Tecuexes Indians
The Tecuexes Indians, an indigenous people with a rich cultural legacy, once inhabited expansive territories in Jalisco, Mexico. Their presence dominated areas north of modern-day Guadalajara and the western Los Altos region, with settlements spanning Mexicancan, Jalostotitlán, Tepatitlán, Yahualica, Juchitlán, and Tonalán. Among these, Jalostotitlán earned the title of a parish of the Tecuexes, reflecting its significance to their community.
Between 1529 and 1530, Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán embarked on a relentless conquest through Jalisco. Backed by an imposing force of Spanish soldiers, allied Mexicans, and enslaved Tarascans, Guzmán’s campaign tore through the region with brutal efficiency, leaving a lasting mark of colonization and upheaval.
Mixtón Rebellion
In 1541, resistance surged as a coalition of indigenous tribes, including the Tecuexes, ignited the Mixtón Rebellion. This widespread uprising fiercely targeted Spanish settlements, descending upon the town of Guadalajara in an effort to reclaim autonomy and resist oppression. However, the rebellion was met with an overwhelming counterattack by forces supplied by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza. The insurrection was ultimately suppressed on February 14, 1542, marking a pivotal moment in the region’s history.
Brotherhood of the Blessed Souls of Purgatory
Following the turmoil of the Mixtón Rebellion, the social fabric of the region began to reorganize. By the early 17th century, religious and community structures played an integral role in uniting the settlers and indigenous converts under shared traditions. One such organization was the Brotherhood of the Blessed Souls of Purgatory, established on January 1, 1628. This brotherhood had a vital mission: ensuring Christian burials for its members and extending financial support to their grieving families. It also functioned as a financial institution, providing loans to members in need.
The election to the position of Mayordomo, the leader of the Brotherhood, was a significant honor. The ideal candidate was an elder, respected for their reliability, financial acumen, and ability to manage community resources like money and livestock. They also needed a basic education to oversee the Brotherhood’s affairs and ensure proper burials for deceased members.
Mayordomo
The Gutierrez family established itself as a prominent lineage within the Brotherhood. Captain Miguel Gutierrez Rubio, one of the founding brothers, served as Mayordomo from 1633 until his death. Following him, his son, Francisco Gutierrez Rubio y Hermosillo was elected but held the role for only a year (1642-1643). Leadership then passed to Captain Miguel’s brother, Diego Gonzalez Rubio, who served until his death in 1652.
Later, the role of Mayordomo returned to Captain Miguel’s lineage, with his son, Bachelor Lazaro Gutierrez, a priest, assuming the position in 1653. Bachelor Lazaro diligently served until his death on February 28, 1684. His sister, Leonor de Hermosillo, further carried the family legacy when her husband, Diego de la Mota, was elected Mayordomo, serving from 1684 to 1701.
From 1701 to 1702, Miguel Gutierrez de Hermosillo, Captain Miguel’s grandson, held the role. However, after 1702, the Gutierrez family’s influence in the Brotherhood’s leadership began to wane. A few years later, other prominent figures like Cristobal Munoz de Hermosillo (1708-1709) and Lazaro Gutierrez de Hermosillo (1709-1711) emerged as Mayordomos, potentially connected to the broader Hermosillo lineage.
Captain Francisco “El Viejo” Gutierrez Rubio, a notable ancestor born around December 20, 1551, in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, was another cornerstone of this illustrious family. He became a member of the Brotherhood after his death, with alms paid in his honor on April 13, 1637.
Captain Francisco Gutierrez Rubio
The lineage of Captain Francisco Gutierrez Rubio remains a subject of intrigue among historians. While some speculate that his parents were Diego Gonzalez de La Reguera and Maria Yanez Rubio, genealogist Sergio Gutierrez Martin clarified in his book First Spanish Families of Jalostotitlán that these individuals were, in fact, the parents of Captain Francisco’s wife, Catalina Gonzalez. Martin’s meticulous research, based on Spanish documents, revealed the early genealogies of Jalostotitlán’s prominent families.
Captain Francisco and Catalina Gonzalez had six children—three sons and three daughters. Among them, one son, Fray Pedro Gutierrez, joined the Order of San Francisco, dedicating his life to religious service. Fray Pedro’s birth and death dates remain unknown.
