José Joaquín Castro was born February 17, 1769 in Sinaloa. As a six year old, he made the 1100 mile trek with the 1775 Anza expedition to Monterey with his parents, Joaquín Isidro de Castro and María Martina Botiller, and eight siblings: Ignacio Clemente, described as "dark brown hair, round-faced, brown eyes, complexion bronzed ["rosado"], beardless, well-built."; María Josefa, age eighteen; María Encarnación, age twelve; María del Carmen, age ten; José Mariano, age 9; Francisco María, age two; Francisco Antonio, and Carlos. The family was among the earliest settlers of Pueblo San José, listed in the first census in 1777: Joaquín de Castro, Spaniard, man, 46; Maria Botiller, Spaniard, woman, 43; Joseph Mariano, boy, 13; Joseph Joaquín, boy, 7; Francisco Maria, boy, 5; Carlos Antonio, boy, 3; Maria de la Encarnación, girl, 19; Francisco Maria, indian farmhand, boy, 8; 3 horses, 2 mules, 9 mares, 2 oxen, 2 cows, 1 calf, 2 ewes, 2 goats.

Joaquín was in the 1782 Presidio of San Francisco list as Joaquín de Castro, and in the 1790 Monterey census: Joaquín de Castro, mestizo, from Villa Sinaloa, 22, single.

He married Loreto-born Maria Antonia Amador, January 14, 1791, at Mission Dolores in San Francisco, as a "soldado de la compañia del R.l Presidio de San Carlos Monterey". Her parents were high ranking Pedro Antonio Amador, "sargento de la compañia del imediato presidio", and Maria Ramona Rosalia Noriega. Her family was in the 1790 San Francisco census as Pedro Amador, sergeant, español, from Cocula [Jalisco], 51; wife Ramona Noriega, española, [from Loreto] 30; seven children: [Juan Pablo] 12; [José Fructuoso] 10; [María Antonia] 14; [María del Carmen] 7; [José Sinforoso] 4; [María Sinforosa] 2; [María Ignacia] three months {born 23 July 1790}.

During the 1818 sacking of Monterey by the pirate Bouchard, Joaquín was majordomo of Mission Santa Cruz and assisted Braciforte alcalde Joaquín Buelna in removing and securing the valuables from the vacated mission.

Joaquín and Antonia had many children:

José Ygnacio Castro, baptized SC #01833, March 1, 1793–1811, died at age 18 and was buried in San Juan Bautista. After he died, a younger brother was named the same.

Maria Antonia Dyonisia Castro, baptized SC #2031, April 10, 1795–1885, married Juan José de Gracia Féliz y Cota in 1816 and had 6 sons and 5 daughters. She was also a residual beneficiary: "balance of the livestock to be divided between Maria Antonia, Martina and Candida."

Maria Josefa Castro, baptized SC #2177, August 1, 1797–1811

Maria Rafaela Inocencia Castro 1799–1841, married Francisco de Sales Rodríguez about 1833 in San Francisco and had 3 sons and 5 daughters.

José Rafael Castro 1802–1811

Plácida de Jesús Castro 1803–Deceased

Rafael de Jesús Antonio Castro 1803–1878, married Maria de la Soledad Cota about 1823 at the Mission Santa Cruz and had 9 sons and 7 daughters: long time Aptos residents.

Juan José Castro 1805–1878, married Maria Rita Pinto and had 9 sons and 7 daughters.

Dária Castro 1806–Deceased

Maria Martina Castro 1807–1890, married Corporal José Simon Cota about 1825 in Monterey and had 1 son and 3 daughters. After he died at age 26, Martina married Miguel Lodge (born in Ireland) and had five more children, acquiring land grants in Soquel. She later married the Frenchman, Louis Depeaux. She was also a residual beneficiary: "balance of the livestock to be divided between Maria Antonia, Martina and Candida."

Candida Castro 1808–1860, married Russian José Antonio Bolcoff in 1822 in Santa Cruz and had 17 children. She was also a residual beneficiary: "balance of the livestock to be divided between Maria Antonia, Martina and Candida."

Francisco Castro 1810–1811

Guadalupe Castro 1811–1893, musician, unmarried; he was administrator of the estate and was left a mill. His obituary mentions his brother Ricardo, living near Freedom. The 1880 census shows Ricardo Castro, with 10 children, son of Joaquín Castro, and Guadalupe, 75, brother, farmer, son of Joaquín Castro, sharing a household on San Andres, which was no longer owned by the family.

