Bernardo Yorba was a native of Nueva California

Alta California

Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...

 and the son of Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 soldier, José Antonio Yorba

José Antonio Yorba

José Antonio Yorba , also known as Don José Antonio Yorba I, was a Spanish soldier and early settler of Spanish California.-Spanish Soldier:...

. Bernardo became one of the most successful ranchers in Alta California

Alta California

Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...

 with thousands of cattle and horses grazing on land grants totaling more than 35,000 acres (8 square Spanish leagues

League (unit)

A league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...

). Bernado Yorba built a large adobe hacienda, Hacienda de San Antonio

Yorba Hacienda

The Yorba Hacienda was a domestic dwelling constructed by Bernardo Yorba on the Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana Mexican land grant, and located in the present city of Yorba Linda, California. It was notable as the seat of the wealthiest member of the Yorba family and as the most palatial adobe hacienda...

 near the present day city of Yorba Linda which is named in honor of Bernardo.

Life

Bernardo Yorba was born on August 20, 1800 in San Diego. Other sources list his birth on August 4, 1801. Bernardo was the son of José Antonio Yorba

José Antonio Yorba

José Antonio Yorba , also known as Don José Antonio Yorba I, was a Spanish soldier and early settler of Spanish California.-Spanish Soldier:...

, one of the early settlers of Spanish California, and Maria Josefa Grijalva. Bernardo's childhood was spent in San Diego. Here he was sent to a school kept by Franciscan Fathers

Franciscan

Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

. Jose Antonio Yorba had moved to the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana

Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana

Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana was a Spanish land concession in present day Orange County, California given by Governor José Joaquín de Arrillaga in 1810 to Jose Antonio Yorba and his nephew Pablo Peralta...

, granted to him and his nephew Pablo Peralta, by Governor José Joaquín de Arrillaga

José Joaquín de Arrillaga

José Joaquín de Arrillaga was interim governor of Las Californias from 1792 to 1794, governor of Las Californias from 1800 to 1804 and governor of Alta California from 1804 to 1814.-Death:...

 on behalf of the Spanish Government

Spanish Government

Spain is a constitutional monarchy whose government is defined by the Constitution of Spain. This was approved by a general referendum of the people of Spain in 1978...

 in 1810. It was around this time that the family moved to the rancho near present day Olive, California in Orange County

Orange County, California

Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

.

In 1834, Bernardo was granted the 13328 acres (53.9 km²) Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana

Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana

Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana was a land grant in present day Orange County, California given by Mexican governor José Figueroa in 1834 to Bernardo Yorba. The name means "Canyon of Santa Ana". The grant included present day Yorba Linda.-History:...

. It was shortly after this that Bernardo began construction of a large adobe house, the Bernardo Yorba Hacienda

Yorba Hacienda

The Yorba Hacienda was a domestic dwelling constructed by Bernardo Yorba on the Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana Mexican land grant, and located in the present city of Yorba Linda, California. It was notable as the seat of the wealthiest member of the Yorba family and as the most palatial adobe hacienda...

. Bernardo was elected to serve as Juez de Campo and Auxiliary Alcade several times (1833, 1836, 1840, and 1844). In 1846, he was granted Rancho La Sierra

Rancho La Sierra (Yorba)

Rancho La Sierra was a Mexican land grant in present day Riverside County, California, United States. In 1846 governor Pio Pico issued the grant to Bernardo Yorba...

.

Descendants

In 1858, At the age of 57, Bernardo Yorba died leaving behind a large and prosperous rancho and many children. Some sources list his death on November 28, 1858. Other sources list his death on October 21, 1858.

He married his first wife Maria de Jesus Alvarado in 1819. After her death, he married Felipa Dominguez in 1829, and after her death, Andrea Elizalde (Avila) in 1854.

The children of Bernardo Yorba and Maria de Jesus Alvarado (1796–1828)
Name	Birth/Death	Married	Notes
Dolores Yorba	1824 -
Raymundo Yorba	1826–1891	Francisca Dominguez, Concepcion Serrano
Maria Ynez Yorba	1827–1911	Leonardo Cota Leonardo Cota Leonardo Cota was a Captain with the Californios in the Mexican-American War; and later a Los Angeles County Supervisor.-Leonardo Cota:...
Ramona Anselma Yorba	1828–1849	Benjamin Davis Wilson
The children of Bernardo Yorba and Felipa Dominguez (1812–1851)
Name	Birth/Death	Married	Notes
Maria de Jesus Yorba	1831 -	Anastasio Botiller, Thomas J. Scully
Prudencio Yorba	1832–1885	Maria de los Dolores Ontiveros	One of their children, Angelina Yorba, would marry Samuel Kraemer Samuel Kraemer Samuel Kraemer was an important rancher, farmer, and businessman who lived and worked in Anaheim, California.The son of Elenora Schraw and Daniel Kraemer, he grew up to acquire numerous land parcels and business interests throughout today's Orange County...  in 1886.
Jose de Jesus Yorba	1833–1881	Soledad Lugo
Marcos Yorba	1834–1892	Ramona Yorba
Leonora Yorba	1838 -	John Rowland John A. Rowland John A. Rowland was an early settler and rancher of the eastern San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. He and his family were very prominent in the region's early development and the unincorporated community of Rowland Heights, California is named for him.-Early life:John...
Trinidad Yorba	1840–1881	Jesus Lugo, Josefa Palomares
Vicente Yorba	1844–1903	Erolinda Cota
Sinobia / Zenobia Yorba	1845–1892	Thomas Rowland John A. Rowland John A. Rowland was an early settler and rancher of the eastern San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. He and his family were very prominent in the region's early development and the unincorporated community of Rowland Heights, California is named for him.-Early life:John...
The children of Bernardo Yorba and Andrea Elizalde (1830 - )
Name	Birth/Death	Married	Notes
Bernardo Antonio Yorba II	1855–1888
Francis Xavier Yorba	1856 -	Victorine Carnaham
Gregorio Yorba	1857 -