Philip Crosthwaite
Encyclopedia
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...
and Rosarito
Playas de Rosarito
Rosarito Beach , is a coastal resort city in the Mexican state of Baja California located approximately 35 minutes south of the U.S. border in Rosarito Beach Municipality. Its beaches and dance clubs are a popular destination for young people from the United States during the Memorial Day and Labor...
, Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
.
Early life
Philip Crosthwaite was born 1825, in AthyAthy
The town developed from a 12th century Anglo-Norman settlement to an important British military outpost on the border of the Pale.The first town charter dates from the 16th century and the town hall was constructed in the early 18th century...
, County Kildare, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to Edward and Rachel Crosthwaite. His parents were visiting their old home, having emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
some years before. On returning to America, Philip was left in the care of his grandparents in Ireland and lived with them until 16, when he visited his mother.
In 1843 he returned to Ireland to complete his education, and entered Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. When his grandmother died in 1845 and he came to America for a second visit, intending to return and complete his education. But while in Philadelphia, he met a young man from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
with whom he struck up an acquaintance, and for a "lark" these two determined to take a short sea voyage. Going to Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, they shipped on board the schooner Hopewell, thinking they were on a fishing trip to the Newfoundland banks. They discovered the ship was bound for San Francisco, 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,...
(then a Mexican territory) after it was too late. They begged so hard to be put ashore that the captain finally promised to allow them to return by the first ship they met; but they never met a ship until they reached San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
. Crosthwaite and his friend, Rhead, jumped ship in San Diego. An east-bound ship came, but there was room for only one. They tossed for the berth and Crosthwaite lost, so he remained in San Diego.
Mexican-American War in San Diego
In 1846, when the Mexican-American War broke out, Crosthwaite was on an otter hunting expedition on the Baja CaliforniaBaja California Sur
Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...
coast, with Julian Ames
Julian Ames
Julian Ames , also known as Jesse Julian Ames and Juliano Ames, was a San Diego pioneer. He was born in North Carolina but arrived as a sailor in San Diego in 1820, from Plainfield, Connecticut....
, John Post, John C. Stewart, and William Curley. Learning of the war at the Misión Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de Viñacado
Misión Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de Viñacado
Mission El Rosario was the first Dominican mission in Baja California, established in 1774 by Vicente Mora and Francisco Galisteo near the modern town of El Rosario....
near El Rosario, Baja California
El Rosario, Baja California
El Rosario is a small town on the west coast of the state of Baja California on Highway 1, 61 kmsouth of San Quintín and 119 km north of Cataviña. The census of 2010 reported a population of 1,704 inhabitants...
, they all returned to San Diego and served in the Battle of San Pasqual
Battle of San Pasqual
The Battle of San Pasqual, also spelled San Pascual, was a military encounter that occurred during the Mexican-American War in what is now the San Pasqual Valley community of the city of San Diego, California. On December 6 and December 7, 1846, General Stephen W...
. They reached the town late at night, and were wakened by a loud knock on the door early in the morning.
It was Captain Gillespie, who said: "There can be no neutrals in this country; you must either enlist for three months (as the war will probably be over by that time), or be imprisoned on the Congress." He intended to enlist, anyway, but the choice was made easy. A good deal of the local color concerning the Battle of San Pasqual came from Crosthwaite's accounts, as he served from start to finish. He was slightly wounded by Pico's rangers in the slaughter of December 6. After the troops left for the capture of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, he performed garrison duty until the close of the war.
San Diego under U.S. Rule
In 1847 Crosthwaite was appointed Suplente (Substitute Justice of the Peace or Mayor) of San Diego Pueblo.Crosthwaite married María Josefa López daughter of Bonifacio López of San Diego in Ensenada, Baja California
Ensenada, Baja California
Ensenada is a coastal city in Mexico and the third-largest city in Baja California. It is located south of San Diego on the Baja California Peninsula. The city is locally referred to as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, or, The Cinderella of the Pacific...
on June 10, 1848, 1 month after independence from Mexico, at San Diego. López was a great-great-granddaughter of Basilio Rosas, one of 11 families who settled Los Angeles in 1781. Crosthwaite and López had seven sons and three daughters, including Francisco, Felipe, Eduardo, Marcos, Santiago, Carlos, Lizzie, Guillermo. His daughter Mary married J. N. Briseño, of San Diego. His daughter Josefa married Julio Osuna, the grandson of Juan María Osuna, the first Alcalde of San Diego and grantee of Rancho San Dieguito
Rancho San Dieguito
Rancho San Dieguito was a Mexican land grant in present day San Diego County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to Juan María Osuna. The rancho was renamed Rancho Santa Fe.-History:...
(now Rancho Santa Fe). Most of the family remained in Baja California after the purchase of Rancho San Miguel in 1861 when the cattle were herded south from Rancho Paguay (Poway) in San Diego County. Many of the descendants of Crosthwaite still live in Playas de Rosarito
Playas de Rosarito
Rosarito Beach , is a coastal resort city in the Mexican state of Baja California located approximately 35 minutes south of the U.S. border in Rosarito Beach Municipality. Its beaches and dance clubs are a popular destination for young people from the United States during the Memorial Day and Labor...
, where some use the surname spelled as "Croswaithe". Jorge Croswaithe is now president of the Red Cross and Rafael Croswaithe was a candidate for the local government in the 2007 Baja California state elections. Many other family members are scattered between Baja California, in Mexico, and Southern California in the United States. Writer Luis Humberto Crosthwaite lives in Tijuana.
During the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
in 1849, Crosthwaite went north briefly to mine gold. He didn't get rich, but did bring back 47 ounces (1350 grams) of gold.
In 1851, Crosthwaite served in the Garra Insurrection, with the rank of third sergeant. After these troubles, he was the mainstay of the citizens in preserving the peace, at the time when a gang was terrorizing the town, and was seriously wounded.
Crosthwaite held a number of offices at an early day, being the first county treasurer (1850), deputy sheriff several years, and sheriff one or two terms. He was also school commissioner in 1850, county clerk and recorder in 1853-4, and justice of the peace in 1854. He lived for several years in Mission Valley
Mission Valley, California
Mission Valley is a wide river valley trending east-west in San Diego, California, through which the San Diego River flows to the Pacific Ocean...
, above Old Town, and later owned Rancho San Miguel in Baja California. He was lessee of the Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, in San Diego, California, was the first Franciscan mission in the Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was founded in 1769 by Spanish friar Junípero Serra in an area long inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians...
in 1848, and later joined the gold rush. He also kept a store in Old Town, and later in new San Diego, in partnership with Thomas Whaley
Thomas Whaley
Thomas Whaley early settler of San Diego.Whaley was born in New York City 1823 to Thomas Alexander Whaley Sr. and Rachel Pye. His father died in 1832 and his will said Thomas should receive a liberal education....
. His old ledger, kept in 1853, later owned by Joseph Jessop, shows many curious things. The first entry in it shows the sale of over $200 worth of provisions to Lieutenant Derby, for the use of the Indians working on the San Diego River dam. The prices charged are also very interesting, now.
Ranch and city life
Crosthwaite purchased Rancho San Miguel, near EnsenadaEnsenada, Baja California
Ensenada is a coastal city in Mexico and the third-largest city in Baja California. It is located south of San Diego on the Baja California Peninsula. The city is locally referred to as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, or, The Cinderella of the Pacific...
, Baja California, in 1861 and moved there, but still spent much of his time in San Diego. He was an active in the San Diego Lodge of the Freemasons. Crosthwaite visited his sister in San Andreas, California
San Andreas, California
San Andreas is an unincorporated census-designated place and the county seat of Calaveras County, California. The population was 2,783 at the 2010 census, up from 2,615 at the 2000 census. Like most towns in the region, it was originally founded during the California Gold Rush...
where her husband William Jeff Gatewood was publishing the San Andreas Register. Crosthwaite suggested that Gatewood move the paper to San Diego, which didn't have a newspaper then. He did and the first issue of San Diego Union
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
was issued October 10, 1868. Crosthwaite was appointed Chief of Police in San Diego in 1869. The same year, he partenered with Thomas Whaley
Thomas Whaley
Thomas Whaley early settler of San Diego.Whaley was born in New York City 1823 to Thomas Alexander Whaley Sr. and Rachel Pye. His father died in 1832 and his will said Thomas should receive a liberal education....
to run a store in Old Town.
Death
Crosthwaite died 1903 in San Diego. He is buried in an unmarked plot in the Masonic section of Mount Hope CemeteryMount Hope Cemetery, San Diego
Mount Hope Cemetery is a municipal cemetery located at 3751 Market Street, San Diego, California, and gives its name to the neighborhood of Mount Hope. The cemetery is adjacent to Greenwood Memorial Park....
, but it was since marked by the Masons in 1968. He had almost fifty grandchildren at the time of his death.