Miguel Pedrorena
Encyclopedia
Miguel Telesford Pedrorena or Miguel de Pedrorena (c. 1808–March 21, 1850) was an early settler of San Diego, California
and María Victoria. They had a daughter Ysabel de Pedrorena, who married José Antonio Altamirano.
The following sketch of Pedrorena is from William Heath Davis:
During the Mexican-American War Pedrorena supported the U.S. side. As with other prominent Californio
families, he found war was inevitable and a lost cause. During the war, he commanded a cavalry as captain. In 1846, Pedrorena served as Juez de Paz of San Diego, in absence of José Antonio Estudillo. During 1847–1848, he became the U.S customs collector.
In 1850, Pedrorena, with William Heath Davis
and others formed a partnership to develop a new townsite south of Old San Diego. This venture failed due to the absence of fresh water, its location in marshlands, and lack of support. Twenty years later, however, New Town would succeed with a subdivision, Alonzo Horton
's New San Diego, just east of the aborted townsite.
Miguel Pedrorena died in 1850 and was buried in Old Town.
Their heirs began to sell this land during the Civil War
.
Pedrorena's home still stands and was one of the first frame houses in Old Town San Diego.
It is the Altamirano-Pedrorena House, leased as a gem shop, at 2616 San Diego Avenue (Garden Street), next to the San Diego Union Museum.
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
Life
Miguel Pedroena moved to San Diego in 1845. He married María Antonia Estudillo, daughter of José Antonio EstudilloJosé Antonio Estudillo
José Antonio Estudillo was a Californio and an early settler of San Diego, California when California was part of New Spain.-Life:...
and María Victoria. They had a daughter Ysabel de Pedrorena, who married José Antonio Altamirano.
The following sketch of Pedrorena is from William Heath Davis:
- In 1838 Don Miguel de Pedrorena, a resident of PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, arrived here, being at the time part owner and supercargo of the Delmira . . . . Don Miguel was a native of SpainSpainSpain , 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...
, and belonged to one of the best families of MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. After receiving an education in his own country he was sent to LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he was educated in English, becoming a complete scholar. Most of the Castilian race of the upper class are proud and aristocratic; but Don Miguel, though of high birth, was exceedingly affable, polite, gracious in manner and bearing, and, in every respect, a true gentleman. He married a daughter of prefect Estudillo and resided in San Diego until the time of his death in 1850, leaving one son, Miguel, and two daughters, Elena and Ysabel. He was a member of the convention at Monterey in 1849, for the formation of the state constitution. He owned the Cajon RanchoRancho El CajonRancho El Cajon was a Mexican land grant in present day San Diego County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pio Pico to María Antonia Estudillo de Pedrorena. The name means "the box" in Spanish, and refers to the valley between hills. The grant encompassed present day El Cajon, Bostonia,...
and the San Jacinto Nuevo RanchoRancho San Jacinto Nuevo y PotreroRancho San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero was a Mexican land grant in present day Riverside County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Miguel Pedrorena. At the time of the US Patent, Rancho San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero was a part of San Diego County...
, each containing eleven leagues, with some cattle and horses. Notwithstanding these large holdings of lands he was in rather straitened circumstances in his later years, and so much in need of money that when I visited San Diego in the early part of 1850 he offered to sell me thirty-two quarterblocks (102 lots) in San Diego at a low figure. He had acquired the property in the winter of 1849-50, at the alcalde's sale. I did not care for the land but being flush and having a large income from my business, I took the land, paying him thirteen or fourteen hundred dollars for it.
- In Madrid he had several brothers and other relatives, one of his brothers being, at that time a Minister in the cabinet of the reigning monarch. During the last two or three years of his life those relatives became aware of his unfortunate circumstances and wrote to him repeatedly, urging him to come home to Spain and bring his family with him. They sent him means and assured him that he would be welcomed. Though poor, his proud disposition led him to decline all these offers. Popular with everybody in the department, the recollections of him by those who knew him were exceedingly pleasant.
During the Mexican-American War Pedrorena supported the U.S. side. As with other prominent Californio
Californio
Californio is a term used to identify a Spanish-speaking Catholic people, regardless of race, born in California before 1848...
families, he found war was inevitable and a lost cause. During the war, he commanded a cavalry as captain. In 1846, Pedrorena served as Juez de Paz of San Diego, in absence of José Antonio Estudillo. During 1847–1848, he became the U.S customs collector.
In 1850, Pedrorena, with William Heath Davis
William Heath Davis
William Heath "Kanaka" Davis, Jr. was an early settler of San Diego, California.-Life:Davis was born in 1822, in Honolulu, Sandwich Islands to William Heath Davis, Sr. and Hannah Holmes Davis, a daughter of Oliver Holmes, royal governor of Oahu, and relative of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.. Both...
and others formed a partnership to develop a new townsite south of Old San Diego. This venture failed due to the absence of fresh water, its location in marshlands, and lack of support. Twenty years later, however, New Town would succeed with a subdivision, Alonzo Horton
Alonzo Horton
Alonzo Erastus Horton was an American real estate developer in the nineteenth century. The Horton Plaza mall in downtown San Diego is named for him.-Early life:...
's New San Diego, just east of the aborted townsite.
Miguel Pedrorena died in 1850 and was buried in Old Town.
Legacy
After his death, his widow and family built houses and corrals at Rancho El Cajon for their stock, and harvested large crops from the land, but his wife died shortly thereafter, February 3, 1851.Their heirs began to sell this land during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Pedrorena's home still stands and was one of the first frame houses in Old Town San Diego.
It is the Altamirano-Pedrorena House, leased as a gem shop, at 2616 San Diego Avenue (Garden Street), next to the San Diego Union Museum.