Maria Gonzalez Gutierrez
Around 1577, Captain Francisco and Catalina welcomed their daughter Maria Gonzalez Gutierrez in Jalostotitlán. Maria later married Carlos de Aceves-Rascón, whose father was also a founder of the Brotherhood of the Blessed Souls of Purgatory. When Carlos’s father passed away in approximately 1627, he donated 24 pounds of wax to the Brotherhood as part of the burial settlement. Carlos himself died on January 6, 1666, in Jalostotitlán. While the exact date of Maria and Carlos’s marriage is unknown, they had a son, Juan de Aceves, born around 1590. Juan married Beatriz de Hermosillo, born circa 1593 in Jalostotitlán. Both Juan and Beatriz passed away before 1649, as recorded in that year’s census. Notably, Beatriz was the sister of Ana Gonzalez Florida, who married Juan Gonzalez de Hermosillo, making her part of an interconnected family network. Maria Gonzalez Gutierrez passed away around 1683 in Jalostotitlán.
Diego Gutierrez Rubio
The couple’s second child, Miguel Gutierrez Rubio, was born in 1584 in Jalostotitlán. A year later, in 1585, Diego Gonzalez Rubio, another son, was born. Diego married Polonia de Torres II, the daughter of Nicolas Ramirez and Polonia Taverna de Torres. Polonia’s parents owned the Panuelas Ranch near Aguascalientes and were among the founders of the villa established there in 1575. Polonia’s father passed away in Jalostotitlán around 1639, while her mother died circa 1627. Both were members of the Brotherhood of the Animas in Purgatory.
Diego and Polonia had four children: three sons—Diego, Domingo, and Antonio—and one daughter, Cathalina Gonzalez. Cathalina was born on August 30, 1626, in Tudela de Duero, Valladolid, Spain, suggesting that the family lived or visited Spain during that period. However, by 1633, Diego and Polonia had returned to Jalostotitlán, where their son Diego was born.
The family lived on a ranch situated about six miles from the town center or possibly a water source referred to as “the head.” According to the 1649 census, Diego and Polonia were identified as Spanish. Their household included their children: Diego (16 years old), Maria (14), Domingo (12), and Antonio (7). Cathalina, their eldest daughter, resided on the ranch with her husband, Geronimo Camacho, and their two-year-old daughter, Leonor Gonzalez. Additionally, the census recorded four young enslaved individuals, two enslaved women, and Black Cataline, a 45-year-old emancipated slave, living on the property. The ranch was also home to eight adult Indigenous workers and fourteen Indigenous children under 14 years of age.
Diego Gonzalez Rubio’s leadership was recognized when he served as Mayordomo of the Brotherhood of the Blessed Souls of Purgatory from 1642 to 1653. In 1648, he was re-elected to the position, praised for his punctuality, legal knowledge, and devotion to the Brotherhood. Diego’s children later established their own families: Diego married Catalina de Aceves, Domingo wed Maria Serena y de Villalba, and Antonio married Maria Manuela Gonzalez de Hermosillo. The fate of their daughter Maria remains unclear.
Ana Gonzalez Florida
In 1594, Captain Francisco Gutierrez Rubio and his wife, Catalina Gonzalez, welcomed another daughter, Ana Gonzalez Florida, into their growing family. Born in Jalostotitlán, Jalisco, Ana later married Juan Gonzalez de Hermosillo, a man of noble lineage born around 1591 in the same town. Juan, along with his sisters Beatriz and Leonor de Hermosillo, were children of Juan Gonzalez de Hermosillo and Ana Maria Muñoz, both natives of Guadalcanal, Seville, Andalucía, Spain. Juan was born on July 8, 1572, while Ana Maria was born around 1570. After migrating to Mexico, Ana Maria passed away on April 14, 1637, in Jalostotitlán, and Juan predeceased her sometime before 1628. Together, Ana and Juan had a daughter named Catarina Gonzalez.
Catalina Gutierrez Rubio II Gonzalez Florida
The youngest of Captain Francisco and Catalina’s children, Catalina Gutierrez Rubio II Gonzalez Florida, was born in 1598 in Jalostotitlán. She married Francisco Muñoz de La Barba, who was born in 1594 in Puebla de Los Ángeles, Puebla. By the time of the 1649 census, the couple owned a house and ranch situated six miles from the town’s center, referred to as “the head.” Both were identified as of Spanish descent. Their household was bustling with life, including six daughters aged between fourteen and twenty-eight, and four sons ranging from three to sixteen years old. The census also noted their ownership of two emancipated slaves and three young enslaved individuals: Josefa (7 years old), Magdalena (5 years old), and Miguel (just 1 year old). Their ranch was a center of activity, embodying the intertwined histories of Spanish settlers and local communities.
