Juan Luján

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information: Beyond Origins of New Mexico Families - Luis Luján.
Captain Juan Luis and María Luján were parents of Juan Luis Luján, according to his testimony recorded in April 1689 at El Paso del Río del Norte. The source for this information is the prenuptial investigation record of Sebastián Rodríguez Brito and Antonia Naranjo (Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (AASF). DM 1689, April 14, no. 1, El Paso del Norte; and Fray Angélico Chávez, "New Mexico Roots, Ltd," page 1565).

Captain Juan Luis, the elder, was born circa 1606-1615 in New Mexico and was still living as late as May 1697 when he was accounted for as with the rank of captain in the account of settlers receiving livestock (John L. Kessell, Rick Hendricks, Meredith D. Dodge, Blood on the Boulders, page 1156). There is also a record of him in 1695 (Kessell, Hendricks and Dodge, Blood on the Boulders, page 650).

He gave his age 80 in April 1689, indicating he was born circa 1609 and his wife, María Luján, was deceased at the time (AASF, DM 1689, April 14, no. 1, El Paso del Norte; and Chávez, "New Mexico Roots, Ltd.," pages 1564-1566).

He gave his age as 84 in June 1690, indicating he was born circa 1606 (AASF, DM 1690, June 1, no. 5, El Paso del Norte for Jose Montano and Isabel Naranjo; and Chávez, "New Mexico Roots, Ltd.," pages 1259-1260)

He gave his age as 77 in June 1692, indicating a year of birth as 1615 (AASF, DM June 6, Real de San Lorenzo for Juan de Dios Lucero de Godoy-Gómez Robledo and Ines Romero, widow of Blas Griego; and Chávez, "Addendum to New Mexico Roots," in New Mexico Genealogist, September 2010, 49:3, 147).

There is yet no records that I know of that confirm the names of the parents of Captain Juan Luis or María Luján.

In August 1691 Juan Luis mention that he went to the mercury mines in the company of his compadre, Francisco Gómez Robledo. He mentioned that "On his father's orders, he brought a load in two cow hides, indicating that his father was living at the time he went to the mercury mines (Kessell, Hendricks and Dodge, To the Royal Crown Restored, 138-139). This event occurred during the tenure of Governor don Luis de Guzmán, who was governor from 1647-1649. Juan Luis, the younger (aka Juan Luis Luján), was born circa 1633-1640 and was thus too young to go on the expedition to the mercury mines.

The stated relationship with Francisco Gómez Robledo is significant. Captain Juan Luis had a long-time association with the Gómez Robledo-Lucero de Godoy clan. This clan, and Captain Juan Luis, belonged to the political faction that supported the authority of the governors in opposition to the supporters of the Franciscans.

Also, we know that Captain Juan Luis had an estancia near Chimayó prior to the Pueblo Indian uprising of August 1680 (Kessell, Hendricks and Dodge, Blood on the Boulders, pages 606 and 612).

Researcher: José Antonio Esquibel

Juan married María Luján. (María Luján died before Apr 1689 in Nuevo Méjico, Nueva España.)