Filed under: San Diego
This record of my great-great-great-great grandparents’ marriage in 1812 was taken from the Registros Matrimonios in San Pascual de Obando Parish in Bulacan, Philippines.
Transcript: “En el año del Señor de mil ochocientos y doce, en veinte y nueve de Mayo; haviendo presedido las tres denunciaciones del Santo Concilio de Trento sin resultar impedimento alguno, El Pueblo de Don Miguel Fernando con Lizardo del [...]. Cura de este Parroquioa del Pueblo de Obando solemnizo el matrimonio [...] Antonio de San Diego, soltero, hijo de Roque de San Diego, y de Ana Bernardo, naturales y residentes de este Pueblo del Barrio de Don Juan Martin; y Dorothea Candida, dalaga, hija de Don Juan Candida y de Doña Maria de la Concepcion, assim[...] naturales y residentes de este [...] Pueblo del Barrio de Don Victorino de Mendoza; Los quales expresaron su mutuo consentimiento ante mi, y los testigos que fueron Don Teodoro Avendaño y Santiago Evangelista inmediatamente recivieron los bendiciones nupciales y to firme – Fr. Casimiro [...]“
Translation: “In the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and twelve, on the 29th of May, having presided over three condemnations of the Holy Council of Trent; having found no impediments in the District of Don Miguel Fernando with Lizardo del [...]. The parish priest of this town of Obando solemnizes [...] the marriage of Antonio de San Diego, bachelor, son of Roque de San Diego, and Ana Bernardo, natural (parents) and residents of this town of the District of Don Juan Martin; and Dorothea Candida, spinster, daughter of Don Juan Candida and Doña Maria de la Concepcion, assim[...] natural (parents) and residents of this [...] town of the District of Don Victorino de Mendoza who expressed their mutual consent before me, and witnessed by Don Teodoro Avendaño and Santiago Evangelista, immediately received the nuptial blessings and signed – Fr. Casimiro [...]“
My thoughts …
1. This record takes me back one more generation and defines the names of two sets of my great-great-great-great-great grand parents, Roque de San Diego and Ana Bernardo, on one side, and Juan Candida and Maria de la Concepcion on another.
2. What is the abbreviated term that precedes “naturales” (assim[...]) and describes the relationship between the bride and her parents? It is the first time I have come across this term. Typical descriptions would be “naturales” or natural parents, and “legitimos” or parents from a legitimate marriage. Some Philippine towns are more rigid about defining this, while others are not.
3. Why did the bride’s parents carry the titles of Don and Doña; while the groom’s parents did not? In colonial Philippines, these titles were honorific in nature, automatically attached to individuals of significant distinction in the community, rather than reserved for those of noble birth. It would be interesting to know how the Candida Family attained their social stature — perhaps that will be key to sourcing where the wealth of the later San Diego generations were rooted.
4. Where did these families live? Typical of the practice of the times, where the couple and their parents lived are described in the document, not in actual street names; but by the name of their cabezas del barrio or barrio captains. I would need more information before I could plot this out in a map.
5. Note the use of abbreviations in this record. I am not certain if these are considered standard clerical shorthand of the times or if these are unique to the person who wrote the record. Nonetheless, similar abbreviations can be found in the volume set from which this record was lifted.
