The Manriques Family of Carreras Durango Mexico

The name Manriquez existed in Tepehuanes,  Durango since the mid-1700’s but today, is not a common known name in that municipality of Tepehuanes, Durango Mexico.  However, since the  Manriquez surname existed in the Tepehuanes  for more than 250 years, the Manriquez ancestors are part of most family trees.  For most of the time the Manriques lived in Tepehuanes, their main residence was a town called Carreras, Tepehuanes, Durango. Only a few miles from the head of the municipality.

Pueblo De Los Carrera (2015)

First we note that the name Manriquez has historically been spelled a number of different ways. The first name in Tepehuanes was spelled “Manriques”.     The surname Manriques  originated in Spain. This surname is one of the earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Spain defined as  patronymic surnames. Patronymic surnames are derived from the father's given name.  Spanish patronymic names originated to mean “Son of Manrique”.   Another spelling is “Manrrique”, “Manrriques” or “Manrriquez” all names have been used in Durango throughout the history of the name.

What is unique about the surname “Manriques” is that the genealogical history has been traced and documented in several books for almost a thousand years. This name is one of the most documented surnames in the history of Mexico and Spain.  In Mexico, it came from Spaniards like the first Manrique, Alvaro Manrique De Zuniga, also known as “Marques of VillaManrique”.  There were many other Manrique families that came to Mexico from Spain. The first families likely migrated to Guanajuato where many Manriques still live today.  In Spain, the name derived from the family of Pedro Gonzalez de Lara and Eva, daughter of AImeric V, Viscount of Rochechourat in France. They named one of his sons “Manrique”, the Spanish derivation of the French name  “Almanric”.  Manrique de Lara served at the service of the King and was awarded many noble titles and rights.  His name was to be passed on to his descendants and  “Manriques de Lara”  became a Spanish surname that was tagged along with maternal names that  survived for many generations. There are several Spanish families in Guanajuato and Durango that carried the “Manriques De Lara” surname, even after several hundred years and many generations.  

Pedro Antonio Manriques  and Maria De Los Dolores Martinez (Españoles) 

The first Manrique in Tepehuanes was Juan Pedro Antonio Manriques. Pedro married Maria de Los Dolores Martinez in about  1760. They had 4 children named Maria Francisca (b. 1761), Maria Ana (b. 1764), Joseph Simon Felix (b. 1766) and Joseph Antonio (b. 1770).   Juan Pedro Antonio Manriques lived in San Jose De La Boca, a town a couple of miles from Santa Catharina De Los Tepehuanes.   The priest recorded that Pedro Antonio and Maria De los Dolores were “Espanoles”, as most of the families of those towns.  These towns were populated by the families of the soldiers that lived in Santiago Papasquiaro Durango.  Juan Pedro Antonio Manriques died in May 10, 1777. In the death record, he was described as native of Guanajuato Mexico. 

Joseph Simon Felix Manriques (born in 1766) and Maria Carmila Del Refugio Saucedo Carrera (Españoles) 

 Juan Pedro Antonio Manrique’s son, Joseph Simon Felix Martines was born in 1766 in San Joseph De la Boca.  He married Maria Camila Del Refugio Saucedo Carrera in September 17, 1794.

Simon and Camila had at least five children, named Juan Jose Baptista (b.1795), Jose Manuel (b.1798), Jose Francisco Polonio (b.1800), Maria De La Concepcion (b. 1801), Jose Francisco Bernardino (b.1807), Jose Maria Balvino (b. 1810) and Juan Jose (b.1817)

            Maria Camila Del Refugio Saucedo Carrera family

Maria Camila Del Refugio Saucedo Carrera was great-granddaughter of Joseph Carrera, who lived in Tepehuanes at the end of the seventeenth century, born in 1694.  The first Carrera was likely his father also named Joseph Carrera who lived in the Tepehuanes region around 1680-1690.    The elder Joseph is the first ancestor in Tepehuanes of most, if not all persons with surname of Carrera, including Roman Catholic Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera now serving in Mexico City.Maria Camila Del Refugio’s parents were Antonio Bartolome Saucedo and Maria Getrudis Carrera Hernandes.Juan Joseph Carrera De la Pena and Maria De La Candelaria Hernandez were the grandparents of Maria Camila Del Refugio.

Joseph Carrera and  Ignacia De la Peña Del Corral were the great grandparents.  Ignacia De la Peña Del Corral was granddaughter of Ignacio Del Corral, son of Captain Francisco Del Corral.  The story of the Del Corrals can be read in this link:  Los Corral De Presidios, Tepehuanes Durango.

