Los Angeles County, CA, Biographies

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm



MRS. J. W. WOLFSKILL 
 
is the youngest daughter of Don Miguel Pedrorena and Do�a Maria Antonia 
Estudillo de Pedrorena, and is a native of San Diego, where she was born in 
December, 1849. Her father was born in Madrid, of a good family of high social 
and official standing; and while still a young man he lived in London several 
years,
where he learned to speak the English language as if it were his own vernacular. 
One of his brothers held a high office in Madrid, in 1887, when Right-Rev. 
Bishop Mora, of Los Angeles, visited him, and of whom he made eager inquiries 
concerning his, Mr. Pedrorena's, relations in distant California, whom he had 
never seen.
Don Miguel, father of Mrs. Wolfskill, came to California in 1837, as a 
supercargo of the Spanish-American brig Delmira of which McCall & Co., of Lima, 
South America, were agents.  Bancroft says he owned some building lots in San 
Francisco in 1845 and 1846; that he had a claim against the Mexican Government 
of
$3,000 and upward; and that he declined an appointment to present charges 
against Governor Micheltorena, etc. From 1845 his home was in San Diego, where 
he married Miss Estudillo, by whom he had four children: Victoria (deceased), 
married H. Magee; Miguel, Jr. (deceased), who married a daughter of Captain 
Burton; Ysabel, wife of J. A. Altamirano; and Elena, wife of J. W. Wolfskill. 
Mr. Pedrorena was the grantee of the Rancho San Jacinto Nuevo in 1846, and his 
wife was grantee of the Rancho El Cajon in 1845, the former of which Do�a Elena 
still owns�the portion she inherited. He strongly favored the cause of the 
United States, acting as Juez de Paz and as Stockton's aid, with the rank of 
Captain, in the California Battalion. In 1847�'48 he was Collector of Customs at 
San Diego. He represented the San Diego district in the Constitutional 
Convention at Monterey in 1849, being one of the most popular and influential 
members of the Spanish race in that body. He died in 1850. Of him, Bancroft 
says: "Don Miguel was an intelligent and scholarly man of excellent character, 
who by his courteous affability made friends of all who knew him." Mrs. 
Pedrorena died February 2, 1851, while Elena was still an infant. The orphaned 
children were reared by the grandmother, wife of Don Jose Antonio Estudillo. 
Do�a Elena, who was educated at San Diego and at the College of Notre Dame, at 
San Jose, was married to Mr. Wolfskill, in San Francisco, September 20, 1869. 
They have a large family of eleven children; and they still live on the old 
homestead founded by William Wolfskill, over half a century ago.
 
An Illustrated History of Los Angeles County, California �  Chicago, The Lewis 
Publishing Company, 1889   Page 529
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler