Re: Victor (Villarreal in Zacatecas, etc.)

["Victor Villarreal" <vela_este@...>]

Esperanza,

Well, it is not so much that this conversation would be boring to other members as it is that it could easily drift away from the main area of interest of the Ranchos group.  Anyway, just to reply to your previous post, here are a couple of comments.

I still don't have a full picture of all the historical events related to the first Villarreales in "the New Spain".  I know the first Villarreales that settled in Northeast Mexico were involved in mining for precious metals along with other historical characters as Bernabé de las Casas and Martin de Zavala.  I believe the first mining sites in Mexico were located in the center of the country and there was a gradual movement in search of new sites in practically every direction.  Many of the settlers of Nuevo Leon had already passed thru Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, etc. on their way up north.  I believe such is the case for Diego de Villarreal.

As you know, there are some Villarreales among the passenger list of some of the very first ships from Spain.  And in my Internet searches I've come across some very old legal document from the early 1600's that mention some Villarreal in México City.  That's the same period in which Diego de Villarreal appears in the chronicles of "Nuevo Reyno de León", which means that there were some other Villarreales down south.  I will try to locate that document, as I remember saving it in some folder on my hard disk.  There are very few historical documents with references to the surname Villarreal from the early colonial period and it is hard to put the puzzle together.  It is just a couple of years since I started getting interested in this subject and don't have as much time to dedicate to this research as I would like.  Well, you know how it is, but I hope that in time I can collect more bits and pieces of our history.

Regarding Danny, the first thing that I find objectionable is the coat of arms that he displays on his web page as the Villarreal coat of arms.  Coat of arms are not passed on to just anyone with the same name . It follows the family only of the original coat of arms owner and usually his eldest son.  And besides that, there are about a dozen different designs of arms for the Villarreal surname, so how do you decide which one to choose.  I think it is not right to give a wrong and misleading impression to people, particularly to those who are just starting out in their search of their genealogical roots.

About the Sephardic origins, I admit that possibility but I haven't come across conclusive evidence, so I prefer to leave that as an open-ended issue.  I would never try to apply a label to a whole group of people just because they share the same surname.  Neither do I think is politically correct to glamorize the life of our ancestors as glorious "Conquistadors", particularly when so many unjustified atrocities were committed in historical times against so many people.

Well, I don't want to ramble on and on.  Now it's your turn to share some of your thoughts.  (Everyone that cares to.)

Victor

--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, latina1955@a... wrote:
> Hi Victor,
>  
> I didn't realize the Villarreales were connected to Zacatecas, although  I 
> have read some history on Zacatecas and came across the Villarreal name  quite 
> often, particularly during the time of civil war - I thought the  original one 
> settled in Oaxaca.  I have not been able to make a connection  with Danny, 
> although the area that he mentions in Nuevo Leon (the place settled  by the 
> original settlers there - Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon) is where my father's  grandfather 
> was from.  It appears that the family moved to Coahuila around  1830 - not 
> really sure why, but I suspect it had to do with the Independence and  "free" 
> territory to those willing to fight the hostile Apaches who lived in  the area.  My 
> grandmother also happens to be a Villarreal, but her  relatives are from Cd 
> Victoria area.  I still have a great aunt who lives  in Nuevo Leon, she lives 
> in Monterrey.  I am hoping to make a journey there  this summer, to tap into 
> her memories.....
>  
> I would love to hear how you differ from some of Danny's assumptions....the  
> one thing that I can confirm is our Jewish background.  My great uncle had  
> kept this secret, and it turns out that my aunts did too, until recently, when  
> it no longer mattered.  If you feel that our conversation would be a bore  to 
> the rest of the group, email me privately.....perhaps we can find a  
> connection to our Villarreal side.  I have been able to go back to the late  1700's, 
> but it is connected mostly with my paternal's mother side - the  Bermea's, who 
> were the original settlers of the town my father was from - Villa  Union, 
> Coauhuila - then known as Rosales when my father was born....
>  
> Esperanza