Mission 2000 Database

Notes: Since Don Gregorio died as 5:00 P.M. "mas o menos" on March 30th and the body was carried five leagues on the shoulders of his employees from his hacienda at Jamaica to the parish church in San Juan Bautista that afternoon and evening, it is doubtful that he was buried until the next day. The body was "shrouded" in the habit of "Nuestro Padre San Xavier." He died from the epedimic of an unnamed desease that was killing "an infinite number of people in Sonora." Thinking that he was going to died he dictated the following on March 21st: (folio 10v) "Be it known that this letter of designation of testator is dictated by me, Don Gregorio Álvarez Tuñón y Quirós, resident of this province of Sonora and native of the city of Valladolid in the kingdom of Castilla. I am the legitimate son of Don Juan Álvarez Tuñón, deceased, and Doña Andrea Ruiz, who were residents of the said city. I am sick but of good memory and understanding, and believing as I do in the highest mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and in a divine essence, and in everything that is had and believed by Our Holy Mother Roman Apostolic Catholic Church: I say that due to the severity (f.11) of my sickness I am unable to execute a last will and testament. Therefore, I have confessed, for the relief of my conscience, to Reverend Father Juan de Echagoyen, professed religious of the Holy Company of Jesus, minister and missionary of the jurisdiction of Aconchi in this province of Sonora, a person in whom I have total trust and satisfaction. Therefore, I agree to give my complete power of attorney and sufficient rights as required, or that will be necessary, to the aforementioned Reverend Father Juan de Echagoyen, so that at whatever time he should desire, provided I have died as assumed by law number thirty-three, he should make and arrange my will, in which he will be able to provide donations and legal business piously and graciously as he should desire, and all other good commerce that I would be able to and would do, as I felt it should be done for good. I approve and ratify from now (f.11v) until then, and it is my will that he keep and complete it as I would have done and we have agreed. If I should die from this sickness that I have, I leave instructions that my body should be interred in the parochial church of the Real de San Juan Bautista in the part and place where the will and disposition of my executors dictates, as well as other arrangements for the type of funeral and burial. I hereby name as my executors the above mentioned Reverend Father Echagoyen, the Bachiller Don Juan Joseph de Grijalva, priest and beneficiary of this province of Sonora and agent of the Holy Inquisition, and the Bachiller Don Juan Ignacio Rogriguez Soto, presbyter and inhabitant of this bishopric and lieutenant priest and vicar of the Real de San Juan Bautista, to whom I jointly give complete power to execute and complete what is contained in, and should be contained in this writing and testament. By virtue of what I wish to be done, I leave the (f.12) remainder of my goods to, and name as heirs to equal parts, Doña Ana Victorina Álvarez Tuñón y Quirós and Doña Martina Álvarez Tuñón y Quirós, my legitimate daughters by Doña María Margarita Ortiz Cortez, my now deceased wife. I hereby revoke and annul whatever testaments, codicils, or powers that may have been made and agreed to before this power of attorney, because none have any value except this, the last testament that my said executors made in my name, all of which I desire to be kept and complied with in that method and form which rightfully should be had. In testimony of the same and for the validation and stability of the same, I ask and supplicate Captain Don Nicolás de la Torre y Murga, lieutenant general of the alcalde mayor and captain of war for the kingdom, etc., to confirm it by his authority and judicial decree. (f.12v) The said lieutenant general, whom I am presently with, said that he would interpose and confirm what I am owed and what I owe and, moreover, what my rights are. The said authorizing party, appearing to be in sincere accord, swore that he understood, and he agreed and signed with me, in concurrence with the principals of which he acted as receiving judge with those of his assisting staff, there being no public or royal scribe on this frontier to carry out the law. Witnesses to this agreement, residents of this jurisdiction who were called and implored for the same, were Captain Antonio Ortiz Cortez, Don Salvador de Figueroa, and Don Francisco Felix de Corella. It is written on this common paper, because no sealed paper is to be had, supplied by the ordinary royal justice of this province. Dated and signed on the 21st day of the month of March in the year 1728 in these haciendas of San José de Jamaica (f.13) before me, Don Nicolás de la Torre. = Gregorio Álvarez Tuñón y Quirós = Witness: Don Francisco Xavier de Miranda = Witness: Joseph Ramirez de Baquedano."