Wanted - Descendants of Northern San Mateo County Pioneers

 By Russ Brabec

I have compiled histories of each of the following families from the archives of San Mateo County newspapers and other resources.  I would like to meet descendants and share information about these pioneers.  I  have listed their children and their spouses, if known.

SETTLER	NAME-BIRTH	BIRTHPLACE	Birth of SURVIVING CHILDREN
Bepler	Justus (1826)	Germany	1862 Fritz Bepler
	Louisa (1827)	Germany	1866 David Bepler
	______________	______________	1869 Louis Bepler ______________
Brooks	Patrick (1820)	Ireland	184_ Mary A. (Brooks) Forsythe
	Bridget (1830)	Ireland	1861 Sarah A. Brooks m. Michael Whelan
	______________	______________	1864 Delia F. Brooks m. Thomas Spellman ______________
Burley	William     (1806-07)	England	1833 Elizabeth Burley m. Edward Robson
	Hanour (Hannah) Chubb  (1798-99) ______________	England ______________	1839 Edward Burley ______________
Carter	Charles D. (1825)	New York	1852 Charles D. Carter
	Lydia Jenkins (1817) ______________	England ______________	______________
Collopy	George Michael (1844)	Vermont	1888 Bertram Cecil Collopy
	Ella Winifred Fay (1863)  ______________	California ______________	1892 Lucy Marin Collopy (maiden lady) ______________
Comerford	Michael (1797-1818)	Ireland - via Australia	1843 Margaret Comerford (maiden lady)
	Alice (1st)	Ireland - via Australia?	1845 Sarah J. Comerford m.
	Sarah (2nd) (1823)	Ireland - via Australia	1849 Mary A. Comerford m. S. M. Hill
	Catherine Mulvey Chandler (3d)(1849)	Ireland (Married 1878 - 188_)	1851 Joseph M. Comerford m. Elizabeth
			1853 Elizabeth Comerford m. Anado Fava
			1862 Catherine Comerford m. William Chandler
			1862 Charlotte Comerford
	______________	______________	1865 John J. Comerford ______________
Daly	John (1841)	Massachusetts	1866 Minnie E. Daly m. Edwin B. Carson
	Lillie Frances Carrick (1st) (1848)	Massachusetts	1868 Sarah Florence Daly m. Howard Q. Tilton
	Florence Smart (2nd) (1877)		1869 Lillie Isabelle. Daly m. William George
			1877 Ida Evelyn Daly m. Caleb Levensaler
	______________	______________	1879 Irving Reid Daly m. Georgia M. Sherwood (no children) ______________
Daley	Michael (1808)	Ireland	1841 John Daley - see John Daly
	Isabella (1st) 1806	Ireland	1848 Isabella Daley m. Ernest Haquette
	Bridget (2nd) 1830 ______________	Ireland ______________	______________
Doncks	Peter Herman (1821)	Germany	1850 Augusta Rose Doncks m. Franz L. Guntz
	Johanna Lenora Glesike (1822)	Germany	1852 Annie C. Doncks m. Francis X. Kast
	______________	______________	1862 Clara Jachin Doncks m. J. Henry Reich ______________
Farrington	George (1826)	Maine	1845 Aphelia Adams Farrington m. John Cochrane.
	Hannah Elizabeth Philbrook (1826)             (1st Marriage)	Maine	1850 Emily EMMA Farrington [Van Winkle] (Maiden Lady)
	______________	______________	1860 Jeanette Farrington (maiden lady) ________________ _
Gardner	John (1820)	Ireland	1857 Mary Gardner
	Ellen (1826) ______________	Dublin, Ireland ______________	______________
Green	Benjamin (1832)	New Brunswick	1856
	Hanora (Hannah) Sullivan (1834)	Ireland	1860 Mary M. Green
			1863 Margaret C. Green
			1865 Benjamin S. Greene m. Julia A. Keily
			1869 Anna A. Greene m. Thomas P. Green
			1873 Ivy Greene
	______________	______________	1877 Gertrude Greene ______________
King	Jacob E. (1822)	Indiana	1851 Clara King
	Mary Ann (1835)	England	1854 Milton King
			1856 Henry King
			1857 Herman King
	______________	______________	1859 James E. King ______________
Knowles	Israel Graham (1827)	Ohio	1858 Frank S. Knowles
	Mary Sanderson (1832)	New York	1862 Walter C. Knowles
	Mary (2nd)		1867 Albert Knowles
			1869 Harriet C. Knowles m. ____ Giles
			1873 Harvey Knowles
	______________	______________	1875 Dudley Knowles ______________
Locker	John Wesley (1827)	Illinois	1859 James Walter Locker
	Elizabeth R. (1841)	Massachusetts	1860 Lydia Melvina Locker m. Robert Brown
	______________	______________	1872 Charles Henry Locker m. Selma O.  ______________
McMahon	Owen (1825)	Ireland	1858 Ellen Maria McMahon m. _____ Barry
	Elizabeth Flournoy (1838) ______________	Rhode Island ______________	1864 Elizabeth C. McMahon m. ____ Hamlin ______________
Pierce	Francis E. (1828)	Massachusetts	1856 Emma F. Pierce m. ____ Charlton
	Fanny (1832)	Massachusetts	1858 Frank W. Pierce
			1861 Fredrick Ellis Pierce
			1862 Edward Martin Pierce
	______________	______________	1863 Harry David Pierce ______________
Robson	Edward (1830) via Illinois	England	1859 Minnie L. Robson m. Herman J. Muller
	Elizabeth Burley (1832)	England	1861 Josephine Robson m. David H. Sewall
	______________	______________	1868 Allan M. Robson (bachelor) ______________
Schwerin	Henry (1824)   via Philadelphia	Hanover, Prussia	1856 Henry W.  Schwerin m. Emma ____
	Ottilia Eckenroth (1830) via New Orleans	Prussia	1857 Theodore C. Schwerin m. Kate A. McCarthy
			1861 Elizabeth S. Schwerin m.  William Schnutenhaus
			1863 Adolph E. Schwerin m. Dorothea Schwerin
			1865 Delia Adel Schwerin m. Max Schnutenhaus
			1868 Rose Schwerin m. Jacob A. Mohr
			1871 Edward H. Schwerin m. Vinnie H. Boggess
	______________	______________	1873 Lillian Schwerin m. Frederick W. Meyer ______________
Smith	Jeremiah (1831)	Rhode Island	1891 Roy Smith
	Ann Frances (1st)
	Amelia (2nd)
	Etta (3rd) ______________	Rhode Island ______________	1891 Roy Smith ______________
Thornton	Robert Sheldon (1819)	Rhode Island	1862 Josephine S. Thornton m. Alfred B. Lindsay
	Patia Townsend (1st)	Rhode Island
	Sarah Ann Smith (2nd) (1828) ______________	Rhode Island ______________	1862 Josephine S. Thornton m. Alfred B. Lindsay ______________
White	Samuel Stetson (1827)	Massachusetts	1858 Anne White m. John U. Hack
	Mary (1831)	Rhode Island	1860 Ellen M. White m. George M. Brown
			1862 Henrietta L. White m. Ezra J. Chapman
	______________	______________	1865 Hale White ______________
White	Franklin (1804?)	Rhode Island	Mary White

