296; entry for Jph de Jesus Rodrigues-Rosalia Guerra marriage, 25 Nov 1753. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1731-1768 > image 51; entry for Anna Maria Rodrigues baptism, 2 March 1734. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1731-1768 > image 86; entry for Jun Joph Rodrigues baptism, 19 Feb 1736. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 360; entry for Juan Jph Rodrigz-Juana Maria de Olivares marriage, 24 Jun 1764. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1731-1768 > image 132; entry for Pedro Joseph Rodrigues baptism, 3 Feb 1738. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 359; entry for Pedro Jph Rodriguez-Juana de la Cerda marriage, 27 May 1764. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," familysearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1731-1768 > image 265; entry for Maria de Jhus Rodrigues baptism, 24 Jan 1745. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1731-1768 > image 302; entry for Clara Ma. Rodrigues baptism, 7 Feb 1747. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1731-1768 > image 215, entry for Joseph Mariano Rodrigues baptism, 22 Dec 1742. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 468, entry for Jose Mariano Rodriguez-Maria Catarina de la Serna marriage, 27 Jun 1777. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 566, entry for Joseph Mariano Rodriguez-Maria Victoria de Gongora marriage, 11 Jan 1791. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1731-1768 > image 423, entry for Jose Caietano Rodrigues baptism, 6 Jun 1754. See notes at margin. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > China > San Felipe > Bautismos 1796-1894 > image 26, entry for Maria Tiadosa Marta Rodriguez de la Garza baptism, 12 Jun 1802. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1731-1768 > image 372, entry for Antonia Francisca Rodrigues baptism, 3 Jul 1752. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Bautismos 1731-1768 > image 467, entry for Maria Anacleta Francisca Rodrigues baptism, 4 May 1756. ↩
- Crispin D. Rendon, Familias de Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (USA : self published, 2020); search for Jose Rodriguez marriage to Maria Garcia Vela in years 1667-1708, index of “Matrimonios 1667-1800,” FHL microfilm 605179. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Defunciones 1668-1752 > image 203, entry for Joseph Rodrigues burial, 22 Jun 1730. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 105, entry for Joseph Garcia-Beatris Rrodrigues marriage, 17 Aug 1716. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 131, entry for Jose Antto Rodrigues-Clara de Ledesma marriage, 28 Feb 1723. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 163, entry for Jose Antto Rodrigues-Maria Ygnes de la Garza marriage, 4 Feb 1731. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 183, entry for Miguel Rodrigues-Juana Maria Sanchez marriage, 3 May 1734. ↩
- “Mexico, Jalisco, Catholic Church Records, 1590-1979,” FamilySearch > Guadalajara > Diócesis de Guadalajara > Matrimonios 1749-1750 > image 70; marriage dispensation for Joseph Domingo Gonzales Hidalgo-Antonia Margarita Rodrigues, 28 Jan 1749. ↩
- “Mexico, Jalisco, Catholic Church Records, 1590-1979,” FamilySearch > Guadalajara > Diócesis de Guadalajara > Matrimonios 1770, 1773 > image 215; marriage dispensation for Joseph Antonio de la Garza-Josepha Rodriguez, 5 Jan 1770. ↩
- Aureliano Tapia Mendez, Obispado del Nuevo Reino de Leon (Monterrey : Archivo General de Nuevo Leon, 1988), 27. ↩
- “Test your Y-DNA” FamilyTreeDNA (https://www.familytreedna.com/products/y-dna : viewed 4 July 2022). ↩
- FamilyTreeDNA, Joseph Rodriguez Y-DNA Matches (https://www.familytreedna.com : viewed 1 July 2022); sorted, highest matches at 111-markers. ↩
- FamilyTreeDNA, If two men share a surname, how should the genetic distance at 111 Y-chromosome STR markers be interpreted? (https://learn.familytreedna.com/y-dna-testing/y-str/two-men-share-surname-genetic-distance-111-y-chromosome-str-markers-interpreted/ : viewed 13 July 2022). ↩
- Gobierno de Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Mexico), Archivo Historico de Monterrey online database with text extracts (https://www.monterrey.gob.mx/ArchivoHistorico/ : viewed 29 Jun 2022), results for Juan Cavazos last will and testament, 1681; citing Archivo Historico Municipal de Monterrey, Protocolos Vol. 4, fol. 5, no. 3. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Defunciones 1668-1752 > image 24, entry for Juo Cavassos, burial, 15 Jun 1683. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Defunciones 1668-1752 > image 37, entry for Clara de la Garza, burial, 24 Jun 1689. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Defunciones 1668-1752 > image 49, entry for Maria de la Garza, burial, 17 Dec 1675. ↩
- Gobierno de Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Mexico), Archivo Historico de Monterrey Testamento de Juan Cavazos, 1680. ↩
- Ibid. ↩
- "Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Defunciones 1668-1752 > image 70, entry for Capitan Joph. Cabasos, burial, 19 Feb 1701. ↩
- “Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1667-1981," FamilySearch > Monterrey > Catedral > Matrimonios 1667-1800 > image 163, entry for Jose Cavassos-Jacinta de Lazerda marriage, 8 Jan 1679. ↩