Francisco Gutierrez Rubio “El Mozo”
Francisco Gutierrez Rubio, known as “El Mozo,” was another son of Captain Francisco and Catalina. Born around 1595 in Jalostotitlán, he passed away on July 7, 1676, in the same town. Around 1618, he married Francisca Hurtado de Mendoza, a member of one of Jalostotitlán’s pioneering families. Francisca’s grandparents, Toribio Hernández de Arellano and Isabel de Mendoza, played an influential role in the town’s founding. Her parents, Mariana de Mendoza and Cristóbal de Olivares, carried on their family’s esteemed legacy.
On January 1, 1628, Francisco and Francisca, along with their son Francisco Gutierrez, demonstrated their devotion to the Brotherhood of the Blessed Souls of Purgatory by giving three anejas as alms. Their ranch, also six miles from the head, served as the backdrop for family life. By 1649, Francisco was a widower, with his wife having passed away sometime earlier. His son Diego Gutierrez, born in 1631 in Jalostotitlán, lived on the ranch, continuing the family tradition. Francisco and Francisca’s other children included Ana Gutierrez Rubio, Juan Gutierrez Rubio (who married Ana Camacho and had three children), Sebastian Gutierrez Rubio, and Francisco Gutierrez Rubio, born in 1623. Francisco married Catalina Mejía, born in 1625, and passed away on July 18, 1668, at the Estancia de Juan Gutierrez in Jalostotitlán. Together, Francisco and Catalina had a daughter, Luisa de Hermosillo, born in 1647. Luisa married Captain Cristóbal Padilla Dávila y Arias de Orozco but tragically died in 1683 at San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco.
Francisco Gutierrez Rubio’s ranch, as noted in the 1649 census, was lively, accommodating his children, two adult slaves, four enslaved children, and ten Indigenous workers—five adults and five children—showcasing the labor structure of the era.
Captain Miguel Gutierrez Rubio & Leonor de Hermosillo
Captain Miguel Gutierrez Rubio, born around 1585 in Jalostotitlán and deceased on April 26, 1642, also left a lasting legacy. He married Leonor de Hermosillo, the sister of Juan and Beatriz. Leonor, born circa 1588, passed away on April 21, 1647, in the same town. The 1649 census poignantly recorded Leonor as the widow of Miguel, residing on their ranch over ten miles from the head, a testament to their family’s enduring presence in the region.
In the latter years of her life, Leonor de Hermosillo’s family ties and responsibilities remained steadfast. Her brother, Cristobal Muñoz de Hermosillo, spent his final days living at her ranch, and he recognized her prominently in his will—a testament to their close relationship.
Bachelor Lazaro Gutierrez
The 1649 and 1650 censuses reveal that Leonor had not remarried after the passing of Captain Miguel Gutierrez Rubio. She lived on the ranch alongside her priestly son, Bachelor Lazaro Gutierrez, and the orphaned children of Juan de Aceves and Beatriz de Hermosillo. These children, Juan de Aceves II (born in 1629) and Catalina de Aceves Mejía (born in 1634), had lost their parents and found refuge under Leonor’s care. Curiously, the records also show a Leonor de Hermosillo born in 1642. While originally believed to be Leonor’s own daughter, it seems more likely that this was Bachelor Lazaro’s daughter, born out of wedlock—a plausible scenario given Leonor’s age of 54 at the time of this younger Leonor’s birth.
Juan de Aceves II
Juan de Aceves II went on to marry Andrea Rodriguez, but his life ended prematurely due to a condition referred to as “Aproprecia,” the specifics of which remain unclear. He was buried with Mass and Vigil in the Parish Church of Jalostotitlán but left no testament. The bustling ranch during this time housed nine adult slaves, twenty-one enslaved children aged one to eighteen, five adult Indigenous workers, and three Indigenous children, making it one of the largest and most active ranches in the region.
