Re-writing Family History

This article is dedicated to my beloved Lola, whom I call "Mama." She is a very sweet and humble woman, but also a discplinarian. She is a very good cook, just like her mother, Lola Minang, my great-grandmother. A memory I will never forget is when I was little: during vacations, my Lolo, Lola, and I would always visit our hometown, Mauban. We usually visited the cemetery and Mama's older sister. Lola Sorem, who also frequently visited us at home. I can't forget the homemade delicacies she used to give me ;)

             Re-writing Family History:

                                              

Studio portrait taken on March 31 (c.1959). First row (seated): Prisco Devera, Marino Devera. Second row (seated): Romeo "Ming" Devera, Maximina "Minang" Manzano, Primitivo "Tibo" Devera, Soremia Devera. Third row (standing): Rudsend

 "Baby" Devera, Teresa "Tita" Devera, Arturo Devera.

                               It Begins:

                                         
                                    Marriage Contract of Lolo Tibo and Lola Minang

Lolo Tibo and Lola Minang were married on October 26, 1935. At the time of marriage, the groom was 22 years and 3 months old, the son of Placido Devera and Rosario Salvid. The bride was 24 years and 5 months old, the daughter of Pedro Manzano and Teodora Almarines.

The witnesses were Domingo Ingles for the groom and Urbana Manzano for the bride. The marriage was solemnized by Prudencio M. Encomienda, and the signatures of all parties involved are present on the document. 

                                             

                                                   FAMILY CHART OF LOLO TIBO

                                                                   Baptism record of Lolo Tibo

On July 27, 1913, an entry of Primitivo Devera, aged 7 days, legitimate son of Placido Devera and Rosario Salvid. The Paternal grandparents were Rosendo Devera and Policarpia Encomienda. The Maternal grandparents were Pedro Salvid and Sabina Almoneda. The godfather was Sixto Delacosta resident of the same locality.

     He is one of the children of Placido Devera and Rosario Salvid. Their children were:

1. Angela "Angelita" (November 16, 1899 - July 29, 1958) 

2. Juan "Ansoy" (May 16, 1903 - December 29, 1985) 

3. Mariano (January 9, 1905)

4. Leon (February 22, 1908)

5. Trinidad "Trining" (May 22, 1910)

6. Primitivo "Tibo" (July 21, 1913 - September 20, 1995)

7. Dominador (September 19, 1917)

I found a draft list from 1896. It includes the names of single men, widowers without children, and men who got married before turning 20. They were given numbers for possible service in the Army and navy. Placido is listed there :)

                                                Marriage record of Placido Devera and Rosario Salvid.

On September 26, 1898, Placido Devera and Rosario Salvid were married. Placido aged 22 years old was the son of Rodecindo Devera and Policarpia Encomienda, while Rosario aged 18 years old was the daughter of Pedro Salvid and Sabina Almoneda. The attesting witnesses were Laureano Lim-chim and Roberta Ferreras, while the present witnesses were Don Placido Llamas and Rafael Encallado, residents of the same locality.

                                                                                                   

                                                                Signature of Placido Devera             

I wasn't able to locate baptismal records for either Placido or Rosario, as the entries from 1874 to 1879 either do not exist or have not been digitized online. However, I was able to find Placido's death certificate.

                                                        Death Certificate of Placido Devera

He lived in Poblacion and was married. He died on Febuary 26, 1927, at 3:00 AM due to tuberculosis of the lungs. He was 45 years old and worked as a fisherman. He was buried the same day in the municipal cemetery. 

What stories do you know about them?

