Doña María Martina Castro
There are no records or published documents indicating the courtship of Martina and Governor Alvarado. However, it is known he met Martina at her home in San Pablo and the record of their marriage is documented.
She married Juan Bautista Valentín Alvarado on 24 Aug 1839 at Misión de Santa Clara, Alta California during the beginnings of his political career at Monterey as Governor of Alta California. The wedding festivities at Santa Clara lasted for eight days, and continued at Monterey, then the capital of Alta California for several more days. Martina, now the governor's wife, settled into her new home; an impressive two-story adobe at Monterey which Alvarado completely redecorated for their wedding. The first year of her life in Monterey was a mixture of triumph and joy. She had achieved the very height of social success, yet when she gave birth to her first child a year later, unfortunately, the child died within a few weeks. By the time Alvarado’s term of governorship ended in 1842, they had another child, a daughter, María Victoria Delfina. Martina and Juan Alvarado had several more children between 1843 to 1862; Juan Cosme, José Francisco, Celinda, Valentine, Henry, and Adelina. Alvarado was again offered the governorship a third time, but declined, instead retiring to his wife Martina's family estate at Rancho San Pablo in 1848.
María Martina Castro de Alvarado
1814-1875
Photo c1854 from Historical Society archives
Born María Martina Castro on 11 November 1814 at Misión de Dolóres when San Francisco was still known as Yerba Buena, Alta California. Martina was the daughter of two pioneer families, Don Francisco María Castro, the 1823 grantee of the San Pablo Rancho land grant and Doña Gabriéla Berryessa de Peralta. She was the tenth child of Doña Gabriéla's fourteen children. Martina's descendants came north with the De Anza expedition of 1776. Her parents had been living in the pueblo of San José and moved to the large rancho at San Pablo around 1800. Martina spent the first years of her life in the home her father had built years previously by local indigenous labor, which was located on a portion of rancho land on what is today known as Vale Road, across from former Brookside Hospital.
Excerpt from priest's notes on the marriage ceremony: Groom is apparently not present at this ceremony and sends someone on his behalf. Padre writes, "vele a la forma establecida por la Iglesia ala referida Señora Doña Martina Castro con el Señor Don Juan B. Alvarado (vecino y residente en Monterey) quien concurrió á este acto haciéndose presente no física, sino moralmente mediante su apoderado el Señor Don José Antonio Estrada, quien me manifesto, examine y me consta de la legitimidad de su poder en virtud del cual, no por si, sino a nombre de su poder dante se dio de manos con la referida Señora Doña Martina Castro."
Translation: "kept vigil in the manner established by the Church for the referenced Señora Doña Martina Castro and Señor Don Juan B. Alvarado (local resident of Monterey) who although concurred to this act, was not physically present but morally through his attorney, Senior José Antonio Estrada, who manifested to me, examined and confirmed to me the legitimacy of his power by virtue of which, not in case, but in the name of his power, Dante shook hands with the aforementioned Señora Doña Martina Castro." Recorder: Gonzalez, José María de Jesus -MCF 04/2005
Martina died on 6 May 1875 at age 62. She belonged to one of the oldest and respected families of the early California settlement and was much beloved for her many endearing graces of character. Her death was deeply mourned by those who had long loved and revered her. She was so respected by everyone that on the day of her funeral, all business in the Rancho San Pablo area was suspended in her honor so all could attend and pay their respects. She was laid to rest at St. Mary's Cemetery in Oakland.
A new monument marking the grave of Martina Castro Alvarado and her husband Gov. Juan Bautista Alvarado was installed on 5 October 2013 during the celebration of St. Mary's Cemetery’s 150th Anniversary. It was paid for by private donations coordinated by the San Pablo Historical & Museum Society.
Excerpt from St. Mary's Cemetery in Oakland in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
María Martina Castro de Alvarado was the daughter of Francisco María Castro of Rancho San Pablo. Martina’s grandparents immigrated to California with the famed Juan Bautista de Anza Settler Expedition of 1775-1776. Martina married Governor Juan B. Alvarado in 1839 at Mission Santa Clara. They resided in the Gubernatorial mansion in the capital of Monterey during his 1836-1842 tenure. They retired to her family property of Rancho San Pablo soon after United States annexation of California.
Martina inherited the San Pablo adobe home and more than half of the almost 16,000-acre Rancho San Pablo when her mother Doña Gabriela Castro died in 1851. Juan and Martina helped the village of San Pablo grow and prosper, including donating property to the residents to build and establish St. Paul’s Catholic Church. She was “a lady much beloved for her many endearing graces of character.” Martina Castro Alvarado died in 1875 and on the day of her funeral, business in San Pablo was suspended.
A new monument marking the grave of Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado and María Martina Castro de Alvarado was installed on 5 October 2013 during the celebration of St. Mary's Cemetery 150th Anniversary. It was paid for by private donations coordinated by the San Pablo Historical Society.
The first families of San Pablo Rancho.
