Residencia of Governor Juan Domingo de Bustamante, 1731

When a colonial governor’s term ended, he and his officers would undergo a residencia—a formal review of their term of office. The viceroy would name a trusted official to conduct the residencia for a 60-day period, which included an inventory of official documents and the recording of witness testimony. Residencias provide insights into each governor’s administration, including who he named as his officers in each town and its jurisdictions and key civil and criminal matters during his term. Witness testimony, though mostly formulaic and redundant, also offers glimpses into the individuals living in the province. Of particular interest is the inclusion of native chiefs and governors as witnesses, which helps to shed light on indigenous leadership for the era.

The Viceroy of New Spain, the Marquess of Valero, named Juan Domingo de Bustamante as governor of New Mexico on 2 October 1721 and he assumed office in Santa Fe on 2 March 1722. His successor, Gervasio Cruzat y Góngora, assumed the office of governor in Santa Fe on 30 May 1731. That same day, Francisco de la Sierra Castillo, an official from Mexico City, presented his royal warrant from the Viceroy, the Marquess de Casafuerte, authorizing him to conduct Bustamante’s residencia—which took place from June 10th to August 9th. Below is a summary of the officers of Bustamante’s government and the witnesses called to testify.

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Governor Juan Domingo de Bustamante’s Officers:

Lieutenant General

Antonio Pérez Velarde (entire period of his government)

Alcaldes mayores of Santa Fe:

1. Don Diego Arias Quirós

2. Don Miguel de la Vega y Coca

3. Don Francisco Bueno

Alcaldes mayores of Albuquerque, Isleta Pueblo and jurisdictions:

1. Captain Juan González

2. Captain Luis García

3. Captain Joseph de Plaza (absent from the kingdom)

Alcaldes mayores of Bernalillo, Santa Ana, Zia and Jemez and jurisdictions:

1. Captain Antonio Montoya

2. Captain Ramón García Jurado

Alcalde mayor of Acoma, Zuni and La Laguna and jurisdictions:

1. Captain Pedro de Chávez

Alcaldes mayores of Santo Domingo, Cochiti and San Felipe and jurisdictions:

1. Captain Salvador Santiesteban

2. Captain Andrés Montoya

Alcaldes mayores of Villa Nueva de Santa Cruz (de la Cañada) and jurisdictions:

1. Captain Cristóbal Torres (deceased)

2. Captain Miguel de Archibeque (deceased)

3. Captain Francisco Montes Vigil (deceased)

4. Captain Domingo Vigil

Alcalde mayor of Taos and jurisdictions:

1. Captain Juan de la Mora Pineda (deceased)

2. Captain Juan de Alderete (deceased)

3. Don Miguel Enríquez (deceased)

4. Captain Miguel de la Vega y Coca (deceased)

Alcalde mayor of Pecos and Galisteo:

1. Sargeant major Don Alfonso Rael de Aguilar (el Viejo)

2. Captain Manuel Tenorio

Secretaries of Government and War:

1. Don Miguel Enríquez (deceased)

2. Don Antonio Brusiaga (deceased)

3. Sargeant major Don Alfonso Rael de Aguilar (el Viejo)

He certified that there were no other officials and that there was no cabildo (town council) during his tenure as governor, nor did he find one functioning when he assumed office. In 1726 by command of the viceroy, the Marquess de Casafuerte, Francisco Lorenzo Casados was named alcalde ordinario and Salvador Montoya regidor, but His Excellency the Marquess of Valero ordered them sent as prisoners to Mexico City, and communications with the viceroy regarding their replacements were not answered.

Don Francisco de la Sierra Castillo summoned 24 witnesses, twelve Spaniards and twelve Pueblo natives, to testify in the residencia.

1. Captain Martín Hurtado, Spaniard, vecino of Albuquerque, 59 years old

2. Captain Sebastián de Vargas, Spaniard, vecino of Santa Fe, 55 years old

3. Luis López, Spaniard, vecino of Santa Cruz, 57 years old

4. Juan Esteban García de Noriega, vecino of Santa Cruz, 35 years old

5. Antonio Beitia (Beytia), Spaniard, vecino of Santa Cruz de la Cañada, 32 years old 

6. Diego Padilla, Spaniard, vecino of Isleta, jurisdiction of Albuquerque, 47 years old

7. Diego de Torres, Spaniard, vecino of Villa Nueva de Santa Cruz, 39 years old

8. Sergeant Antonio Durán de Armijo, Spaniard, vecino of Santa Fe, 58 years old

9. Francisco Casados, Spaniard, vecino of Santa Fe, 32 years old

10. Tomás Jirón de Tejeda, Spaniard, vecino of Santa Fe, 77 years old

11. Cristóbal de Tafoya Altamirano, Spaniard, vecino of the Villa of Santa Cruz, 40 years old

12. General Juan Páez Hurtado, Spaniard, vecino of Santa Fe, 68 years old

13. Don Diego Usu, Tegua Nation, Governor of San Juan Pueblo, 41 years old

14. Francisco Oyengue, a Chief of the Tegua Nation, 39 years old

15. Don Juan Udo, Tegua Nation, Governor of Santa Clara Pueblo, 35 years old

16. Don Pascual Mueejua, a Chief of the Tegua Nation of Santa Clara Pueblo, 30 years old

17. Cristóbal Sudua, Tegua Nation, Nambé Pueblo, 42 years old

18. Diego Sechate, a Chief of the Keres Nation, Cochiti Pueblo, 43 years old

19. Cristóbal Coris, Keres Nation, former Governor of Santo Domingo Pueblo, 80 years old

20. Alonso Sima, a Chief of the Keres Nation, Cochiti Pueblo, 43 years old

21. Diego Jerut, a Chief of the Keres Nation, Cochiti Pueblo, 52 years old

22: Don Cristóbal Mariquita, a Chief of the Tegua Nation, Governor of Nambé Pueblo, 70 years old

23. Juan Gen, Tano Nation, Governor of Galisteo Pueblo, 45 years old

24. Antonio Sidepovi, Pecos Nation, Governor of Pecos Pueblo, 42 years old

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Source:

“Residencia del gobernadora de Nuevo México, Juan Domingo de Bustamante,” Alphonse L. Pinart Collection, Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley, PE-45.