To Los Angeles in the 1840s

In my last update of my genealogy research from a little over a year ago, I had discovered several new exciting leads for who and where my great great grandparents were prior to appearing in the Los Angeles 1850 census. After examining the data again, and after discovering a new baptismal record in Mexico, I am now prepared to fully go with the hypothesis I raised a year ago.

I looked at this again because my sister wanted to join the Society of California Pioneers. The application required submission of a family tree, with the membership requirement that an ancestor have been in California prior to January 1, 1850. This requirement disqualified Henry Schwerin, because although some of his brothers arrived in 1849, he didn't arrive in San Francisco until January 1850. He missed the Society's deadline by a month. So that sends us back to our dad's side of the family, and the mystery of when my great great grandparents arrived in L.A.

Based on the information in my previous post, and after reexamining census records I had already found, I was able to find the following baptismal record for Maria Ygnacia, baptized on June 11, 1822 at La Asuncion, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Her parents were Jose Ygnacio Velderrain and Pascuala Ramirez, who I am now convinced were my great great grandparents!

In addition to the baptism, it says Jose Ygnacio Velderrain and Maria Pascuala Ramirez, Spanish citizens and residents of this place were godparents of Felipe and Catalina Dias.

This baptismal record enabled me to connect Jose Ygnacio from his birthplace in Alamos, to his first marriage with Pascuala and the birth of this daughter in Hermosillo, to the birth of his son Jesus in Baja, to his second marriage to Encarnacion Martinez at Mission San Juan Capistrano, to his residence in 1850 in L.A.

Here is the timeline (some years are approximate):

1803 Jose Ygnacio Velderrain is born in Alamos, Sonora, Mexico. 

1822 Jose Ygnacio Velderrain, already married to Maria Pascuala Ramirez, baptize their daughter, Maria Ygnacia, in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Pascuala's history is unknown, and since Spaniards had been in Mexico for 300 years, both Pascuala's and Ygnacio's ethnicities are uncertain, but they are described as "Spanish citizens" (one year after Mexican independence).

1840 Son Jesus is born in Baja California.

1841 Daughter Eduarda is born.
1842 Son Guillermo is born.
1844 Daughter Domitila is born (my great grandmother).

1847 Jose Ygnacio Valdarrey marries his second wife, Maria Encarnacion Martinez, at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Pascuala Ramirez is listed as his previous wife. Ygnacio entered California at some time between 1840 and 1847, and it is unclear where Eduarda, Guillermo, and Domitila were born. In 1846 the U.S. declared war on Mexico, and California became part of the U.S. in 1848.

1848 Son Andres is born in California.

1851 Los Angeles, CA census shows the family (last name Veldaray) living in L.A. in the same household as Encarnacion's sister's (Felicidad Martinez) family.

1853 Son Refugio is born in L.A. Refugio goes on to hold prominent positions in the city, including Assessor and Water Overseer (another one of my great uncles also worked for the water department).

1854 Daughter Guadalupe is born in L.A.

1856 Son Ygnacio is born in L.A.

1857 Daughter Eloisa is born in L.A.

1860 Census shows the family (last name Baldarris) living in L.A., with all the kids born before 1848 having "Mexico" as birthplace, and all the kids 1848 and after "California."

1870 By the 1870 census, Domitila was married to Henry Starr and living next to 19-yr-old brother Refugio who was living with 13-year-old (brother?) Natch.

Bilderain Adobe in 1880s, Los Angeles

1880 By the 1880 census, Refugio Bilderain was married to Francisca Lopez (related to the first gold discovery in California in Placerita Canyon) and 56-yr-old Encarnacion Bilderain was living with them.

1900 By the 1900 census, widowed head-of-household 54-yr-old Domitilla was living with three of her grown kids. This living arrangement continued for over 20 years even after my dad was born, and he grew up with his grandma Domitilla and his aunts and uncle under the same roof.

So the next mystery is: What was the rest of the family doing during the 1870 census (or how did they spell their last name)? So far I have been unable to find them.

July 2022 Update: Information on this page is superceded by new information here.