Biography

Bernardo Antonio Yorba was born on August 20, 1801 in San Diego, Alta California and was baptized on August 24, 1801 in San Diego Presidio Chapel, Sandiego, Alta California. His parents were José Antonio Yorba, I and Maria Josefa Yorba (Grijalva). He was a California early settler / land grant recipient / officer of the Portola Expedition.

Bernardo married Maria Andrea Elisalde. Together they had the following children: Bernardo Antonio Yorba II; Francis Xavier Yorba; Gregorio Yorba.

Bernardo married Maria Felipa Yorba (Dominguez) on February 2, 1830 in San Gabriel, Los Angeles, California, United States. Together they had the following children: Doña Maria Jesus Yorba de Botiller; Prudencio Yorba; Jose de Jesus Yorba; Marcos Yorba; Maria Leonor Rowland (Yorba); Trinadad Yorba; Vicente Yorba; Zenobia Rowland (Yorba); Filipe Yorba.

Bernardo married Maria de Jesus de los Dolores Yorba (Alvarado y Amador). Together they had the following children: Raymundo Dolores Yorba; Maria Rosa Ynez Cota (Yorba); Dolores Yorba; Maria Ramona Anselma Wilson (Yorba y Alvarado).

He died on October 21, 1858 in Santa Ana, Orange, California, United States and was buried in Yorba Cemetery, Yorba Linda, Orange, California, United States.

From Wikipedia (English):

Bernardo Yorba (August 20, 1800 - November 28, 1858), was a native of Nueva California and the son of Spanish soldier, José Antonio Yorba. Bernardo became one of the most successful ranchers in Alta California with thousands of cattle and horses grazing on land grants totaling more than 35,000 acres (8 square Spanish leagues). Bernado Yorba built a large adobe hacienda, Hacienda de San Antonio near the present day city of Yorba Linda which is named in honor of Bernardo.

Life

Bernardo Yorba was born on August 20, 1800 in San Diego. Other sources list his birth on August 4, 1801. Bernardo was the son of José Antonio Yorba, one of the early settlers of Spanish California, and Maria Josefa Grijalva. Bernardo's childhood was spent in San Diego. Here he was sent to a school kept by Franciscan Fathers. Jose Antonio Yorba had moved to the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, granted to him and his nephew Pablo Peralta, by Governor José Joaquín de Arrillaga on behalf of the Spanish Government in 1810. It was around this time that the family moved to the rancho near present day Olive, California in Orange County.

In 1834, Bernardo was granted the 13,328-acre (53.94 km2) Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana. It was shortly after this that Bernardo began construction of a large adobe house, the Bernardo Yorba Hacienda. Bernardo was elected to serve as Juez de Campo and Auxiliary Alcade several times (1833, 1836, 1840, and 1844). In 1846, he was granted Rancho La Sierra.

Descendants

In 1858, At the age of 57, Bernardo Yorba died leaving behind a large and prosperous rancho and many children. Some sources list his death on November 28, 1858. Other sources list his death on October 21, 1858.

He married his first wife Maria de Jesus Alvarado in 1819. After her death, he married Felipa Dominguez in 1829, and after her death, Andrea Elizalde (Avila) in 1854.

Find a Grave

Birth: Aug. 20, 1801 San Diego San Diego County California, USA

Death: Oct. 21, 1858 Santa Ana Orange County California, USA

Early California land grant pioneer. Born Bernardo Antonio Yorba y Grijalva, he was baptized at the San Diego Presidio Chapel August 24, 1801 (Presidio/Mission San Diego Baptism No. 03068). He was the son of José Antonio Yorba and María Josefa Grijalva. He received his own grant in 1834 encompassing 13,328 acres which today is the location of the historic city of Yorba Linda, the birth and burial place of President Richard Nixon. He is remembered most for constructing a huge adobe hacienda in nearby Santa Ana Canyon. He named his land grant "Rancho San Juan Cajon de Santa Ana" and his new residence "San Antonio" after his favorite saint. The spacious two story adobe had over 100 rooms with the rancho having hundreds of employees to tend the vineyards, crops and cattle fed by water from the Santa Ana River marking the first large irrigation system in California. Bernardo liked young women. His first wife 16 year old Maria in five years between marriage and death gave birth to one son and three daughters. He next married fifteen year old Felipa who died giving birth to her twelfth child. His third wife he married by proxy and had a friend travel to Los Angeles on his behalf to take the marriage vows at the historic Plaza Church. Andrea was 29 years younger than her new husband but she bore him four sons. At the age of 57, Don Bernardo Yorba died leaving behind a large and prosperous rancho and twenty children. He was interred in the old Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles. He left the land for a cemetery, the Yorba Cemetery, in his will but it was not ready for a burial until 1862. He and 9 of his family members remained at Calvary until 1923 when they were all moved and reinterred at Yorba cemetery. His second wife, Felipa Dominguez, was one of those moved. His last wife, Andrea Avila, remarried and she is buried along with her second husband in an unmarked grave at the Yorba cemetery.