Maria Antonia Jacinta Castro 1815–1878 Joaquín Castro left her 100 head of livestock. She became a nun in 1851, this inheritance paying for a new convent in Monterey.

Vicenta Castro 1815–Deceased

José Ygnacio Castro 1817–1858, had 4 sons and 2 daughters with Micaela de Jesús Ricarda Rodríguez. Joaquín Castro left Ignacio 100 head of livestock.

Maria de los Angeles Castro 1818–1903, married Joseph Ladd Majors on December 19, 1839, in Santa Cruz and had 7 sons and 5 daughters.

Joaquín Castro 1821–1903, had 5 sons and 3 daughters with Eusebia Valencia.

The family was in the 1827 Population of the Villa de Branciforte (Jackson 1980): Joaquín Castro, Maria Antonia Amador, Guadalupe Castro, José Ygnacio Castro, Joaquín Castro, Jacinta Castro, Maria de los Angeles.

Antonia died June 30, 1827 and was buried at Mission Santa Cruz.

A 1828 census listed inhabitants of the Villa de Branciforte and their possessions:
Joaquín Castro (with son Juan José)
14 oxen; 1 house; 1 mill; 500 cows; 20 horses; 6 mules; 2 carretas; 4 mares

Joaquín Castro was granted the 8,911 acre Rancho San Andres in 1833 in modern day Watsonville: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=22271.
By 1846, there were two small houses and a corral on the rancho, west of the current Castro Adobe, c. 1850's, now preserved as a national park:
"Joaquín and his children formed one of the most influential families in the county during Mexican days. Together, Joaquín and his children owned more land than any other family in the county before or since; the property of his family would grow to over 250,000 acres. Joaquín himself was also involved in local politics and was alcalde of the Villa de Branciforte in 1831." (ref: NPS)

Thirteen of his twenty-two children survived to adulthood.

His second marriage around 1830 was to 14 year old Maria del Rosario Briones y Vasquez, born January 18, 1816, in Santa Clara, baptismal SCL# 6356. Her parents were retired corporal, José Manuel Briones, 2/12/1774-12/9/1840 Mission San Juan Bautista; "mulato" 1808 Monterey Presidio: cabo de cuera; and Maria Antonia Vazquez, baptized May 7, 1797 at Mission Santa Barbara, BR# 0163. They had four children:

Maria Ygnacia de los Angeles, April 26, 1832-February 12, 1912 Los Gatos, married Jacinto Lucero. She was not included in her father's will and lapsed into poverty late in life.

José Juan Bautista, 1834

José Ricardo del Refugio, baptized one day old on April 4, 1836 at Mission Santa Cruz SCZ #2252. Juan José Castro and his wife Maria Rita Pinto were godparents. He married Augusta Marie Pinto and they had thirteen children. He died May 21, 1807.

José de los Reyes baptized three days old at Mission Santa Cruz SCZ# 2286, January 12, 1838 and died of a fever within weeks, SCZ# 1991. Juan José Castro and his wife Maria Rita Pinto were godparents.

1836 census - Villa de Branciforte (CAMD)
Rancho San Andrés:
Household #1 Joaquín Castro, 67, Maria Rosario Briones, 20
Guadalupe Castro, 22
Joaquín Castro, 15
Juan Bautista, 02
Ygnacia de los Angeles, 04

Household Number #2 Juan José Castro, 29, Maria Rita Pinto, 33
Manuel, 10
Guadalupe, 08
Trinidad, 06
Jesús, 04

Household Number #3 Ygnacio [Castro], 20, Maria Ricarda Rodríguez, 18
Maria Manuela Tapia, 68

In his last weeks, dying of smallpox at age 69, he wrote a will restricting Rosario from remarrying, therefore disinheriting her when she soon did, November 24, 1838, at Mission San Juan Bautista to youthful José Julian Espinosa. By marrying, she gave up her share, 100 head of livestock and kitchen utensils, to their son Ricardo, to be administered by Guadalupe and Juan José. "I declare to have been married with Antonia Amador, who is now dead, and with whom I had 11 children." This started years of litigation that didn't benefit Rosario in the end, although she deeded any interest in San Andreas, March 20, 1872: "Maria Rosaria Briones de Espinosa to Ricardo Castro".

José Joaquín Castro y Botiller was buried next to his first wife, Antonia, beneath the floor of the Santa Cruz Mission church, September 1, 1838 (#02040).