I've hit a roadblock in my paternal research and am trying to figure a way around it.

I have pasted the birth record of my direct ancestor below.

It only lists one name for his mother, Razo. A fellow researcher suggested the priest was anti-female so he didn't list the mother's full name. I doubt that.
I don't know if Razo was her first name, or surname.

The record doesn't say where the parents were from, only that they were Indians. But it lists Rancho San Nicolas as the residence of the two godparents. I think this might bare further investigation. If I could find out where this rancho is, I could search for the parents there.

I found no other collateral record, no other brothers and sisters for my direct ancestor, no marriage record for his parents, no death records. But I haven't given up hope:)

English Translation:

In this sacred church in the parish of parras, on the thirteenth of May of 1796. I, don Gregorio Evaldez, deputy priest, solemnly baptized a nine day old baby boy who I named Jose Ascension, son of Juan Ysidro Ramires and Razo, Indians of (this jurisdiction?), the godparents were Maximo Gomes and Rosalia Gudin residents of San Nicolas Ranch. I have advised them of the obligation they have entered in their charge, of this I swear and affirm by my signature, Gregorio Evaldes.

(Note: only one name is entered for the mother, Razo, which could be a first name, or a surname.)

Spanish Translation:
En esta Sta Yglesia Parroquia de parras, en el trece de Mayo de mil sietecientos noventa y seis, Yo Dn Grego. Evaldez teniente de cura bautize solemnemente a un nino de nueve dias de nacido, le puse por nombre Jose Acension, hijo de Juan Ysidro Ramires y de Razo, Yndios de este, fueron sus padrinos Maximo Gomes y Rosalia Gudin recidentes en el rancho de San Nicolas y les adverti el parentesco que tienen y la obligacion de su cargo y para que conste, yo firmo Gregorio Evaldes.

(Nota: solo aparece un nombre por la madre, Razo.)

I would use the search terms "san nicolas" "mexico" and "coahuila" and see what you find. I found one book, "Los paisanos: Spanish settlers on the northern frontier of New Spain" that showed a page listing "San Nicolas" as being one of the larger settlements. San Nicolas, Coahuila is roughly south of Monclova and there's always a chance this was the site of the original ranch. Might be a guess, but sometimes that's all we have for clues.

That's probably it, thank you!

I thought Rancho San Nicolas might be in Tlaxcalla. The Tlaxcaltecos settled Parras de la Fuente.

I haven't found any source that details the post Spanish conquest expansion of the Tlaxcaltecos into Coahuila.

Most of my books on early northern Mexican history are at my home in Mexico.... where I'm not at the moment. If you remind me in a couple of weeks, I'll be back and able to check them.

Thank you!

Are you home in Mexico yet? What are the titles of the books? I might be able to get them on an inter-library loan.

Ernie

End of the week! Send me a reminder then. And you'll probably be able to interlibrary loan them, or purchase them.

Nuevo Leon, Mexico--I have that name in our family history because my uncle was married there in the early 1920's-It was named San Nicholas de las Garzas

Are you back at home in Mexico yet?

Do you have access to your library:)

Yes... I'm back... and I'll go through my books and see what I find. Just flew in late Friday night.

Hi!

I may send this as a couple of messages... it just depends upon how quickly I can find the information I want to share and how I can make this make the most sense.

I think the key locational word in the baptismal record is "Parras." This is a city in Coahuila, today called Parras de la Fuente. It is a very, very old city. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parras_de_la_Fuente for more information. More history in Spanish at http://www.parrascoahuila.com.mx/eng.htm . Location of some records of Parras is http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utlac/00223/lac-00223.html .
From a brochure I have on Parras, I also know that there is in Parras itself, El Archivo Matheo which has "documentos eclesiasticos y civiles de los siglos XVII al XIX." For a bit of information on the current town of Parras see http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/1247-did-you-know-oldest-... .

Parras would easily have had a major church duing this time period and using both old and new maps, I believe I located San Nicolas 70 or so kilometres to the west of Parras. The book I am using which contains the old map is "Memoir of a Tour to Northern Mexico Connected with Col. Doniphan's Expedition in 1846 and 1847," by A. Wislizenus, M.D. with a foreward by Jack D. Rittenhouse. Subtitle of the book is "An Early Account of Travel Over the Old Santa Fe Trail." The copy I have was published in 1969 by Calvin Horn Publisher, Inc. of Albuquerque, New Mexico. On the fold out map titled "Map of a tour from Independence to Santa Fe, Chihuahua, Monterey and Matamoros," about half way between Mapimi and Parras, and a bit to the north of the route he maps, was San Nicolas. The key he uses indicates that this was a hacienda or rancho. On a modern map that I have of the state of Coahuila, you can still find San Nicolas at the end of a dirt road roughly 15 kilometres east of the modern city of San Pedro de las Colonias, and located near the banks of the Rio Nazas river.
To me, this seems like a reasonable "guess" as to the location of the ranch.

I'll post more from Wizlizenus' book in my next reply.