Joseph’s children were granted land close to Tepehuanes and they founded the town known today as Carreras, Durango.

  

   Joseph Francisco Manriques Saucedo  and Maria Antonia Melero Corral b.1811 (Espanoles)

Joseph Francisco married Maria Antonia Melero Corral on February 10 1833. They had at least six children.  Francisco Jesus De La Trinidad (b.1836), Maria Luisa De La Trinidad (b. 1838), Jose Francisco Agustin (b. 1843), Maria Francisca Teresa De Jesus (b. 1845), Francisca (b. 1847), Pedro (b. 1848) and Emeterio (b.1837).

      Maria Antonia Melero Corral Family

Maria Antonia was daughter of Vicente Melero and Maria Petra Corral.  This family history has not been researched but it is known that the Melero family is a common name in Santiago Papasquiaro and Tepehuanes and most likely descends from the first Melero in Durango, Alonzo Perez Melero.   He was described originating from Villa de Ximena, Reinos De Castilla in Spain.  On February 13, 1683, he married Maria De Barraza, daughter of Captain Juan De La Barraza, a conquistador in Tepehuanes in charge of pacification of the territory after the Tepehuanes Indian Revolt of 1616. 

Emeterio Manrriquez Melero  (b. 1837) and Victoria Casares Martinez (b. 1855)

Emeterio and Victoria married August 4, 1876 and they had at least four children.  They were both residents of Carreras.   Their children were Constancia (b. 1879), Leornardo (b. 1880), Maria De Los Refugios (b. 1883)  and Luisa (b. 1891).   The birth of their children state that they were born in El Rancho Venado, known today as La Purisima.  The Manrriquez up at this time had been living in Carreras and, most likely all Manrriques from Carreras are related to the descendants of Emeterio and Victoria Casares.  The Manriquez Casares family moved from Carreras to el Venado between 1876 and 1878, and their children were born in the town of El Venado now called La Purisima.

      Victoria Casares Martinez Family

Victoria Casares Martinez  was daughter of Atanacio Casares Nevares. Note that the name Casares and Nevares are spelled in the original spelling of these names. Around mid 1900s, these names were spelled in the modern spelling of today Nevarez and Casarez.   During the time of the educational schools expansion, Mexico standardized the spelling of many names and the names were changed. 

The Nevares originated from one individual that lived in Santiago Papasquiaro and born about 1595. His name was Sargento Mayor Christobal Heredia de Nevares and his lineage is shared by the majority of families in the Tepehuanes municipality.  It is discussed amongst genealogist that his ancestors were one of the original families in Guadiana, now known as the city Durango - Likely descending from Juan or Christobal Heredia.

Cipriano Diaz (b. 1875) and Constansa Manriquez Casares (b. 1879)

Constansa and Cipriano Diaz married in el Venado February 1, 1899.  Cipriano originated from Santa Maria De Oro and was son of Manuela Diaz.  

They had four children – Maria Enriqueta Guadalupe (b. 1899), Maria Petra,  Manuela (b. 1903), and Jose (b. 1905)

The Diaz Manriquez were one of the first families the migrated to the United States of America from Tepehuanes.  Cipriano actually left Constansa in Mexico for California after the birth of Maria Enriqueta.  He came back a number of times and after the birth of Jose, the family moved together to Los Angeles. The family continued to  come and go from the USA and Tepehuanes.   Manuela married Aurelio Nevarez in Los Angeles California on May 4, 1923. The picture below shows Manuela and Aurelio and their son also named Aurelio.

Manuela and Aurelio Nevarez and son

Petra Diaz Manriques became a widow and she returned to Mexico and opened a small restaurant in the town of Tepehuanes.  The picture below shows Petra’s son Antonio and Manuela’s son Aurelio Nevarez.

Antonio Diaz and Aurelio Nevarez

The family continued to live mostly in California. The picture below is a picture of Manuela’s grandchildren while at a USC college game.

The picture below is Jose Diaz visiting Los Angeles circa 1928.

Jose returned to Tepehuanes along with the family and married Martina Corral Gomez and had a family of seven.  He worked as a laborer farming and ranching. The family migrated to Chicago in 1973. Jose's descendants are almost reaching one hundred.

A new Narrative about the Nevarez Family (2023)

https://nevares-misraicesdurango.blogspot.com