José María Estudillo Y Urquizu

Place: Monterey

Born: 1776

Death: 1830

Biography:

José María Estudillo was a Spanish-born Californio military officer and early settler of San Diego. He is the founder of the Estudillo family of California and served as Commandant of the Presidio of San Diego. Estudillo was born in Monterey, California in 1776 and died in San Diego in 1830. He married Gertrudis Horcasitas and had several children, including José Antonio Estudillo, José Joaquin Estudillo, and María Dolores Estudillo. Estudillo was a celebrated military officer and served as Commandant of the Presidio of San Diego from October 23, 1820, to September 1821 and again from 1827 to his death in 1830. He built the Casa de Estudillo of San Diego, a National Historical Landmark, and was diarist with Brevet Captain José Romero when they were sent to find a route from Sonora (Mexico) to Alta California in December 1823. Estudillo's other children were José Joaquin Estudillo, grantee of Rancho San Leandro, on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay; María Dolores Estudillo, who married Juan Bandini; and Magdalena Estudillo, the grantee who received Rancho Otay.