Natalie,
I am not researching the Sombrete area however in response to your questions perhaps I can help a little.
The title of the film you are reviewing tells me it is of baptismal records of the church of San Pantaleon. It is possible the film contains entries from other smaller out lying churches under San Pantaleon. I have found similar instances where the same person is recorded in two locations within the same parish. I can only surmise the smaller church records were systematically transcribed into the main parish records. This would centralize information making the periodic inspection of records conducted by the church simpler, meaning the Bishop did not have to visit every little church on his visitation trips.
The variation in wording within the records is not unusual for records of those times. Many parishes had other persons (aside from the priests) who could write and you'll find they all shared in the actual recording process, however all entries were signed off by the one authorized to do so. This is noticeable by the differences in the hand writing and names at the end from one record to the next. Not only did the quality of writing vary from good to atrocious, but the required wording for each record could vary from scribe to scribe.
The phrase, "Nacio en la Noria", tells me there was a community or a rancho or some locale within the church parish named, La Noria, where the child was born. "Nacio en este Mineral", is a little nebulous as the word "Mineral" could refer to "this mining area" or "an area of mineral deposits". The child was born within the area of parish responsibility, without a specific name but within the mineral area. Hope this makes some sense to you.
The terms "Don" (male) and Dona (female)" came over from Spain where people of position, wealth, etc, were addressed as Don or Dona as a matter of respect. The tradition continued in Mexico and even into the US in the early part of the 20th century. However, you use the Don/Dona only with the persons first name or first and surname, but never with the surname only. Seems it is considered a sign of contempt and disrespect if you do.
Please do not accept my interpretations as the gospel. Circumstances were so variable back in those days we can only make a guess as to the certainty of what happened.
Ray
Sammamish, WA
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La Noria de San Pantaleon
Natalie,
We share more in common than I originally thought. You and I have discussed our shared interest in Valparaiso and El Astillero. Now you bring up La Noria de San Panteleon and the other side of my family, Salas. Please look at the pictures on our nuestros ranchos website, http://www.nuestrosranchos.org/node/14252, regarding La Noria. The common denominator, as near as I can figure, is mining and silver.
In March 2005 I traveled from Zacatecas, Zacatecas to visit La Noria de San Panteleon, located approximately 15 km NW of Sombrerete. The Iglesia of La Noria de San Panteleon is pictured in the above link. The name La Noria itself refers to the water well which is also pictured in the link above.
As has been mentioned in previous responses to your question, Don and Doña refer to people with money, power, or Spain (españoles). I have seen La Noria and I can assure you that if anybody from La Noria were referred to as Don or Doña they were very likely to have had money or were true españoles, or reasonable equivalents of such.
My great grandfather , Agustin Salas, had a sexual relationship with Manuela Castro, I repeat Castro, resulting in the "natural" birth of my grandfather, Bernardo Salas. I would be happy to share the picture I have of a Castro cemetery head rest from La Noria, if you desire. I have very little information on my Salas family from La Noria other than to say that Salas is not an unfamiliar surname in the greater La Noria de San Panteleon area. For what it is worth, Agustin and his father, Pedro, were not referred to as Don even though my grandfather was described as fair and blue-eyed. Who knows how these Don things really worked. My oral family history of Agustin Salas and his family is that they were "from Spain," whatever that means. I am beginning to think it means nothing.
Please contact me via my personal email, ed@serros.net, regarding the Castor picture. It may or may not be your Castro family but it may interest you.
Ed