Notes for Rafael Alfrido:

Name-Var: Name-Var: Alejandro RAFAEL - (1st marriage record)
Name-Var: Alfrido RAFIAL - (2nd marriage record)
Name-Var: Rafael ALFRIDO - (children's baptismal records)
Name-Var: Alpheus RACLIFFE - Racliffe (1850 Cameron Co. census)
Name-Var: Alpheus RACKLIFF - (land records Webb Co., Texas 1871-1872)
Name-Var: Rafael ALFREDO - misspelling

Rafael's name at birth Alpheus Rackleff. See documentation at Alpheus Rackleff aka Rafael Alfrido. He gives his name as Alejandro Rafael on his first marriage record in 1832 at age 22, as Alfrido Rafael on his second marriage record in 1836, and thereafter as Rafael Alfrido on his children's baptismal records. Census and land records in south Texas document his name as Alpheus Rackleff. We know by family tradition that he altered his name to make it easier to pronounce by the Spanish-speaking community into which he had moved.

Rafael states on his marriage record to Maria Encarnacion Benavides (first marriage) that his parents are Benjamin Rafael and Maria Hubert. Further research confirms his parents as Benjamin Rackleff and Mary Hibbard (also spelled Hibbart).

Rafael's marriage record to Encarnacion states he is from Hartford, Connecticutt; however, all subsequent census records document his birth in Maine. It is not known whether Rafael spent any time in Connecticutt prior to moving to Matamoros, Mexico.

According to Rafael's first marriage record (1832), he came to Matamoros at age 20 and had been living there for two years at the time of his intended marriage with Encarnacion Benavides. His second marriage record (1836) indicates his intended wife, Trinidad Trevino, originally was from Monterrey but had resided at Guerrero for three years.

To date, I have found no records to indicate his parents nor any of his siblings came west with Rafael. It is documented that an uncle, Capt. William Rackleff, sailed by schooner from Maine south of the Horn in south America to San Francisco and then on to Oregon where his line continues.

Occupation
Census records state Rafael was a doctor, and local records indicate he was a curandero or healer. From court records, it appears that he may have run a hospital or sanitorium, possibly out of his home.

Census Records
Census 1: 1850, Bowieville, Cameron Co., Texas, Alpheus Racliffe household
Census 2: 1860, Laredo, Webb Co., Texas, A. Ratliff household
Census 3: 1870, Washington Co., Texas, Trinidad Trevinio [sic] household

Deeds / Land Records
Rafael purchased land in Webb County from Tomasa Fuentes, widow of Valentin de la Fuentes. This family is somehow close or related to Rafael's family as they appear as godparents on some of the baptismal records of his children. The de la Fuentes family also resided in Guerrero, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Valentin and Tomasa were married in Guerrero in 1816, and Valentin died there on Sep 11, 1833.

Deed 1: 1861, Alpheus Rackliff ~ Webb Co., Texas, 12 Aug 1861
Deed 2: 1871, Alpheus Rackliff ~ Webb Co., Texas, 17 May 1871, page 1 of 2 (p. 325) - See transcribed text file.
Deed 2b: 1871, Alpheus Rackliff ~ page 2 of 2 (p. 326)
Deed 3: 1872, Trinidad Trevino de Rackliff ~ Webb Co., Texas, 02 Feb 1872
Deed 4: 1877, Francisco Alfrido ~ Webb Co., Texas, 12 Jan 1877 Transcribed record - See transcribed text file.

Marriage Notes for Rafael Alfrido and Maria Encarnacion Benavides:
See scanned image of: marriage record for Rafael and Encarnacion Benavides.

There are no known children of the marriage of Rafael Alfrido and Encarnacion Benavides.

Marriage Record
Date: Nov 08, 1832

En la Villa de Matamoros en 8 de Noviembre de 1832. El prestibero don Manuel de la Garza mi Teniente caso, velo, y infacie ecclesiae a Alejandro Rafael. Soltero de 22 años originario de Hartford, en el estado de Connecticut residente en esta dos años, hijo ligetimo de Benjamin Rafael y de Maria Hubert: con Encarnacion Benavides de 19 años De edad originaria de Revilla y casada en esta, hija lejitima de Antonio Benavides y de Antonia Garcia; Habiendo presibido la dispensa consanguinidad y amonestandose en los dias 23, 27, 30 de Septiembre del corriente año, fueron testigos haberlos casar Juan Lature y Demetrio Salazar y para que conste lo firme.
                                                    /s/ Jose Maria Rodriguez

Marriage Notes for Rafael Alfrido and Trinidad Trevino:
See: Declaration of Marriage for Rafael and Trinidad Trevino.

There are eleven children of the marriage of Rafael Alfrido and Trinidad Trevino.

Marriage Record
Date: Jun 20, 1836

En esta Santa Yglesia Parroquia de cuidad Guerrero en viente de Junio de mil y ochocientos trienta y seis yo el prestibero Jose Antonio de la Pena Berastiqui cura propio de ella; concluidada las deligencias matrimoniales, y leidas continuaron dar les las tres moneciones conciliares en tres dias festivos que lo fueron el 2-9 y 12 de corriente y no habiendo les resultado, impedimento alguno, ni aun pasadas las 24 horas de la ultima amonestacion, case, vele, infaccie ecclesea a D. Alfrido Rafial originario de los Estados Unidos del Norte, y vecino de esta cuidad poco tiempo viudo en primeras nupcias de Da. Encarnacion Benavides, sepultada en el campo santo de Matamoros. Con Da. Maria Trinidad Trevino originaria de Monterrey, y vecina de esta de tres anos hija lejitima de Don Andres Trevino difunto y de Maria Santos Cantu. Fueron sus padronos Don Felipe de la Pena y Don Refugio Villareal. Para que conste lo firme.
                                                    /s/ Jose de la Pena Berastiqui

Notes for Rafael Alfrido and Dolores Trevino:

Rafael Alfrido and Dolores Trevino never married, although at least two children were born of their union. At the time of these children's births, Rafael was married to Trinidad Trevino. The baptismal records of these children indicate they were hijos espurios, or children born of a union in which the parents, for whatever reason, were not in a position to marry. When Father Andrés, the priest of San Augustin Parish, made his notes regarding these children, he questioned whether Dolores Trevino was a sister to Trinidad Trevino, Rafael's wife. No record has been found for Dolores, as yet, to identify her family.

There are two known children of the union between Rafael Alfrido and Dolores Trevino.