Difference between revisions of "Castro family"

Revision as of 18:55, 26 February 2025

The Castro family was one of the two (the other being the Rodriguez family) largest and most influential groups of Californio immigrants/colonists to settle in Santa Cruz County (and elsewhere in California).

• Joaquin Isidro* - Came to California as a soldado in the de Anza party of 1776, with his wife Martina Botiller and 8 children. After his death at Monterey in 1802, Martina moved to the Branciforte/Santa Cruz area.
  • Joaquin - age 7 in 1776. Following army service, Joaquin was granted a homesite in Branciforte as an invalido. Of the surviving children:
    • Antonia married Antonio Feliz
    • Rafaela (1799-1841) - married Francisco Rodriguez
    • Rafael (1803-1878) was grantee of Rancho Aptos, and is buried at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Aptos.
      • Maria Rafaela (1837-1857) married A. J. Eldon and died at age 20 - probably in childbirth.
      • Maria Augustia (1844-1896) married Joseph Arano.
    • Martina (1807-1890) - married 3 times: Simon Cota*, Michael Lodge, and Louis Depeaux (Riptide CE23)
      • Nicanor Cota, who married French-Canadian Francois Lajeunesse of the 1833 Walker party
      • Luisa Cota, who married Frenchman Jean Richard Fourcade
      • Carmelita Castro Lodge married Thomas Fallon
      • Louisa Lodge married France-born Jean Richard Fourcade (Rowland p.161)
      • Maria Antonia Lodge (1834-1915) married Henry Winegar Peck
      • Maria Elena Lodge (1836-1904) married Joseph Littlejohn
      • Maria Guadeloupe Castro Lodge married France-born Joseph Averon
      • Maria Josefa Castro Lodge married Lambert Clements
    • Candida married Josef Bolcoff
    • Maria de los Angeles married Joseph Majors
    • Jacinta, grantee of Rancho Refugio along with sisters Candida and Maria de los Angeles, became a nun and renounced her share of the rancho.
  • Carlos - born during the 1776 march. Mayor domo of Mission Santa Cruz in 1812.

* The best known Castro is José Antonio Castro (1808 – February 1860), who commanded Mexican forces in Northern California during the Mexican-American War. From Wikipedia: "His father José Tiburcio Castro was a soldier, member of the Diputación (territorial legislature), mayordomo (administrator) of Mission San Juan Bautista after it was secularized, and grantee of Rancho Sausal." It's not known how closely José Tiburcio was related to Joaquin Isidro, except that both came to California as soldiers with De Anza.  
* The Cota family was more prominent in the Los Angeles area, including Leonardo Cota.

Elsewhere in California

• Jose Antonio Castro held several different high-ranking offices in Mexican-era Alta California. His house in San Juan Bautista is now a museum.
• Juan B. Castro, founder of Castroville and nephew of Pio Pico, was profiled in: Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California (1893), p433.

Further reading

• Castro of California (1975 book)
• History of Soquel Augmentation (3 books, 1st in 2021)