Other Families

Victoriano William Guerrero (Francisco-1) 


was born about 23 Dec 1848. (1)  

Victoriano grants his mother in fee simple, lot 3, as the land was partitioned in March of 1874.  This lot contained 3629.59 acres and Victoriano was paid $8000 in gold coin.

For the sum of $5 Victoriano bought lot forty and one half  on the plat of Half Moon Bay Colony tract from the Savings and Loan Society  This lot was adjacent to a lot belonging to his mother and contained 8.08 acres of land.  Victoriano bought other lots from the Savings and Loan Society.

Victoriano William Guerrero and Emma F Irwin, who was born about 1855, were married on 28 Dec 1873 in San Mateo.

 Victoriano was living in San Mateo in 1880 and  in Colma, San Mateo CA on 9 Oct 1890.  In 1900 Emma was living in Sausalito in Marin County.  She died on 7 Nov 1905.

 “GUERRERO - In this city,  November 7, 1905, Emma F. Guerrero, beloved mother of Mrs. Josephine  A. Baldwin, and sister of Washington Irwin, a native of  San   Francisco, Cal., aged 50 years.  The funeral will take place Thursday, November 9, 1905, at 11 o’clock a.m. , from the parlors of Carew & English, 29 Van Ness avenue.  Interment strictly private,   Cypress Lawn Cemetery, by electric car from Eighteenth and Guerrero"

Victoriano died on 29 Aug 1928 at the age of 79 leaving no living heirs.

