Home | The Founding of Bexar | The Name Bexar | Presidio Settlers | Canary Islanders | Islander Families
Bexareños |Tejanos | The Republic | Biographies | Archives | Links
Their oldest son, Juan, known as “El Mozo” was listed as the head of the Third Family. Juan and his wife Maria Garcia de Acosta had 3 son and a daughter all born in the Canary Islands and a son, Pedro, who was born during the voyage, in Havana, Cuba. Unfortunately, Pedro was unable to survive the voyage and died at Cuautitlán on November 5th.
Another son Jose Leal and his wife, Ana Santos, whom he married on September 21, 1730 while at Cuautitlán, are listed as the Eleventh Family.
And, Catharina Leal and her husband Juan Delgado who also married at Cuautitlán two days after her brother’s marriage are listed as the Twelfth Family.
After his arrival at San Antonio de Béxar, Juan Leal married for a second time, Maria Melian the widow of Lucas Delgado and the daughter of Francisco Melano and Ynes Hoyos. She was born on Lanzarote, and is listed as the head of the Fifteenth Family on the Cuautitlán list.
Juan Leal’s grandson, Joaquín Leal, the son of Bernardo Leal and Leonor Delgado ran a sizable cattle ranch, known as Santa Rita de las Islitas, which provided him and his family with thousands of acres of productive ranch land. After Joaquín Leal and his two sons were killed attempting to flee the troops of General Arrendondo, the family's property was confiscated leaving Joaquín's wife, Ana María de Arocha, in total destitution.
Don Juan Leal Goraz was born in 1676 in the town of Teguise on the Island of Lanzarote, Canary Islands to Antonio Goraz and Maria Perez. He began the rigorous journey to the New Philippines with his wife, Maria Hernandez but she died during the journey in Cuautitlán, Mexico on October 15, 1730. Before leaving he was appointed head of the colonists by a colonial judge. He was later reappointed by the Viceroy in Mexico. At the age of 54, he was the oldest man among the colonists, and so was chosen by them, to be their Senior Alderman, for life. Thus he became the first mayor of the civil settlement known as San Fernando de Béxar.
According to Chabot, the official list taken at Cuautitlán states that Juan Leal “Gonzal” was the son of Antonio “Gonzal” while subsequent records show his name to be Goraz. San Fernando Church records, official records, and family tradition know this family by the name Leal, without the Goraz.
He was described as "tall, long faced, blind in the left eye, with thick black beard and hair, dark complexion, sharp nose, and light gray eyes.
There is an Antonio Leal who was married to Gertrudes de los Santos, and was born in San Antonio de Béxar in about 1750. He is believed to be a descendant of the Canary Island Leal family, although no church records have been found stating who his parents are. He and his wife, settled at the site of San Augustine east of Nacogdoches in north central San Augustine County and built a small house with corrals to accommodate wild mustangs gathered by Leal and Philip Nolan for sale in Louisiana. In 1800 Leal sold the property to Pedro Buigas, who sold it the following year to Edmund Quirk. Antonio Leal and his wife were afterward prosecuted in one of the most famous trials in Texas history. [Antonio Leal’s Desendants Report]
One of the earliest settlers of the Leal Community in Atascosa County, Texas was Manuel Leal, the son of Jose Maria Leal and Maria Sinforosa Seguin. Manuel Leal married Maria de la Luz Hernandez and was the great-gandfather of John Oden Leal, Ex-Bexar County Archivist.
All of Juan Leal Goraz and Maria Hernandez’s children lived their lives at La Villa de San Fernando de Béxar. Juan and Maria Melian had one daughter, Figenia, born about 1735 in La Villa de San Fernando. She married Joaquin de la Garza in 1754.
Cuautitlán, November 8, 1730
Don Juan Leal Goraz and his first wife, Maria Hernandez, had five children all born on the Island of Lanzarote. Their two youngest sons, Vicente and Bernardo are listed as members of the First Family.
Juan Leal Goraz
biography found at
Canary Islanders
Descendant Reports
