Isidro Ordóñez
| Isidro Ordóñez | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Franciscan friar |
| Known for | Imprisoning Governor Pedro de Peralta |
Isidro Ordóñez was a Franciscan friar who seized control of New Mexico in 1613, imprisoning Governor Pedro de Peralta. Later he was summoned to Mexico City and reprimanded for his actions by the Mexican Inquisition.
Ordóñez was one of just ten friars who spent time in New Mexico between 1601 and 1610 during the regime of the first governor, Juan de Oñate. In 1606 the king of Spain called a halt to further exploration in New Mexico. Discouraged by the lack of support for his colony, on 24 August 1607 Juan de Oñate sent a letter of resignation to the viceroy Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas. This was accepted, and Martínez de Montoya was named interim governor, but Oñate was ordered to remain until his permanent replacement arrived. The local council felt Montoya was unsuitable, and named the governor's son Cristóbal de Oñate interim governor instead, a decision that Montoya seems to have accepted.
On 7 March 1608 Viceroy Velasco recommended discontinuing the work of the colony and bringing the few Indians who had been converted back to New Spain. Oñate sent Fray Lázaro Ximénez back to Mexico City with Isidro Ordonez to explain the situation in the colony. Martínez de Montoya accompanied them, and would not return. Fray Lázaro reached Mexico City in late October 1608, where he stated that as many os 7,000 Indians had been converted. This prompted the Viceroy to appoint a new governor, Pedro de Peralta, and to dispatch a group of friars to New Mexico. Ordóñez returned to New Mexico with this group led by Fray Alonso de Peinado, then in 1611 again returned to New Spain to obtain fresh supplies and more recruits.
Ordóñez arrived with the supply train in 1612 as the leader of nine Franciscan friars. When he reached the southernmost mission at Sandia Pueblo in August 1612, he produced a document that apparently made him Father Commissary, or head of the church in New Mexico, although later the document was said to be a forgery. Fray Alonso de Peinado accepted Ordóñez's commission. In Santa Fe, despite Governor Pedro de Peralta's protests, Ordóñez proclaimed that any soldier or colonist could leave if they wanted to. Ordóñez also accused Peralta of underfeeding the natives who were working on the construction of Santa Fe. In 1613, Ordonez began construction of a church at Nambé Pueblo, about 15 miles (24 km) north of Santa Fe. When Peralta sent soldiers to Nambe to collect the pueblo's quota of workers to help build the governor's palace, Ordonez refused to release any workers.
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