Placido is one of the children of Rodecindo Devera and Policarpia Encomienda. Their children were:

1. Placido (1876 - Febuary 26, 1927) 

2. Maria (January 25, 1883) 

3. Pedro (June 29, 1885 - May 5, 1959)

4. Eduarda (October 13, 1887)

5. Fausta (October 3, 1890)

                                        Marriage record of Rodecindo Devera and Policarpia Encomienda

On April 19, 1875, Rodecindo Devera and Policarpia Encomienda were married. Rodecindo was the son of Don Juan Devera and Doña Josefa Devanco (both deceased) they resided in Barangay 9, while Policarpia was the daughter of Don Felipe Encomienda (deceased) and Doña Damacia Alquisola, they also resided in Barangay 9. The witnesses were Don Hipolito Pansacola and Doña Hilaria Villaverde, residents of the same locality.             

                                                      Signature of Policarpia Encomienda

                                        

                                                         Baptism record of Rodecindo Devera 

On March 6, 1852, an entry of Rodecindo Devera, aged 10 days, legitimate son of Don Juan Devera and Doña Josefa Debanco(interchangeable to Devanco) who residents in Barrio of Bato (now Brgy. Mabato) The godfather was Alexo (short for Alejandro) Laurelis a native of the town.

Rodecindo is one of the children of Don Juan Devera and Doña Josefa Devanco. Their children were:

1. Bartola (1837 - October 31, 1868) 

2. Doña Felipa

3. Don Maximiano (-July 23, 1874)

4. Juan 

5. Don Telesforo (c.1848)

6. Don Doroteo (February 4, 1850)

7. Don Angel 

8. Rodecindo (March 6, 1852)

9. Mamerta (May 10, 1854)

10. Regino (1855 - July 16, 1865)

11. Antonio (January 16, 1856)

I was fortunate to find Doña Josefa Devanco's burial record. Between 1871 to 1874, these records included not only the deceased's parents but also their paternal grandparents--revealing multiple generations at once!

                                                      Burial record of Doña Josefa Devanco

"The body of Doña Josefa Devanco, taxpayer, aged 56 years, married to Don Juan Devera, was buried in the cemetery of this church. She received all the Holy Sacraments: Penance, Extreme Unction, and Viaticum. Her parents were Juan Devanco and Patricia de San Juan. Their occupation was farming. Her grandparents were Diego Trinidad and Antonia de Santa Ana. Their occupation was also farming."

Tracing our family history is such an enjoyable and rewarding experience! :)

Moreeee Discoveries! :)

                                     

                                            

Rewriting Family History

   Re-writing Family History:

                                                    
                                          View of the Pastrana-Pansacola Ancestral House on December 4, 1928

In 1849, the Spanish government ordered all Filipino families to pick new last names. Governor Narciso Claveria wanted to get rid of strange or hard-to-pronounce names. Many families ended up with unusual names like Pasaksak, Pasoot, Nilooban, and Manikad. 

The de San Juan family, originated in the town of Tayabas, they were already a prominent family and were classified as Principales, the elite local gentry. One of their members even served as a prominent Kapitan in the town.

                                      Signatures of Our Ancestors from 1700s Tayabas

The family waited until 1851 to change their last name. In Mauban church baptism records for that year, they switched from “de San Juan” to “Pastrana”. Unlike the odd names some people were given, “Pastrana” wasn’t chosen at random. The Spaniards picked it because the Pastrana family was well-educated and had a good reputation. 

It Begins: 

                                                         The First Recorded Pastrana Baptized in Mauban 

On December 4, 1851, an entry of Manuel Pastrana, aged one day, legitimate son of Don Santiago Pastrana and Doña Anselma Manzano who residents in the Barrio of Bato. The godparents were Don Manuel Jordan, a Spaniard, and Doña Josefa Delgado, a native of the town.  

