Don Manuel was a leather jacket corporal "distinguido", a master carpenter in the presidios of San Francisco and Monterey from 1790 to 1818, and the first to teach school in 1795 in the rough beginnings of San Francisco. He built the first adobe casa outside the presidio walls in Monterey around 1814 and turned part of it into a boys' school in 1817. Manuel married Maria Gertrudis Higuera y Redondo, January 22, 1790, at Mission Santa Clara.

His parents were Francisco Xavier Boronda and Sebastiana Antonia, married April 14, 1736 in the parish church San Miguel Arcangel, Cocula, Jalisco. Francisco was from a Basque heritage, coming from Spain with his father, José Boronda, a soldier per family oral history, following the death of Francisco's mother, Maria Avendaño.

Francisco married the indigenous Sebastiana Antonia from the Coca nation. José Boronda remarried, to Juana Marcelina Florido, attending another son's baptism, Francisco Maria Boronda y Florido, April 14, 1746, San Francisco, San Luís Potosi, half-uncle to don Manuel.

A master carpenter, José Manuel Boronda built ships in San Blas, the naval center of colonial Spain's west coast, noting that two witnesses at his wedding were sailors from the Port of San Blas. The port of San Bias was founded around 1760 to serve as the center of Spanish shipping to the Californias.

Traveling by sea to assignments in Alta California, he would not be listed with soldiers or settlers. He was first documented in a roster December 31, 1785, at Presidio Santa Barbara where he then enlisted; his descendants qualify for Sons of the American Revolution membership for Spain's defense of the west coast from the British. He served over privates in an expedition from Santa Clara Mission to recapture escaped Indians in 1795. Don Manuel retired in 1815, settling in Monterey and was granted Rancho Tucho, the customary 4-5 acre plot on the Monterey Mesa as recompense for his years of military service. He named his school Tularcitos where he continued as a teacher and sacristan for Father Junípero Serra.

He was buried on their 36th wedding anniversary, January 23, 1826, in a Franciscan friar's habit, a recognition of his tertiary/Third Order and "razón" status. Perhaps more pious than practical, he left a will with a single cow for Gertrudis after paying his considerable debts, as well as the adobe that they had built together, now renovated as Casa Boronda in Monterey.

From 1792 to 1812, Manuel Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera often served as godparents and had thirteen children:

1. Canuto Joséf, baptized at Mission Dolores, San Francisco, January 21, 1792, four days old, son of "cabo de esquadra" Manuel Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera; married in the Royal Chapel, Presidio de Monterey, September 12, 1816, to Francisca Castro; buried at Mission San Luis Obispo, January 30, 1882.

2. José Manuel Ciriaco, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, August 10, 1793 as a "recent birth," son of corporal Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera; buried at Mission San Francisco, October 1, 1794.

3. María Irenea del Carmen, baptized at Mission Dolores, San Francisco, July 4, 1795, one day old, to parents Manuel Boronda, Cabo de Esquadra, and Gertrudis Yguera.

4. Manuel Azaico, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, October 17, 1797, a day old infant, (Northrop II:27); died July 24, 1874 in Castroville, Monterey County.

5. María Teresa de Jesús, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, October 17, 1797, as a day old infant, daughter of corporal Manuel Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera; married at Mission Santa Clara, November 4, 1811, to Rafael Soto; buried at Mission Santa Clara, September 7, 1817, age 19. Gertrudis' mother, Maria Antonia Redondo, was godmother for Teresa.

6. María Josefa Bruna, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, October 10, 1799, as the two-day old daughter of corporal of this company of San Francisco, Manuel Boronda and Maria Jertrudis Higuera; married in the home of her father, the retired corporal don Manuel Boronda [in Monterey] September 29, 1817 to Manuel Cota; married at Mission San Carlos, January 9, 1828, to Guatterio Burke.

7. María Guadalupe, born in San Francisco, May 11, 1801 (Northrop I: 119); married at Mission San Carlos, January 8, 1816, to Gabriel Espinosa; married at Mission San Carlos, July 17, 1845, to Felipe de Jesús Soto.

8. María Athanasia, married at Mission San Carlos, September 13, 1823, to Francisco Cazeres; daughter of Manuel Boronda, native of Xeres, Bishopric of Valladolid [sic] and María Gertrudis Higuera.

9. José Manuel, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, September 7, 1803, as the two day old son of cabo Manuel Boronda and Maria Gertrudis Yguera, godparents were his maternal grandparents; married at Mission San Carlos, May 2, 1821 to María Juana Cota. In 1836 the family was living at the Rancho de Salinas in the Monterey district (Temple VII, SBMAL). He died in Castroville July 24, 1878. (Northrop II: 28).

10. María Gracia Magdalena, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, January 23, 1806, as a two day old infant; parents Manuel Boronda and Maria Gertrudis Higuera. Godparents were Francisco Castro and Gabriela Barreyessa.

11. José Eusebio, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, March 9, 1808, as a five day old infant; married at Mission Santa Cruz, September 5, 1831, to Josefa Ramona Buelna, the granddaughter of his godparents, soltero José Antonio Buelna and Ana Antonia Tapia; later married Ricarda Rodríquez.(Northop II: 28).

12. José Francisco Laureano, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, July 5, 1811, as the two day old infant son of the retired corporal of the leather jacket soldiers "Cabo ynvalido de cuera", Manuel Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera; buried at Mission Santa Clara July 12, 1811.

13. María Petra de Jesús, baptized at Mission Santa Clara, October 20, 1812, as a two day old infant, parents Manuel Boronda and Gertrudis Higuera; married at the Royal Chapel of Presidio de Monterey, July 6, 1825 to Jorge Tomás Allen; buried at Mission San Carlos, June 1, 1897, age 84, widow of George Allen.

Several peculiar internet findings show Manuel as the second husband of his future mother-in-law Antonia Redondo and the father of her youngest children, years before he married Gertrudis. Manuel Higuera was alive during this time so this seems highly unlikely. However, don Higuera's military record notes that he was disabled with an injury to the groin: 1793 San Jose soldier "Miliciano quebrado de un ygle". Given Spain's intention to populate California for political reasons, marrying girls as young as 12 who might have nearly 20 births, would 30-ish Antonia be overlooked after merely six? Spain was particularly intent on maximizing their español lineage. With his closeness to Manuel, perhaps Fr. Serra took him by the shoulder, saying with absolution, "Vaya con Dios, mi hijo. Por España!" Was Manuel perhaps the original Zorro, arriving in the night? mask? cape? whispering "Señora, quisieras mas hijos?" You be the judge.

With an extensive family in Vizcaya, a Basque town at the North Eastern coastal section of Spain, lineage for his grandmother, based on age spans, could be:
Maria Avendano Urizar, Baptism 12 jul. 1692 (12 Jul 1692) Santa Maria, Galdacano, Vizcaya, Spain; mother Beatriz De Urizar, father Joseph De Avendano;
but more likely Maria Avendano Heyzaga, baptism 3 ene. 1671 (3 Jan 1671) Santa Maria, Galdacano, Vizcaya, Spain, mother, Magdalena De Heyzaga Zamacona, father Martin De Avendano Jaure Guiguria. His grandfather's second wife may be Juana Marzelina Florido Miranda, baptized 7 jun. 1723 (7 Jun 1723),Baptism Place: Asunción, Pachuca, Hidalgo, México Father: Francisco Florido Mother: Catherena de Miranda, in the Bautismos de españoles church record. There are extensive baptismal records for the Boronda family at the Basilica Del Senor Santiago, Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain, at times spelled as Voronda, Baranda, Burunda, Barenda and other phonetic variations.

There is a complete record on pages 16-18, https://issuu.com/californiawilliam2014/docs/building_artisans_of_northern_new_s/1