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steve.gibson@bexargenealogy.com

© 2002- 2012, Steve Gibson, Bexar Genealogy, All Rights Reserved

Bexareños

Bexareño is the Spanish term for a resident of San Antonio.  From the time the Canary Islanders first arrived until the time of the Texas Revolution many Bexareño families came to settle the area. Many settled in La Villa de San Fernando, but they also settled around the missions, haciendas and many rancho’s along the San Antonio River and surrounding areas.


The Presidio settlers along with the Canary Islanders formed the base population of San Antonio de Béxar which struggled to grow over the next 100 years.  However, Béxar would not be denied and in 1762 the population had grown to approximately 661 and by the 1790 Census there were 1033 people listed as living in San Fernando de Béxar, this did not include the inhabitants form the surrounding missions.  By 1820 there was a population of almost 1600 Bexareños.

 

Pedro Huízar (Guizar), a native of Aguascalientes arrived at La Villa de Béxar sometime before 1778, and was married to Maria de la Trinidad Henriques.  Pedro and Maria had at least 6 children born at La Villa de San Fernando.  Pedro’s services as a carpenter and sculptor were employed at San José y San Miguel de Aguayo Mission, the second of five Spanish missions built around San Antonio de Béxar. He is reputed to have sculpted the mission church’s rose window and the façade.  During the 1790’s he helped survey mission farmlands at the time of secularization, the La Bahia area for possible irrigation works, and in December 1790 Pedro Huizar was commissioned to draw plans for the reconstruction of the San Antonio de Béxar presidio and improvement of its defenses, but the plans were not acted upon. In 1793 he received a grant for land from the large area farmed by Indians who lived at San Antonio de Valero Mission.  In 1798 he was serving as the appointed justice at Mission San Jose.  [Huizar Descendent Report]

The Esparza family first came to the San Antonio de Béxar area when Jose Francisco Maria Esparza and his third wife Jacinta Gertrudis Briseño came to La Villa de Béxar  from Saltillo, Coahuila around 1788.  Esparza had 4 children who lived passed childhood and his grandson, José María Esparza also known as Gregorio Esparza was one of the defenders who died at the Alamo.  Gregorio along with his wife Ana Salazar and family were in the Alamo during the siege and his son Enrique Esparza was an eye witness to the events.  Gregorio's heirs were instrumental in founding San Augustine, southeast of Pleasanton in Atascosa County.  [Esparza Descendents Report]  

One such Bexareño family was that of Pedro Carlos de los Angeles Charlé.  He came to Louisiana from France at the age of about 18 or 20 and when Jacinto de Barrios was made governor of Texas he came to the frontier presidio of Los Adaes in the military service of France.  He then accompanied the governor to San Antonio de Béxar sometime between 1756 and 1759.  In 1760 at La Villa de San Fernando he married Agueda Maldonado the daughter of Luis Maldonado and Luisa Manuela Pérez who was the daughter of Cayetano Pérez from Los Adaes and Mayordomo of the mission in 1739.  

[Charlé Descendents Report]


In 1778 after the death of his wife, Pedro married Maria de Estrada and had 2 children, their daughter Concepción de Los Angeles Charlé married Ventura Losoya the son of Miguel Antonio Losoya and Maria del Pilar Hidalgo who had came to San Antonio de Béxar sometime around 1770.  Ventura and Concepción had three children, Toribio Losoya, the oldest fought and died at the battle of the Alamo.  Toribio Losoya's mother, his younger brother Juan, and sister, Juana Francisca Melton the wife of Eliel Melton, were present in the Alamo and survived the siege and battle. Private José Toribio Losoya, also under Seguín, was killed at the Alamo during its final hour; his body was burned with those of the other defenders.


The Losoya family probably had more of a right to be at the Alamo than any of the other non-combatants, since the Losoyas actually lived for a time within the Alamo compound.

[Losoya Descendents Report]


Los Bexareños

Genealogical Society

Joseph Francisco Salinas the Alferez, born about 1722 who came to San Antonio de Béxar in 1742.  He married a Margila Chirino.  They had a daughter Josefa Salinas who married in 1811 Manuel Monjaras a Cavo (corporal) of the squad of the Béxar milicia, son of the Don Juan Monjaras and Xaviela Flores.  [Monjaras Descendent Report], [Salinas Descendent Report]

Francisco Antonio Flores de Abrego, came to San Antonio de Béxar from Saltillo sometime before 1746.  He married Rosa Hermenegilda Hernández, the daughter of Francisco Hernández, one of the original presidial settlers.  His children and grandchildren all married into established Bexareño  families.  Montes de Oca, Rodriguez and Seguin to mention a few.  Francisco’s great grandson, Jose Maria Victoriano Flores de Abrego married Maria Lionides Seguin the daughter of Texas patriot Erasmo Seguin and Josefa Bacerra.  Their daughter, Josefa Augustina Flores de Abrego, born about 1833, grew up on the family's extensive lands and, in San Antonio on April 17, 1854, married Samuel Williams Barker, who became the first sheriff of Wilson County. When her father died, Josefa inherited a portion of his estate, 200 acres of which she donated to establish the town of Floresville.  [Flores de Abrego Descendent Report]

The Rose Window, is located on the south wall of the church sacristy, at the Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo.  Legend has it that La Ventana de Rosa is named for Rosa, the betrothed of Juan Huizar.


Source:

Nps.com

National Park Service

San Antonio Missions