The mestizo Español families in Carcar

Around the year 1868 must have been the time when the townfolks of Carcar saw the most number of Spanish mestizos on its streets.  These would be the families in Carcar racially classified as mestizo Español (to distinguish from Español, mestizo Sangley, indio, Chino infiel, Chino Christiano, etc.). And these mestizos belonged to the Silva, del Corro, Fortich, Barredo and Rodriguez families. There has not been that number since.

We will also look into how many voters for each surname can found in the 2010 Voters List, although short of interviewing these residents, we should not conclude they belong to these families, particularly Rodriguez, which is a fairly common surname in Cebu, and has Spanish as well as pure “indio” ancestries. But all the Silvas in Carcar probably belong to the same family.

The Silvas, del Corros, Fortich all resided in the place called Latid. It always stumped me where Latid was, or what it is now called — even after 3 years of Carcar research—but I’ve decided Latid (meaning “to plot”) must be what is now the central poblacion area, the Burgos-Sta. Catalina-Gen. Luna streets, whose road network does appear to be a plotted subdivision.

[31-Aug-2011]: A sixth mestizo Español, Jose Siazon Bugarin, arrived in Carcar around the 1890s from Minuluan (now Talisay City), Negros Occidental.  The family of a sister in Negros has Siocon as the latter’s middle name, though. By this time, however, the Fortich family may no longer have been around to welcome him to their “exclusive” little club.

[1-Apr-2014]: A mestiza Española was the second wife of Donato Regis around 1850. She was Juana Falcon from Bohol (town unmentioned). She had many children by Regis. She died in 1876 and was buried in Carcar.]

Silva. A surname of Portuguese origin. But there is no record found yet in Carcar that indicate this family came from Portugal; they were mestizo Español. Could be Portuguese who settled in Spain but as a common surname, Silvas must be found in Spain since the earliest time.

Earliest record in my file: 1812.

Although his father, Pedro, was Español, it’s not clear whether Mariano Silva was born in Carcar or in Cebu City.  If those records still exist, perhaps we can search for his possible baptism in Carcar from 1785-92. But there are no church records in Carcar of Mariano’s siblings if he had any.  It’s possible there are Silvas from Cebu City or other towns, descended from those siblings.

In 1812, Mariano married Manuela Espinosa here in Carcar. I haven’t come across from where Manuela or this “Espinosa” family came from.  But this early date suggests that Silva arrived in Carcar before the Parian Sangleys did.

Gregorio Silva, son of Mariano, served as gobernadorcillo of Carcar thrice in 1861-62, 1865-67 and 1869-71.

There are 44 voters surnamed Silva.

del Corro.

Earliest record in my file: 1838.

Carlos Nazareno del Corro was born either in Cebu City or in Opon (now Lapu-Lapu City), conflicting records exist for both origins. But his father, Miguel, a mestizo Español, was said to have been born in Cebu City but married an Opon lass, simply called Maria in the record.

No del Corro became mayor of Carcar but Padre Anastasio del Corro, a great-grandson of Carlos Nazareno, was parish priest of Carcar from 1901 until his death in 1948, the longest serving parish priest of the town.

There are now only 4 voters surnamed del Corro, all one family living in Calidngan. But a family tree would show how the del Corro bloodlines have extensively spread out especially through the female lines and there may be individuals, maybe some still living in Carcar, and bearing Ybañez, Padin, Alcos, Gutierrez, Flores, de la Calzada, Canencia, Nacua, Abellanida, Gemperoso, Bacus, Paredes, Alcudia who are del Corro descendants.

Fortich. A Catalan surname

Earliest record in my file: 1850.

Jose (María) Fortich, mestizo Español, was born in Manila. His wife, Rodecinda González, was born in Cebu City. Although described as a feligres de la Ciudad, (technically, member of the parish of the City), Jose and wife had at least four [five] children baptized in Carcar: Catalino (1850-1850), Josefa (1851), Ricardo (1854), Pilar Juliana (1855), and Maria Fortich (1864).  Juliana even had a daughter Basilisa Fortich baptized here in 1876. Another child, Manuela, older than Catalino, was buried in Carcar in 1850. An 1868 marriage record where Jose was a witness still called him a feligres of the ciudad.

In the 1850 Baptism, the father was just plain Jose (not Jose Maria). Anyway, the gaps between the records for the children may suggest other children, and a family historian would know why these other children, if any, did not have records in Carcar. Maybe the family had residences in both Carcar and Cebu City.  And this is interesting: the Fortich family was said to reside in Latid, so where would have been the Fortich house?

There is no voter on the list surnamed Fortich, suggesting the family must have left Carcar very early.

Barredo.

Earliest record in my file: 1868 (Apr).

Pedro Barredo y Meneses was born in Dumaguete to Spanish mestizo parents, Felipe and María Ana Meneses.  Felipe, born in Manila, resided in Dumaguete where his wife hailed from. He had panadero as oficio and so must have operated a bakery in Dumaguete.  A Barredo family in Dumaguete or Negros with mestizo traces must belong to this family.

Pedro married Melchora Oasay Oasaoas (both surnames now spelled as Wa-) of Bohol ancestry.

There are 3 voters surnamed Barredo, and 3 Barrido.

Rodríguez.

Earliest record in my file: 1868 (Nov)

Gregorio Rodríguez was born in Surigao to an Español father, Demetrio, from Madrid who married a Surigao lass and resided there. He married Dionisia Lañas Ramos in 1868, according to the marriage record, an escuela of 14 years of age. Gregorio was said to be 25 in that same record.

Gregorio was capitán municipal of Carcar 1896-1896.

In the baptism of Gregorio’s eldest child, Aurelia in 1868, the madrina was a Doña Josefa Fortich, presumably the daughter of Jose. In 1901, Aurelia married Nicanor Enriquez, the widower of Josefa Regis. Descendants of Aurelia and Nicanor are Alcoseba and the Alfafara-Enriquez of the rotunda.

There are 65 voters surnamed Rodriguez, but since the surname is such a common one, not all the Rodriguez voters now in Carcar may have descended from this Spanish family.