Ancestry and History Go Hand in Hand

When we all think of the Caribbean, we always visualize beautiful white sand beaches, tropical heat, palm trees swaying in the breeze, beautiful music, amazingly delicious food, and plenty of friendly islanders that are happy to share their culture.

What we have to remind ourselves is that that was not the case back during the era of when our ancestors lived on these islands. Many traveled by horse, living in small homes, dealt with wars, pirates, hurricanes, hunger, and diseases.  Most important, many faced life in bondage or running away to gain their freedom from slavery.

Why do I make these statements? Well, part of the problem is that many people cannot find their ancestors. I see the constant, “Why can’t I find my ancestors?” statements throughout social media.  This is partially due to not wanting to read history, it is a requirement so that you can understand how your ancestors lived. It does not mean necessarily reading books, as some authors have been known to create their own spin, but to actually read documents maintained in archives. Sounds boring but far from it as you will start to discover how your ancestors lived. It is extremely critical to know what was going on at that time. A perfect example…

My 4th great grandfather, Miguel Bayala, was very young. Spain required that the 5th son must serve in the military. Boys were expected to serve starting at the age of 7. Yes, seven, not a typo. Did I know this going in and researching? Absolutely not! I came across this tidbit while digging through records in the archives and having open discussions with many other researchers.

In 1797, Spain started sending soldiers to protect the island from British invasion; something that constantly happened in the Caribbean and repetitive in Caribbean history.  In 1803, present-day Haiti was in the process of fighting for their freedom from enslavement and freeing the entire island, which includes today’s Dominican Republic. While there is strife between both Caribbean countries, they are actually one people and they share ancestors. I have so many Haitian cousins but I went in knowing that I would discover this as it is one island with an imaginary line going through it.

To add to the above, France had their violent revolutionary war between 1789 and 1799. So in 1803, Miguel Bayala Gero, son of Andres Bayala and Sebastiana Gero, was sent off to Puerto Rico to protect the island still under the Fijo de Puerto Rico.

Miguel was never to see his home country again. By the time he married his wife, he had become 2nd Sargento or 2nd Sargent in the military. After receiving his pension from the military, he settles in Quebrada Grande in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.

Miguel would face the death of his first son, Isidro, at age 12, while living there. Subjected to hurricanes and eventually being buried on the island and without his family from Spain coming for the event; no records have been found.

Miguel would also name his first son, Isidro, after the patron saint from his hometown; Becerril de Campos Spain. This is an indicator that he was potentially homesick and needed a connection back to his homeland. Becerril de Campos is known for its farms and includes 3 churches that are now historical locations due to their existence since the middle ages. This provides me with a better visual of his potential life. It also confirmed that he perpetuated the ignorance and discovered that he had an enslaved woman in his home after discovering her baptizing her child in Book 1 of Baptisms for Trujillo Alto.

I have also discovered that he seems to be the type in challenging authority but not outright through Gazette records for the island. Potentially, he could have been that annoying neighbor some of us are familiar with.  My next step is determining who were his siblings and how they lived in Becerril de Campos, Spain. Researching involves more than just finding names, it includes understanding these individuals, attempting to figure out how they think, and how they played a role in history.

So Miguel Bayala turned out to be a complex individual and do not think I could like him based on things I have discovered but he is my 4th great grandfather and if it were not for him, I would not be here. So basically, it is a love-hate relationship.

If you’d like to know more about the Fijo de Puerto Rico, check out their Facebook page.  They have reenactments of the military action.