Victoriano William Guerrero and Emma F Irwin had the following child:

Josephine Guerrero, born 29 Sep 1874, San Mateo Co. CA; died 24 Feb 1908, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States.

Other Families

Agustin (Hipolito) Guerrero (Francisco-1) 

Agustin the son of Francisco Guerrero and Josephine DeHaro was born on 13 Aug 1842 in Yerba Buena.

Before 1870 he married Margaret Miller (1) who was also born in 1842.(2)  Living with them in Township 5 that year are Mary and Susan Miller.

In 1880 the family is listed in Twp #4, Spanishtown, San Mateo, CA. (3)

Agustin died on 7 Jan 1882 at the age of 39(4) and was buried in Pilarcitos Cemetery in Half Moon Bay,(5) 

Agustin and Margaret  had the following children:

• Augustine Dolores Guerrero was born 1876 in San Mateo County.  She married first, John Lennon, who had been previously married to Margaret McMahon, on 6 Dec 1893(6) in San Mateo County.  He died on Christmas Eve 1899 in Colma (7) and she married second William J Kennedy before 1910.(7) Augustine died on 7 Feb 1949 in  San Francisco.  Augustine and John Lennon had three children
• Victor Lennon
• Margueretta Josephine Lennon
• Dolores Maude Lennon m. Mullen
• James J. Mullen
• Robert J. Mullen

                Augustine and William Kennedy had two children,

• Maude J Kennedy died before 1949.  Maude is listed as Kennedy in her mother's obituary so it is assumed she was not married.
• William I Kennedy (Jumbo) was born after 1910 and died in 1957.  

• Victoriano William Guerrero was born on 22 Dec 1877 in Half Moon Bay.  He married Rhoda Blanche Schultz on 24 November 1906.  Victor died on 9 Aug 1945 in Atherton.(8)

Marriage Record Victor Guerrero and Blanche Schultz (1)

• Josephine Maud Guerrero, born 19 Oct 1880(9), San Mateo Co. CA; married T(homas) J(erome) Kelly, 30 Jun 1897(10), San Mateo Co. CA.

(1) Marriage of Victor Guerrero and Blanche Schultz
(2) Augustine Guerrero Household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593-87 p391A  Township 5, San Mateo,California
(3)  Tenth Census of the United States, 1880.  NARA Microfilm Publication T9 Roll 80 ED 240 p 448C San Mateo - Twp #4  Spanishtown, San Mateo CA 

(4) Grunigan Mary Lou, San Mateo Times Gazette Index of Vital Records1859-1899. SMCGS Guerrero, Augustine d. 7 Jan 1882 34 years
(5) Find A Grave
(6) San Francisco Morning Call. 11 Dec 1893; San Mateo Times Gazette Index of Vital Records1859-1899.Guerrero, Gussie D mm. John Lennon 12/6/1893 in Dec 16 issue
(7)  San Mateo County, San Mateo County Death Record Book - Earliest to 1917 (San Mateo County - Located at Tower Road Record Repository), John Lennon 33 Ireland 12/24/1899 near Holy Cross Cemetery M White Saloon Keeper shock and Hemorrhage EE Cunningham JP Holy Cross, Colma 12/26/1899. 

(8) County of San Mateo, San Mateo County Death Register (Located at 25 Tower Road, San Mateo.), Volume 31 Certificate #775 dated 8/13/1945 registrant Charles C Gans MD by Helen M O'Neill - Residence 295 Selby Lane, Atherton, SM- SS# 561-07-5119 - died of liver cancer.
(9) San Mateo Times Gazette Index of Vital Records1859-1899. Guerrero, girl b. 19 Oct 1880 to A. Guerrero in Oct 23 issue
(10)San Mateo Times Gazette Index of Vital Records1859-1899.  Guerrero Maude J m. TJ Kelly 30 Jun 1897 in Jul 3 issue.

Other Families

Francisco Guerrero y Palomares 

Born in 1811 in Tepic, Mexico(1), Francisco came north in 1934 as part of a colonizing party that rode from Mexico to Mission Dolores.(2)  Perhaps he was attracted by the promise that he would be able to obtain a piece of mission land by filing a claim with the governor in Monterey citing his military service.  To receive that grant he would be required to draw a diseno (sketch map) of the land he wanted and build an adobe on the granted land.(2)  Over the years Francisco accepted various appointments to office in Yerba Buena including serving as alcade in 1836 and again from 1839-1841.(3)    