FAMILY TREE OF JAIME PASTRANA  

This chart combines official records and family stories. Tribunal documents, civil records, and signatures helped me piece together our family's past. Oral histories and online interviews provided additional insights, creating a more complete picture of our heritage. :)

                                                                                  

                                      50th wedding anniversary of Lolo Jaime and Lola Tasyon on September 19, 1978

Pictures of Don Vicente Pastrana and Doña Francisca Pansacola's children

Maria "Marianita"(b. 31/5/1885) and Josefa (b. 4/2/1889) both died in infancy

                                                                      Genealogical Chart

Signature of Don Vicente "Ente" Pastrana, signed it on January 4, 1886, during

his term as Cabeza de Barangay in 1886-1887

Photographs of Doña Francisca "Kikay" Pansacola

                                         Marriage record of Don Vicente Pastrana and Doña Francisca Pansacola

On January 28, 1884, Don Vicente Pastrana and Francisca Pansacola were married. Don Vicente was the son of Don Lucas Pastrana and Doña Justa Sardea, while Francisca was listed as the daughter of Don Benedicto Pansacola and Doña Ruperta Desquitado.

However, the record was concealed a significant truth. Francisca was among Fr. Manuel Pansacola's children. A detail deliberately hidden from documentation.

The "First" Document executed by the Pansacola Brothers

"But the following was agreed: The first to correspond to Don Benedicto Pansacola, Second to Don Jose Pansacola, The Third to the children of the deceased brother Don Eustaquio Pansacola, who are the following: Mariano Pansacola, Maria Pansacola and Hipolito Pansacola; And the fourth to the nephew, Domingo Arce, Baldomera Angulo and in the same part including Marcelina Flores, Francisca Flores, Candelaria de la Cruz , and Gervacio Pansacola, who being minors are in the care of Fr. Manuel the brother, (Allias Fr. Manuel Peña, a priest of San Juan de Dios Hospital."

Francisca was confirmed to be one of Fr. Manuel's children from a relationship outside of marriage.

Fra Manuel Peña (c.1820)

    Fra. Manuel Pena's signature 

He was a priest of San Juan de Dios Hospital, mentioned in the 1868 document and was an "Enfermero mayor"(Chief nurse) in 1862. Fr. Manuel Peña was actually a good provider and ensured that his children had a living. Talk about a very colorful family history diba?

                                                     Record from Biblioteca Virtual de Prensa Historica

In 1886, at the San Juan de Dios Hospital, he was employed as one of the staff members of the establishment and held the position of Father Prior.

                                                         Pictures of Fray Manuel Peña's children

 Genealogical Chart

   

Questions I looked for answers to:

1) What was the old surname of the Pansacola family?

                                                                   Baptism entry in 1851

One interesting thing about the entries from 1851 is that you can see the parents' original surnames before they were changed -- it serves as a record of both the old and new identities of the family and each individual. 

Like the entry for Maria Ingreso-S Ands (short for de San Andres). In her name, "Ingreso" is her new surname, while "de San Andres" is her family's original surname. Her parents were Vicente Ingreso-de San Andres and Rosa Urgelles. You can also see that her godmother was Franca (short for Francisca) Pansacola-S Migl (short for de San Miguel) with "Sra." (short for Señora), meaning she was single.

This shows that the old surname of the Pansacola family was "de San Miguel."

2) What was the middle name used by the Pansacola siblings? 

                                                                               Baptism entry of Lolo Jaime 

On January 29, 1894, an entry of Jaime Pastrana, aged one day, legitimate son of Don Vicente Pastrana y Sardea and Doña Francisca Pansacola y Desquitado. The Paternal grandparents were Don Lucas Pastrana y Almonte and Doña Justa Sardea y Aman. The Maternal grandparents were Don Benedicto Pansacola y Peña and Doña Ruperta Desquitado y Delicana. The godfather was Don Ramon Pastrana y Sardea a native of the town.  

-During this year fortunately, the baptismal entries also recorded the grandparents' middle names, which is very helpful for genealogical research.

-Based on Lolo Jaime's baptism record, his maternal grandfather--Don Benedicto Pansacola, who was the brother of Lolo Jaime's biological maternal grandfather, Fr. Manuel Pansacola (Peña) --had the middle name "Peña"

This confirms that the middle name used by the Pansacola siblings was indeed "PEÑA"

3) Where there other Pansacola siblings?

