My great, great, great grandmother Gertrudis was a child of the Spanish expansion to Alta California, una hija del pais, born at the Presidio Real de Monterey and raised in the earliest settlements, and a foremother to her many descendants here. Her father was a soldero de cuera, arriving late 1774 with his wife Antonia and their two young sons, with the second Rivera expedition. She was baptized at Mission San Carlos, June 30, 1776, a "parvula del Presidio de Monte Rey", seemingly named for her godmother, Maria Gertrudis ("hair-true-dees") Lugo y Beltran. Earlier, February 28, 1775, her sister Veronica had been baptized by Fr. Junípero Serra, for her family "pocos meses a esta parte domiciliados en el Real Presidio de San Carlos". He was baptizing "gentiles" at the mission since late 1770, but this was the first week for those from families designated "razón". These two sisters were second and sixth, showing the sparcity of births among the families of soldiers, and would later have a double wedding together, January 22, 1790, at Mission Santa Clara de Asís, SCL #189:
Getrudis [sic] Higuera, daughter of Manuel Higuera and Antonia Redonda

1775 census Presidio de Monterey: Manuel Higuera; married [to María Antonia Redondo; children: Juan José and José Faustín].

1777 census San José: Joseph Manuel Higuera, Spaniard, man, 33; Antonia Redondo, Spaniard, woman, 25; Juan Joseph, boy, 7; Juan Faustino, boy, 4; Maria Bictoria, girl, 2; Maria Gertrudis, girl, 1; Joseph, Indian servant, boy, 16; 1 horse, 2 mules, 2 mares, 2 oxen, 2 cows, 1 calf, 2 ewes, 2 goats.

1790 census Monterey: Manuel Higuera, español, from Villa Sinaloa, 49; wife Antonia Redondo, española, [from Villa Sinaloa] 41; six children: [Juan José] 18; [Joaquín Valentín] 6; [José Antonio Secundino] 3; [María Gertrudis] 12; [Ana María Antonia] 9; [Gabriela María] 8.
Gertrudis was also listed that year with her new husband:
Manuel Boronda, español, from Jerez [Zacatecas], 40; wife Gertrudis Higuera, española, [from Villa Sinaloa] 13.

1792-1812, Manuel Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera often served as godparents and had thirteen children:

1. Canuto Josef, baptized at Mission Dolores, San Francisco, January 21, 1792, four days old, son of "cabo de esquadra" Manuel Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera; married in the Royal Chapel, Presidio de Monterey, September 12, 1816, SC #0844, to Francisca Castro from Loreto; buried at Mission San Luis Obispo, January 30, 1882.

2. José Manuel Ciriaco, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, August 10, 1793 as a "recent birth," son of corporal Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera; buried at Mission San Francisco, October 1, 1794.

3. María Irenea del Carmen, baptized at Mission Dolores, San Francisco, July 4, 1795, one day old, to parents Manuel Boronda, Cabo de Esquadra, and Gertrudis Yguera.

4. Manuel Azaico, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, October 17, 1797, a day old infant, (Northrop II:27); died July 24, 1874 in Castroville, Monterey County.

5. María Teresa de Jesús, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, October 17, 1797, SCL# 3448, as a day old infant, daughter of cavo Manuel Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera; married at Mission Santa Clara, November 4, 1811, SCL #1589, to Rafael Soto; buried at Mission Santa Clara, September 7, 1817, age 19. Gertrudis' mother, Maria Antonia Redondo, was godmother for Teresa.

6. María Josefa Bruna, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, October 10, 1799, SCL #3836, as the two-day old daughter of corporal of this company of San Francisco, Manuel Boronda and Maria Jertrudis Higuera. Married in the home of her father, the retired corporal don Manuel Boronda [in Monterey] September 29, 1817, SC #857, to Manuel Cota; married at Mission San Carlos, January 9, 1828, SC #970, to Guatterio Burke from Ireland.

7. María Guadalupe Antonia Mamerta, born in San Francisco, May 11, 1801 (Northrop I: 119); baptized at Mission Dolores, San Francisco, May 13, 1801, to parents cabo de cuera Manuel Boronda and Gertrudis Yguera; married at Mission San Carlos, January 8, 1816, SC #833, to Gabriel Espinosa, twelve children; married at Mission San Carlos, July 17, 1845, to Felipe de Jesús Soto, one child.

8. María Anastasia, 1809-1849, baptized at Mission Santa Cruz, married at Mission San Carlos, September 13, 1823, to peninsular "Cabo..Compañia de Caballeria, Francisco Cazeres; daughter of Manuel Boronda, native of Xeres, Bishopric of Valladolid [sic] and María Gertrudis Higuera, of this San Carlos mission".

9. José Manuel, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, September 7, 1803, SCL# 4479, as the two day old son of cabo Manuel Boronda and Maria Getrudis Yguera, godparents were Manuel Higuera and Antonia Redondo, his maternal grandparents; married at Mission San Carlos, May 2, 1821, SC # 0894, to María Juana Cota. In 1836 the family was living at the Rancho de Salinas in the Monterey district (Temple VII, SBMAL). He died in Castroville July 24, 1878. (Northrop II: 28).

10. María Gracia Magdalena, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, January 23, 1806, as a two day old infant; parents Manuel Boronda and Maria Gertrudis Higuera. Godparents were Francisco Castro and Gabriela Barreyessa.

11. José Eusebio, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, March 9, 1808, SCL #5419, as a five day old infant; married at Mission Santa Cruz, September 5, 1831, to Josefa Ramona Buelna, the daughter of his godparents, soltero José Antonio Buelna and Ana Antonia Tapia; later married Ricarda Rodríquez.(Northop II: 28).

12. José Francisco Laureano, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, July 5, 1811, SCL# 5844, as the two day old infant son of the retired corporal of the leather jacket soldiers "Cabo ynvalido de cuera", Manuel Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera; buried at Mission Santa Clara, July 12, 1811.

13. María Petra de Jesús, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, October 20, 1812, SCL #6028, as a two day old infant, parents Manuel Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera; married at the Royal Chapel of Presidio de Monterey, July 6, 1825, SC #933, to Jorge Tomás Allen; buried at Mission San Carlos, June 1, 1897, age 84, widow of George Allen.

Together, Manuel and Gertrudis built the first adobe home outside the presidio walls in Monterey. Widowed at age 50, Gertrudis was left just a single cow after considerable debts were paid, as well as their adobe, now renovated as Casa Boronda in Monterey.

In the 1836 census for Monterey:
Jorge Allen, 40, from Ireland
Petra, wife, 22
Miguel Allen Boronda, 9
Ysidora Allen Boronda,9
Jose Jorge Allen Boronda, 3
Maria Guadalupe Allen Boronda, 2:

Jose Antonio Santa Cruz Rodriguez, 43, from Guadalajara;
Gertrudis Villavicencio, 46, from San Antonio;
Juan Jose Santa Cruz, 9

Maria Gertrudis Higuera Arredondo, 62
Josefa, 29, unmarried
Maria Guadalupe Espinosa, 8, grandniece

Gertrudis had opened a shop in Monterey, most likely out of her home, the "Tia Boronda" in historic records (Bancroft) of this shop, 1811-1836. She was joined by her widowed mother Antonia. After Antonia died, Gertrudis signed away the adobe to her daughter Petra, widowed in 1847, and moved to Santa Barbara to live out her days with another daughter, Maria Josefa.