The information supplied may not be factual
Estefania Aponte Torres; her tree just got pruned after 200 years, and it was about time! About ten years ago, I received erroneous information about my 4th great-grandmother. As a result, locating two documents in Coamo helped clear up the confusion quite quickly.
The backstory of this initial research transpired shortly after befriending someone I met in a genealogical group from Puerto Rico. This individual provided a descendant report written back in the 1940s by a man named Mr. Acasio Torres Busquets. His investigation of the genealogy of don Damaso de Alvarado Candoza contained his descendants.
According to the research conducted by Mr. Torres Busquets, it states that Vicente Alvarado Ortiz de Matos married Estefania de Aponte de Aponte. In addition, he states that Vicente is the son of Damaso Jose de Alvarado and Petrona Ortiz de Matos. Both were from Coamo, Puerto Rico, residing in Juana Diaz. Lastly, he identifies Estefania as the daughter of Felix de Aponte and Juana Aponte, both from Coamo, Puerto Rico. These individuals would then make them the parents of my third great grandfather, Pedro Jose Alvarado Aponte. Thus, the research is partially correct.
Mr. Torres Busquets’ original research did not provide the wedding date for Vicente and Tomasa, nor one for Estefania. Therefore, we may never know the origin of his error. Nor will we how he confused these couples.
Documentation: validating research work
Experienced genealogists/researchers must be aware of how important it is to verify all information provided. Don’t be afraid to question sources from historians and published authors; they make mistakes also. Validating errors, when found, is a must before sharing.
Confusing the Names
According to previous research, Vicente Alvarado Ortiz de Matos allegedly married twice. His first wife is Tomasa de Rivera de Rivera. First, she is the legitimate daughter of Jose Rivera Alvarado and Cayetana de Rivera. And Vicente’s second presumed wife, identified as Estefania Aponte Aponte. Vicente is confused for Jose Maria Alvarado Rodriguez, son of Juan Francisco Alvarado and Juana Rodriguez. I am not sure how that happened.
This information is incorrect since I located the marriage record for Vicente and Tomasa. Their marriage took place on April 14, 1831, in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico. Twenty years after Jose Maria Alvarado and Estefania de Aponte’s marriage. As previously assumed, Tomasa was inaccurately identified as the first wife, not the second, which is incorrect.
Another source stated that Jose Maria Alvarado Rodriguez married Estefania Aponte Ramos. Actually, Estefana’s second surname is de Torres. The marriage took place in Coamo, Puerto Rico, on January 31, 1811. The parents’ names for this couple in the wedding record are barely illegible. It comes from a “Testamento (Will)” located in the General Archives in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I was informed of this in 2010. Unfortunately, I have never seen this will, nor do I have a source to locate it. This is proven by the original wedding record and her birth record. I did not need the will to figure it out.
Defining the Couples
The marriage record dated January 31, 1811, “folio 163,” did not record the parents’ names. Therefore the assumption was that this marriage record was for Vicente Alvarado Ortiz de Matos. The document states Jose, not Jose Vicente. It was what I call hocus pocus genealogy. Just assuming the groom’s full name is Jose Vicente. Upon further inspecting the document, there was a reference to another document, “folio 158.” Therefore, I could identify the parents ‘ names easily. Locating that record and enhancing it allowed me to make out the names. Besides, Estefania’s sister, Andrea, married on the same day. Her document was in better shape and allowed me to see the parents’ names.
Defining Jose Maria Alvarado Rodríguez and Estefania de Aponte de Torres
Jose Maria Alvarado is the son of Francisco Alvarado and Francisca Rodriguez. Estefania is the daughter of Juan Aponte de Bayron and Marcelina de Torres de Torres. Andrea Aponte de Torres is also the daughter of Juan Aponte and Marcelina de Torres. She marries Juan de la Merced de Rivera Rodriguez, son of Gregorio de Rivera and Andrea Rodriguez. Locating these two wedding records clarified the parents of both sisters.
Final Thoughts
A quick search of several marriage records allowed me to identify Estefania as “Aponte de Torres.” Estefania is not “Aponte Aponte” or “Aponte Ramos.” Therefore, I can assure you that Estefania did not marry don Vicente Alvarado Ortiz de Matos on January 11, 1811, in Coamo, Puerto Rico, as was previously assumed. She is also not the daughter of Captain don Felix de Aponte Y Ramos married to
Juana Francisca de Aponte Y de Rivera.
In conclusion, a future post will include the genealogy of Jose Maria Alvarado Rodriguez and Estefania Aponte de Torres. I will also write one on Jose Vicente Alvarado de Ortiz de Matos and Tomasa de Rivera de Rivera.
The images provided are the following:
- Wedding record of d. Jose Maria Alvarado Rodriguez and da. Estefania de Aponte de Torres, Folio 163
- Wedding record of d. Jose Maria Alvarado Rodriguez and da. Estefania de Aponte de Torres, Folio 158
- Wedding record for d. Gregorio de la Merced Rodriguez and da. Andrea de Aponte de Torres
- Wedding record for d. Vicente Alvarado de Ortiz de Matos and da. Tomasa de Rivera de Rivera
Exente trabajo comparto el Apellido Aponte trabajando la Histooria oral de la Familia mencionan sus Aponte de Coamo ahora residentes o vecinos de Ñasco Pepino Lares