While looking at the Libros de Defunciones (Burial Records) of Mauban from 1871 to 1874, this period lists the parents and the grandparents of the deceased, to see if any of the 4 Pansacola brothers' children died during this time. These records would mention their grandparents and help confirm family connections. 

Instead, I found individuals with the surname Pansacola, same generation as the 4 Pansacola brothers. 

                                                 Burial entry of Doña Monica Pansacola (c.1820-1864)

On March 5, 1864, Doña Monica Pansacola, aged 54, was buried. She was married to Don Benito Abcede.

This rings a bell to me! There was a document marked as the first official record made by the Pansacola brothers concerning the purchase of the Island of Cagbalete.

                                                                  Document in 1868 and 1869

It mentioned that the original document, dated Febuarry 11, 1859 was actually signed by their                brothers-in-law, Don Jose Villabrosa and Don Benito Abcede as witnesses.      

Don Benito Abcede was the same man who married Doña Monica Pansacola. This ties everything together, showing that Doña Monica was actually the sister of the four Pansacola brothers!

           Doña Monica Pansacola is in fact the sister of the 4 Pansacola brothers.

                                                            Genealogical Chart

                                                      Burial entry of Justa Pansacola (c.1820-1880)

On Febuary 6, 1880, Justa Pansacola, a 60-year-old single woman, and was buried. The daughter of Don Vicente Pansacola and Doña Juana de San Buenaventura (both deceased) who had resided in Barangay No. 24

This discovery makes the question even more intriguing. If the mother's maiden name had appeared as "Peña," it could have confirmed that this couple were indeed the parents of the parents of the Pansacola siblings. However, in the case of Justa Pansacola, her mother's maiden name is listed using the Claverian naming pattern, which complicates the verification.

Could Don Vicente Pansacola and Doña Juana de San Buenaventura be the parents of the 5 Pansacola siblings?

I've now reviewed the "Libros de Bautismos" (baptism records) of Mauban from the 1850s to see if there were other individuals with the Pansacola name who do not appear in our family tree.

There was indeed other Pansacolas. I found 6 entries listing the parents as Ceferino (or Zeferino) Pansacola and Maria Manlipar. How does he fit into our family tree?

                                                             Baptism entry of Policarpio Pansacola

One particular intriguing entry was from Policarpio Pansacola, baptized on January 29, 1853, at four days old. His parents were Ceferino Pansacola and Maria Manlipar, who lived in Barrio de Soledad. Interestingly, Don Benedicto Pansacola-one of the Pansacola siblings-stood as the child's godfather. Usually, baptisms records like this that the child was a niece/nephew of the godparent.

                                   

       On December 24, 1857, Ceferino/Zeferino Pansacola signed in a document at the Tribunal house of Mauban

While trying to figure out the lineage of the Pansacola family, I also turned my attention to Don Vicente Pastrana's family, hoping to learn more about his roots and how they might connect.  

                   

 The Baptism of Don Vicente Pastrana

On October 29, 1865, an entry of Vicente Pastrana, aged 3 days, legitimate son of Don Lucas Pastrana and Doña Justa Sardea who residents in Barrio of Bato. The Paternal grandparents were Don Francisco Pastrana and Doña Juana Almonte. The Maternal grandparents were Pedro Sardea and Miguela Aman. The godfather was Don Anastacio de Luna a native of the town.

The maternal grandfather of Don Vicente Pastrana was not Pedro Sardea, but a prominent man named Don Antonio Blas Delos Trinos(known as Don Antonio Blas Modesto his pre-claverian name) (1800-1864), also known as "Tonying." He fell in love with Miguela Leoncita Flor de Belen, also known as Miguela Aman, a Spanish mestiza. However, Tonying's father, Don Vicente Modesto, also known as "Alfange," did not approve of their relationship and arranged to marry Doña Laureana Villamarzo (c.1796-1875) instead.