Bachelor Lazaro Vicar of Jalostotitlán’s Parish
Bachelor Lazaro became the vicar of Jalostotitlán’s parish between 1660 and 1662, continuing his influential role in the community. By 1670, the ranch had fewer inhabitants, housing approximately eleven individuals and six slaves, alongside Lazaro and Leonor. During the 1670s, Leonor appeared in Jalos’ registers as the wife of Diego de La Mota y Padilla—a fitting conclusion to her story. After Bachelor Lazaro’s passing, Leonor’s husband Diego assumed the role of Mayordomo, serving from 1684 to 1701.
Lazaro’s legacy extended beyond his religious duties. On April 6, 1681, he settled the death of Catalina Ramirez (referred to as “Mexican”), who had died in San Juan. Lazaro contributed three pesos as settlement. In his decree, Lazaro named his brother Francisco and stepbrother Diego as his heirs. Among his possessions was Nascapiloya, an estate inherited from his father, Captain Miguel. Lazaro established a chaplaincy at the estate and generously left two thousand pasos to the Brotherhood of Souls.
Francisco Gutierrez Rubio y Hermosillo & Juana de Lomelín Benavides Cortez
Francisco Gutierrez Rubio y Hermosillo, the eldest son of Captain Miguel and Leonor de Hermosillo, carried on the family’s distinguished legacy. Born in 1610 in Jalostotitlán, he passed away on January 12, 1692, at his Hacienda del Salto in Tepatitlán, Jalisco. Located west of Valle de Guadalupe, the Hacienda del Salto Grande remained central to Francisco’s endeavors. He married Juana de Lomelín Benavides Cortez, born around 1613 in Nochistlán, Zacatecas. Juana passed away on October 20, 1692, at the Hacienda del Salto. Her heritage traced back to Giovanni Carlo Luca Di Lomellini Carava, born in Genoa, Italy, around 1584, and Maria de Benavides Cortez, born circa 1590 in Mexicancan, Jalisco. The couple married around 1607 in Zacatecas, Mexico. Maria died on December 9, 1669, at the ranch of San Nicolás, Poncitlán.
Before marrying Francisco, Juana had been wed to Rodrigo de Carbajal y Ulloa, who passed away in 1645 in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Together, they had three children: Gregorio Carabajal Lomelín, Josepha de Carvajal y Ulloa (born in 1630), and Lorenzo Carabajal Lomelín (born September 25, 1640). Lorenzo’s life took him far afield; he eventually married Catalina de Orosco and died in New Mexico, USA. Francisco and Juana married around 1651 in Nochistlán, Zacatecas, and together they had four children, continuing the storied lineage of the Gutierrez family.
Miguel Gutierrez de Hermosillo y Lomelín
Francisco and Juana’s eldest son, Miguel Gutierrez de Hermosillo y Lomelín, was born around 1651 in Tepatitlán de Morelos, Jalisco, Mexico. Miguel played an important role in continuing the family legacy. He married Ana Alba y Estrada Bocanegra, a woman of notable lineage, born around 1660 in Tepatitlán. Ana passed away on September 15, 1704, and Miguel followed her decades later, on October 29, 1727, both in their hometown. Together, they had two daughters and three sons, many of whom were born at the family’s renowned estate, Hacienda El Salto Grande in Tepatitlán. This hacienda stood as a symbol of the family’s enduring presence in the region.
Francisca Gutierrez de Hermosillo y Lomelín
Francisca Gutierrez de Hermosillo y Lomelín, Francisco and Juana’s oldest daughter, was born around 1652 at Hacienda Del Salto. She went on to marry Manuel Gomez Hurtado de Mendoza Torres de Valdivia in 1674, forming a union that further intertwined prominent families in Tepatitlán. Manuel, born circa 1649 in Jalostotitlán, passed away on April 29, 1701, in his hometown. Together, Francisca and Manuel raised seven children—four daughters and three sons—born between 1675 and 1695, marking their contributions to the Gutierrez family’s expansive lineage.
Leonor Gutierrez de Hermosillo
The youngest daughter of Francisco and Juana, Leonor Gutierrez de Hermosillo, brought her own vibrance to the family’s legacy. Born around 1656 in Jalostotitlán, Jalisco, Leonor’s life extended into the early 18th century, concluding around 1716. Her presence added another layer to the family’s historical prominence.
Conclusion
This story of the Gutierrez family serves as a snapshot of resilience, faith, and a heritage rooted deeply in the lands of Jalisco. Their estates, marriages, and roles in religious and community leadership cement their place as one of the influential families of the region.