José Antonio Aguirre (early Californian)

[1] Aguirre was born in San Sebastián, Spain,[2] but left the Basque Country for North America at the age of 15, settling in New Orleans, Louisiana.

He exported hides and tallow from San Diego, while importing luxury goods for the Californios such as silks, satins and embroidered shawls.

In 1846 he married Francisca's sister, María del Rosario Estudillo, and they settled in San Diego.

Aguirre also owned portions of Santa Cruz Island and Rancho San Pedro, making him one of the largest landowners in Alta California in the late 1840s.

[3] In 1853, José Antonio Aguirre bought Rancho San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero from the estate of Miguel Pedrorena.

On the day of José Sr.'s death, July 31, 1860, another daughter named Maria Antonia was born, but she died in November 1861.

María del Rosario Estudillo de Aguirre, of the Estudillo family of California , married José Antonio Aguirre after the death of her sister María Francisca Estudillo, his first wife.