At this time, Miguela was already pregnant with Tonying's child. She later married Pedro Sardea, and when she gave birth to her daughter Justa, the child took Pedro's last name. She became known as Justa Antonia Sardea.

Don Antonio Blas Delos Trinos served as Kapitan of Mauban in 1835, 1844 and 1850.

Tribunal house of Mauban during Don Antonio Delos Trinos's term in 1850

translation:

Comply with and verify the orders given by the Señor Gobernadorcillo in the proceeding order, which was received on this date at four in the afternoon. From this same office, the three corresponding cedulones of this town were also received. Tribunal House of Mauban. June 16, 1850."

  Pictures of Don Lucas Pastrana and Doña Justa Antonia Sardea's children

  Genealogical Chart

A rare studio photo of Don Lucas Pastrana and his wife

Doña Justa Antonia Sardea, the grandparents of Lolo Jaime

Don Lucas Pastrana, the first son of Don Francisco Pastrana and Doña Juana Almonte, served as Chief Prosecutor before becoming the Gobernadorcillo of Mauban in 1858. 

Tribunal house of Mauban during Don Lucas’s term,
He and the other officials signed it on December 31, 1858.

translation:

Don Lucas Pastrana, current Gobernadorcillo of this town of Mauban, Province of Tayabas, with the presence of my witnesses, accompanied by...... I hereby give true faith and testimony that in this town there has been neither any carriage service nor a single luxury horse throughout the present year; and so that it may be dully recorded, I have produced the present document in duplicate for a single purpose, together with my companions, in the presence and with the intervention of the Very Reverend Father Jose Maria Freginal, acting parish priest, executed at the Tribunal House of Mauban, on the 31st of December, 1858.

I now focused on Don Lucas’s paternal line, beginning with his father, Don Francisco de San Juan. During my research, I discovered the burial entry for Don Santiago Pastrana, one of Don Francisco’s children. 

 Burial Entry of Don Santiago Pastrana (1822-1872)

On April 2, 1872, Don Santiago Pastrana, aged 52, was buried after dying from fever. He was married to Doña Anselma Manzano. His parents were Don Francisco Pastrana and Doña Juana Almonte, and his paternal grandparents, Gabriel de San Juan and Juana Margarita, were landowners and farmers.

Although Lolo Jaime’s cousin, Dr. Maria Pastrana-Castrence (1895-1983) in her writings, identifies Don Francisco’s parents as Francisco de San Juan and Margarita, the burial register names them Gabriel de San Juan and Juana Margarita. Because contemporary civil-church registers were kept by officials who recorded events as they happened, I’ve chosen to rely on the primary document for this detail.

                                                            One of the writings by Dr. Maria Pastrana-Castrence

My research uncovered an incredible family connection that Don Francisco Pastrana who was one of the descendants of Lakandula! Known locally as “Lakan,” he was seen by foreigners like the Chinese and Spaniards as a king due to his extensive influence. The title “Lakan” represented a local leader recognized by datus from various barangays.

                                                               Lakandula King of Tondo

Don Pedro Madlangbayan, a great-great-great grandson of Lakandula was born in Arayat Pampanga. He later moved to Mauban who served as Kapitan of Mauban in 1693. He married Doña Isabel de San Jose, a woman from the local principales (elite) family.

                                                         The Mauban Branch of Lakandulas

                                                       Reservados por meced llamados  Lacandolas

Don Francisco Pastrana (also known as Don Francisco de San Juan his pre-claverian name) was one of 32 recognized descendants of Lakandula in Mauban. These descendants enjoyed special privileges during the Spanish colonial period, including exemption from paying tribute and performing forced labor (polo y servicio).

The Spanish strategically granted these privileges to reward Lakandula's descendants for their loyalty, ensure their continued support, maintain the influence of local nobility under colonial rule. 

 That said, we can proudly trace our family's roots to nobility!

It's been an exciting journey full of incredible discoveries that bring a whole layer of history and meaning to our story!

Moreee Discoveries! :)