On 16 Oct1839 the Governor "ad interim," Manuel Jimeno, granted Francisco 7766 acres [one square league] along the Pacific Ocean with Montara Mountain to the north, the first ridge of the coastal range to the east and El Arroyo de en Medio [in the middle, the place where cattle were rounded up for the annual rodeo] to the south. This grant was approved by the Departmental Assembly on May 22, 1840. Additional land was granted on 1 May 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena and approved by the assembly 12 Jul 1845.  This stretch of land near Pillar Point was called El Corral de Tierra.  The name perhaps reflected the way the hills seemed to encircle it to form a great natural corral of earth, or perhaps the fact that the point itself was used as a corral by simply fencing off its narrow neck."(5)   Only half of El Corral de Tierra was granted to Francisco, the other half went to Tibucio Vasquez.

Land Case File 49 - Josepfa Haro de Guerrero El Corral de Tierra (4) 

Francisco did not live on his land, his home was in San Francisco near Mission Dolores.(6) Even when many Mexican land grant holders fled San Francisco to live on their grants during the Mexican American War, Francisco and his family remained in San Francisco.

Francisco died on 13 Jul 1851 at the age of 40.  The cause of death was a fractured skull caused by being beaten with a slungshot (bag of shot) by Francis LeBras, a Frenchman.(7)  LeBras was acquitted perhaps on the urging of others who had feared the testimony of Guerrero regarding land grants. The attack was investigated by a Vigilante Committee and in newspapers.  A Coroner's inquest was held on the 14 thru 16 Jul 1851. The site of the murder was the corner of Twelfth and Mission streets. In 1906 the first station of the Ocean Shore Railroad connecting San Francisco to the old coastal lands of the Guerrero Rancho was constructed on the same site.

Today there are many reminders of Francisco on the land.  In the Mission District lies Guerrero Street,  On the coast,  land is still surveyed and recorded in the old land grant system of Corral de Tierra Palomares rather than in the township system used by the United States Land office in most states west of Ohio.

Francisco was buried in the Mission Dolores graveyard, across the street from the family home. His estate probated on 27 Oct 1879 in San Francisco. (8)

Athough the estate filed a claim for Francisco's San Mateo County Rancho, it wasn't until 1866 that the Guerrero claim to El Corral de Teirra was finally patented by the federal government. Patent Book One pg 471 records the patent which is given to Josefa DeH Guerrero et all.

As late as 1911 the Guerrero Adobe still stood, but an effort by Coastsiders and the Univesity Museum at Stanford fell short of the $300 needed to save it from being disassembeled for its timber by it's owners.  Today the Francisco Guerrero y Palomares claim has become part of the Golden Gate National Recreation area.

Francisco Guerrero and Maria Josefa Silvera De Haro (see De Haro) were married on 4 Sep 1841 at Mission Dolores (9) and had the following children

• Agustin (Hipolito) Guerrero, born 13 Aug 1842 and died 7 Jan 1882.
• Julian Emeterio Guerrero was born on 16 Feb 1844 and died 18 Mar 1844.
• Nicolas Ramon Guerrero was born on 10 Aug 1846 and died in Jun 1848.
• Victoriano William Guerrero, born abt 23 Dec 1848 and died 29 Aug 1928.
• Francisco Macedonio Guerrero was born on 12 Sep 1851and died in Feb 1853.

For more information see

National Park Service - Rancho Corral de Tierra
Open Space District - Rancho Corral de Teirra
Wikipedia - Rancho Corral de Tierra
Remembering the "Corral de Tierra"

_________________________________________________________ 
1.   Information provided by Julie Christy , e-mail 10/10/2000.
2.   Californio Families - A Brief Overview
3.   Brown, John Henry, Reminiscences and Incidents of the Early Days of San Francisco. San Francisco (SF:  Mission        Journal Publishing Co., 1886.)
4.   United States. District Court (California : Northern District). Land case. 49,  [1837] UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library
5.   Stanger, Frank M, South From San Francisco: San Mateo County California Its History and Heritage (San Mateo County Historical Association 1963), pg 41.
6.   Census of San Francisco in 1842; The Colonial History of the City of San Francisco: Being a Synthetic Argument ....(Towne & Bacon, Book and Job Printers, San Francisco, 1863
7.   Alta California; San Francisco Chronicle, June 20, 1911 "Working to Save Historic Adobe, to prevent ruin of old Guerrero Home, fine specimen of Spanish Architecture can be had for $300."
8.   SM - Official Record Books.
9.   Information provided by Julie Christy