People in the Archives of California

111 named correspondents of the Spanish and Mexican government of Alta California, each with the catalog records naming them as author or recipient. Compiled from the name forms the source catalog recorded; entries without a stated office carry a provenance warning on their page.

• Diego de Borica — 3976 records, 1784 to 1822 · Governor 1794–1800; founder of Villa de Branciforte.
• José María de Echeandía — 3612 records, 1781 to 1845 · Governor 1825–1831; author of the pioneering 1831 secularization decree.
• José Joaquín de Arrillaga — 2758 records, 1781 to 1839 · Acting governor 1792–94 & 1800–04, proprietary 1804–1814; earlier lieutenant-governor at Loreto; died at Soledad 1814.
• Pedro Fages — 2329 records, 1768 to 1797 · Military commander 1770–74; governor 1782–1791.
• José Figueroa — 1114 records, 1824 to 1846 · Governor 1833–1835; the gradualist secularization reglamento; died in office.
• Felipe de Goycoechea — 930 records, 1781 to 1812 · Santa Bárbara comandante 1784–1802.
• Juan Bautista Alvarado — 804 records, 1789 to 1847 · Governor 1836–1842 (the 1836 revolution).
• Pablo Vicente de Solá — 723 records, 1781 to 1835 · Last Spanish governor, 1815–1822.
• Manuel Jimeno Casarín — 672 records, 1825 to 1848 · Government secretary under Alvarado & Micheltorena; the C-A 35 secretariat hand.
• José de la Guerra y Noriega — 592 records, 1801 to 1849 · Santa Bárbara captain & patriarch (fl. 1800s–40s).
• Santiago Argüello — 572 records, 1814 to 1846 · San Diego comandante, then Sub-Prefect (took charge Jul 1845); son of José Darío.
• Felipe de Neve — 538 records, 1774 to 1791 · Governor 1775–1782; founded San José & Los Angeles; author of the 1779 Reglamento.
• Branciforte, Marqués de — 482 records, 1749 to 1845 · Viceroy of New Spain 1794–1798; namesake of the Villa.
• Manuel Victoria — 426 records, 1799 to 1838 · Governor 1831, deposed; opponent of Echeandía's secularization.
• José Darío Argüello — 392 records, 1781 to 1829 · Soldier-officer: SF & Monterey comandante, LA founding comisionado (1786 titles), interim governor 1814–15; father of Luis & Santiago.
• Pío Pico — 370 records, 1826 to 1849 · Last Mexican governor, 1845–46; earlier Diputación vocal.
• Antonio Grajera — 352 records, 1784 to 1799 · San Diego comandante 1793–1799.
• Manuel Micheltorena — 293 records, 1842 to 1845 · Governor 1842–1845; expelled after the Cahuenga campaign.
• Ignacio Martínez — 243 records, 1801 to 1841 · SF comandante & habilitado (fl. 1820s–30s); handed Mission San Rafael's 1836 inventory to John Reed.
• José Castro — 235 records, 1819 to 1849 · Comandante-general in the 1836 revolution & 1846 (Gavilán); prefect.
• Hermenegildo Sal — 234 records, 1776 to 1835 · SF/Monterey officer & habilitado; comandante roles through the 1790s; d. 1800.
• José Raimundo Carrillo — 229 records, 1776 to 1849 · Officer: Monterey, Santa Bárbara, San Diego comandancias (fl. 1780s–1800s).
• Tiburcio Tapia — 207 records, 1828 to 1844 · LA merchant, alcalde, prefect (fl. 1830s–40s).
• Vicente Sánchez — 189 records, 1826 to 1845 · LA alcalde (fl. 1820s–40s), repeatedly embattled.
• Luis Antonio Argüello — 180 records, 1800 to 1833 · SF comandante; first Mexican-era governor 1822–1825; son of José Darío.
• Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo — 158 records, 1824 to 1849 · Sonoma comandante-general of the northern frontier; the 1829 Estanislao campaign report; the 1833 Ross intelligence.
• José Pérez Fernández — 155 records, 1792 to 1805 · SF habilitado/officer, 1790s.
• José de Iturrigaray — 138 records, 1803 to 1808 · Viceroy of New Spain 1803–1808.
• Manuel Domínguez — 125 records, 1826 to 1849 · LA alcalde & ranchero (fl. 1830s–40s).
• Anastasio Carrillo — 124 records, 1820 to 1846 · Santa Bárbara officer & administrator (fl. 1820s–40s).
• José de Zúñiga — 121 records, 1781 to 1807
• Agustín Vicente Zamorano — 120 records, 1825 to 1843 · Governor's secretary, comandante, and California's first printer (fl. 1825–42).
• Juan Bandini — 119 records, 1828 to 1848
• José Antonio de Romeu — 114 records, 1782 to 1793 · Governor 1791–1792; died in office at Monterey.
• Pablo de la Portilla — 99 records, 1819 to 1837
• Fermín Francisco de Lasuén — 96 records, 1781 to 1802 · Father-president 1785–1803; the ~1790 mission-property table; the 1797–98 foundings.
• José Mª Herrera — 93 records, 1803 to 1836
• José Antonio Sánchez — 84 records, 1780 to 1833 · SF-company officer; commander of the failed first Estanislao expedition (1829).
• Nicolás Gutiérrez — 82 records, 1826 to 1836
• Nicolás Soler — 76 records, 1782 to 1788
• Miguel González — 73 records, 1825 to 1829
• Narciso Durán — 71 records, 1786 to 1845 · Father-president/prefect (fl. 1810s–1846); the secularization consultations.
