Miguel Pedrorena

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Miguel Telesford Pedrorena or Miguel de Pedrorena (c. 1808–March 21, 1850) was an early settler of San Diego, California

Pedroena moved to San Diego in 1845. He married María Antonia Estudillo, daughter of José Antonio Estudillo and María Victoria. They had a daughter Ysabel de Pedrorena, who married José Antonio Altamirano.

The following sketch of Pedrorena is from William Heath Davis:^[1]

In 1838 Don Miguel de Pedrorena, a resident of Peru, arrived here, being at the time part owner and supercargo of the Delmira . . . . Don Miguel was a native of Spain, and belonged to one of the best families of Madrid. After receiving an education in his own country he was sent to London, where he was educated in English, becoming a complete scholar. Most of the Castilian race of the upper class are proud and aristocratic; but Don Miguel, though of high birth, was exceedingly affable, polite, gracious in manner and bearing, and, in every respect, a true gentleman. He married a daughter of prefect Estudillo and resided in San Diego until the time of his death in 1850, leaving one son, Miguel, and two daughters, Elena and Ysabel. He was a member of the convention at Monterey in 1849, for the formation of the state constitution. He owned the [El] Cajon Rancho and the San Jacinto Nuevo Rancho, each containing eleven leagues [49000 acres or 200 km²], with some cattle and horses. Notwithstanding these large holdings of lands he was in rather straitened circumstances in his later years, and so much in need of money that when I visited San Diego in the early part of 1850 he offered to sell me thirty-two quarterblocks (102 lots) in San Diego at a low figure. He had acquired the property in the winter of 1849-50, at the alcalde's sale. I did not care for the land but being flush and having a large income from my business, I took the land, paying him thirteen or fourteen hundred dollars for it.

In Madrid he had several brothers and other relatives, one of his brothers being, at that time a Minister in the cabinet of the reigning monarch. During the last two or three years of his life those relatives became aware of his unfortunate circumstances and wrote to him repeatedly, urging him to come home to Spain and bring his family with him. They sent him means and assured him that he would be welcomed. Though poor, his proud disposition led him to decline all these offers. Popular with everybody in the department, the recollections of him by those who knew him were exceedingly pleasant.

During the Mexican-American War Pedrorena supported the U.S. side. As with other prominent Californio families, he found war was inevitable and a lost cause. During the war, he commanded a cavalry as captain. In 1846, Pedrorena served as Juez de Paz of San Diego, in absence of José Antonio Estudillo. During 1847–1848, he became the U.S customs collector.

In 1850, Pedrorena, with William Heath Davis and others formed a partnership to develop a new townsite south of Old San Diego. This venture failed due to the absence of fresh water, its location in marshlands, and lack of support. Twenty years later, however, New Town would succeed with a subdivision, Alonzo Horton's New San Diego, just east of the aborted townsite.

Miguel Pedrorena died in 1850 and was buried in Old Town. After his death, his widow and family built houses and corrals at Rancho El Cajon for their stock, and harvested large crops from the land, but his wife died shortly thereafter, February 3, 1851. Their heirs began to sell this land during the Civil War.

Pedrorena's home still stands and was one of the first frame houses in Old Town San Diego. It is the Altamirano-Pedrorena House, leased as a gem shop, at 2616 San Diego Avenue (Garden Street), next to the San Diego Union Museum.