Family links:

Parents:

• Jose Antonio Yorba (1743 - 1825)

Spouses:

• Felipa Dominquez Yorba (1812 - 1851)*
• Maria Jesus Dolores Alvarado Yorba (1796 - 1828)*
• Maria Andrea Elisalde Davila (1830 - 1909)*

Children:

• Jose Raymondo Dolores Yorba (1825 - 1891)*
• Maria Ynes de los Dolores Yorba Cota (1827 - 1911)*
• Maria Ramona Anselma Yorba Wilson (1828 - 1849)*
• Marie De Jesus Yorba Scully (1831 - 1914)*
• Prudencio Yorba (1832 - 1885)*
• Marcos Yorba (1835 - 1892)*
• Trinidad Yorba (1840 - 1881)*
• Vicente Yorba (1844 - 1903)*
• Zenobia Yorba Rowland (1845 - 1892)*
• Tomás Antonio Yorba (1847 - 1896)*
• Felipe Yorba (1851 - 1905)*

Siblings:

• Pedro Antonio Yorba (1774 - 1780)*
• Diego Maria Yorba (1776 - 1806)*
• Francisco Xavier Yorba (1776 - ____)*
• Joseph Antonio de los Remedios Yorba (1785 - 1844)*
• Tomas Antonio Yorba (1787 - 1845)*
• Maria Raymunda Fermina Nepomucena Yorba Alvarado (1793 - 1851)*
• Josef Domingo Yorba (1795 - 1796)*
• Francisca Dominga Yorba Ortega (1797 - 1814)*
• Maria De Las Nieves Yorba (1798 - 1798)*
• Bernardo Antonio Yorba (1801 - 1858)
• Teodisio Juan Yorba (1805 - 1863)*
• Calculated relationship

Burial: Yorba Cemetery Yorba Linda Orange County California, USA Plot: Family

Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: May 06, 2003

Early California land grant pioneer. Born Bernardo Antonio Yorba y Grijalva, he was baptized at the San Diego Presidio Chapel August 24, 1801 (Presidio/Mission San Diego Baptism No. 03068). He was the son of José Antonio Yorba and María Josefa Grijalva. He received his own grant in 1834 encompassing 13,328 acres which today is the location of the historic city of Yorba Linda, the birth and burial place of President Richard Nixon. He is remembered most for constructing a huge adobe hacienda in nearby Santa Ana Canyon. He named his land grant "Rancho San Juan Cajon de Santa Ana" and his new residence "San Antonio" after his favorite saint. The spacious two story adobe had over 100 rooms with the rancho having hundreds of employees to tend the vineyards, crops and cattle fed by water from the Santa Ana River marking the first large irrigation system in California. Bernardo liked young women. His first wife 16 year old Maria in five years between marriage and death gave birth to one son and three daughters.

He next married fifteen year old Felipa who died giving birth to her twelfth child. His third wife he married by proxy and had a friend travel to Los Angeles on his behalf to take the marriage vows at the historic Plaza Church. Andrea was 29 years younger than her new husband but she bore him four sons. At the age of 57, Don Bernardo Yorba died leaving behind a large and prosperous rancho and twenty children. He was interred in the old Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles. He left the land for a cemetery, the Yorba Cemetery, in his will but it was not ready for a burial until 1862. 

He and 9 of his family members remained at Calvary until 1923 when they were all moved and reinterred at Yorba cemetery. His second wife, Felipa Dominguez, was one of those moved. His last wife, Andrea Avila, remarried and she is buried along with her second husband in an unmarked grave at the Yorba cemetery.