• William E. P. Hartnell — 70 records, 1823 to 1848 · English merchant; Visitador General of the missions 1839–40 — the administrator instructions.
• Francisco Guerrero — 70 records, 1837 to 1846
• Manuel Pineda — 67 records, 1846 to 1848
• Diego González — 65 records, 1781 to 1792
• Romualdo Pacheco — 65 records, 1823 to 1831
• Juan Mª Osuna — 64 records, 1834 to 1846
• José Francisco de Ortega — 63 records, 1777 to 1792 · Founding-era sergeant→lieutenant; Santa Bárbara company commander; the 1783 LA muster rolls.
• José Abrego — 63 records, 1836 to 1848
• Fernando de Rivera y Moncada — 62 records, 1769 to 1784 · Comandante of California 1774–1777; killed at the Colorado in the 1781 Yuma revolt.
• Manuel Cárcaba — 62 records, 1792 to 1803
• Rafael González — 62 records, 1829 to 1845
• Marcelino Escobar — 60 records, 1833 to 1845
• Ignacio Vallejo — 59 records, 1785 to 1825 · Soldier-settler (fl. 1780s–1810s): San José water-works, Branciforte; father of M.G.
• Juan Malarin — 59 records, 1822 to 1845
• Macario Castro — 54 records, 1789 to 1808 · San José cabo/sergeant & comisionado (fl. 1780s–1800s).
• Manuel Requena — 53 records, 1835 to 1845
• Junípero Serra — 52 records, 1773 to 1849 · Franciscan father-president 1769–1784.
• Virrey Antonio Bucareli — 50 records, 1772 to 1776
• Juan Mª Ibarra — 47 records, 1825 to 1836
• Juan José Rocha — 46 records, 1825 to 1837
• Perfecto Hugo Reid — 45 records, 1843 to 1846
• Jacobo Ugarte y Loyola — 45 records, 1783 to 1798
• Ignacio del Valle — 43 records, 1829 to 1846
• José Romero — 43 records, 1791 to 1825
• Agustín Olvera — 42 records, 1840 to 1849
• Juan B. Leandri — 41 records, 1834 to 1841
• José Mª Villavicencio — 41 records, 1837 to 1844
• Manuel Gómez — 41 records, 1805 to 1829
• Abel Stearns — 38 records, 1830 to 1849
• David Spence — 37 records, 1827 to 1849
• Gabriel Moraga — 37 records, 1794 to 1820
• José Fernández del Campo — 36 records, 1827 to 1831 · Monterey artillery commander, late 1820s.
• Mariano Chico — 36 records, 1835 to 1844
• Antonio María Osio — 35 records, 1825 to 1844
• Guillermo Cota — 34 records, 1813 to 1838
• José Antonio Carrillo — 32 records, 1822 to 1846 · LA politician; 1840 Santa Bárbara conspiracy; exiled 1845.
• Diego Gonzales — 32 records, 1781 to 1794
• Pedro Amador — 31 records, 1773 to 1801
• Romualdo Ruano — 30 records, 1843 to 1846
• Pedro de Nava — 30 records, 1789 to 1802
• José Ramón Argüello — 29 records, 1840 to 1846 · San Diego alcalde/judge, elected Dec 1844; took the Sub-Prefecture Apr 1846.
• José Joaquín Ortega — 29 records, 1838 to 1846 · San Diego official, 1830s–40s — the 1839 'robber bands' report.
• Joaquín Cañete — 28 records, 1774 to 1784
• José Roca — 27 records, 1797 to 1808
• Fr. Tomás Estenaga — 27 records, 1828 to 1845
• Ignacio Palomares — 27 records, 1840 to 1846
• Carlos Antonio Carrillo — 26 records, 1825 to 1840 · Rival 'governor' 1837–38 in the sur-norte conflict; brother of José Antonio.
• José Ramón Estrada — 25 records, 1836 to 1843 · Monterey prefect (interim, 1841) — the 1841 prefecture proclamations.
• Pedro de Alberni — 25 records, 1796 to 1800
• Manuel Cota — 25 records, 1838 to 1840
• Tomás Yorba — 25 records, 1827 to 1841
• José María Estudillo — 23 records, 1806 to 1827 · Monterey comandante (fl. 1800s–20s).
• Francisco García Diego y Moreno — 23 records, 1833 to 1845 · Zacatecan comisario-prefecto; first Bishop of the Californias (arr. 1841, d. 1846).
• Nicolás A. Den — 23 records, 1840 to 1846
• Fernando de Herrera — 23 records, 1796 to 1799
• Fernando Tico — 22 records, 1839 to 1841
• José Antonio Rengel — 21 records, 1784 to 1786
• Juan Mª Marrón — 20 records, 1839 to 1846
• Luis del Castillo Negrete — 20 records, 1833 to 1839
• Ramon Saavedra — 19 records, 1794 to 1806
• José de Gálvez — 19 records, 1768 to 1785
• Ignacio Trigueros — 19 records, 1843 to 1844
• Ramón Lasso de la Vega — 18 records, 1784 to 1796
• Thomas O. Larkin — 17 records, 1840 to 1847
• Ignacio Albisu — 16 records, 1840 to 1842
• José Mariano Estrada — 14 records, 1787 to 1842 · Monterey alférez/habilitado (fl. 1790s–1810s); executor of Arrillaga's estate.
• Francisco María Ruiz — 12 records, 1807 to 1827 · San Diego comandante (fl. 1800s–1820s).
• José Antonio Estudillo — 9 records, 1828 to 1846 · San Diego official (fl. 1820s–40s); treasurer, juez.
• Andrés Pico — 5 records, 1840 to 1846 · Militia commander (San Pasqual, 1846); Pío's brother.