José (Lim) Lerma

Came from Southern China. Wore his hair in a queue. Was skilled in masonry and quickly earned a good reputation as a builder, and was hired to rebuild churches and schools that were destroyed because of earthquakes or fires.

He was paid in pure gold and silver coins by the Spanish, which he accumulated in tapayan or large china jars. Lola Judge (aka Nati) Almeda Lopez often spoke of how wealthy her grandfather was, and remembered that the jar filled with gold and silver coins lined the walls of the huge room in his home.

He eventually became a respected citizen and was appointed mayor of the Chinese sector of Manila. Was called "Kapitan Ting."

He had three wives, as some Chinese men then were known to have more than one wife. The first child of his first wife was Severina Lerma. She inherited vast tracts of land, including the area now called Tayuman, as well as rubber plantations in Bataan.

>Source: Anna Leah Almeda-Lopez Saraba

Lolo Tianong (Salustiano) at Lolo Celo (Marcelo) yun po ang tawag ng daddy ko sa kanila. Magkapatid po sila. Meron pa po silang kapatid na si Lolo Gelacio ang anak nya ay si Teodoro E. Lerma, may ari po ng Kwik-Way Engineering. I also heard from my mommy that Lola Judge Nati is also a relative.

Gregoria Bernardo Martinez is Married to Jose Lim-a Lerma. Children: Gelacio, Severina, Salustiano, Marcelo, Pastor,Benita.... Pastor & Marcelo are my great grandfather. Bale yung anak ni Pastor which is my lola at yung anak ni Marcelo which is my lolo are magpinsan. Mag asawa po silang magpinsan. Kaya ang daddy ko po ay si Antonio Lerma Lerma. Patuloy pa din oo ako sa pagsasaliksik ng ating pinagmulan.

Galing po ako sa lineage nina Marceloat Pastor Lerma na kapatid ni Severina at Salustiano Lerma.

>Source: Elinor Lerma - June 2015

Source:

• Lerma Family's 1890 Tondo Municipal Census: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSH6-C1FT