The third part in my ongoing Manuel Nieto Project — trying to prove or disprove my family relationship to this famous early Californian. A look at the initial 1784 Rancho Los Nietos land grant, and its subsequent 1834 breakup into multiple smaller ranchos throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties.
Manuel Nieto Project: His Birthplace Does Not Jive with My Nieto Ancestry
My first discovery for the Manuel Nieto Project. Identifying Don Manuel Nieto’s birthplace in Spanish-ruled Mexico makes it very highly unlikely that my family is descended from him. It is more likely we may be related to him, sharing a common ancestor.
#52Ancestors: King’s Soldier and Alta California Ranchero Manuel Nieto
My entire life, I have heard my father’s family claim that we are descended from THE Manuel Nieto, the Spanish Army soldier who was part of the Gaspar de Portolà expedition of 1769 into Alta California, and who was awarded one of the largest Spanish land grants in Alta California. Every year I have to explain that as a historian and librarian, I cannot accept things as historical facts until I can verify through actual documented evidence. So I have decided that I am going to try to prove or disprove our connection to the famous Manuel Nieto. Join me on the Manuel Nieto Project!
