A message from Alice Wissing

Recently, Alice Wissing was telling me that NONE of her posts are ending up on the Posts Forum for a very long time now. That happened to me last night.

She emailed me this information, and requested if I post it on her behalf...Aquí está.

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The book, "Genealogical Fictions- Limpieza de Sangre, Religion and Gender in Colonial Mexico" by Maria Elena Martinez has information on Dr. Santiago de Vera, who is mentioned in Mariano Gonzalez-Leal's "Retoños de España en la Nueva Galicia" as being a progenitor of the Padilla Davila line. Leal's book contains a diagram of a Padilla tree that leads to Dr. Santiago de Vera.

Dr. Santiago de Vera's father, paternal grandparents, and paternal great grandparents are revealed in the "Genealogical Fictions" book. The Inquisition investigated Dr. de Vera's ancestors when he applied to work as an advisor for the Holy Office in Mexico. Although he arrived in Mexico with many documents stating he and his wife were of pure background (probanzas stating no stain of Moorish or Jewish blood), an investigation was launched that showed his family had a long history with the Inquisition.

Dr. Santiago de Vera
Father: Juan de Santiago
Paternal grandparents: Diego Hernandez and Isabel de Cazalla (her parents tried by Inquisition and reconciled)
Paternal great grandparents: Juan de Sevilla and Violante Ruiz (both tried for crypto-Judaism and reconciled with church)
Paternal great-great grandparents: Names not mentioned, but it says Juan Sevillas' parents were tried by the Inquisition and reconciled, and Violante's parents were condemned for heresy.

In summary: His paternal great grandparents Juan de Sevilla and Violante Ruiz were both tried for crypto-Judaism and reconciled with the church. Juan de Sevilla's parents were also tried by the Inquisition and reconciled.Violente Ruiz's parents were condemned for heresy. Isabel de Cazalla's parents were, according to witnesses, also tried by the Inquisition and reconciled.

Dr. Santiago de Vera's wife was Isabel Rodriguez. Her parents and grandparents descended on all lines from Conversos, according to witnesses questioned during the investigation.

Dr. Vera was described by the Inquisition as, "confeso, descendant of people condemned and reconciled for following the Law of Moses." This information makes me wonder if other ancestors from Los Altos had converso lineage, as well. For those who aren't familiar with the term "converso", it means a Jew who converted to Catholicism, most likely under duress. This makes our family trees very interesting.

Alice Wissing