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Maria Jesus “Mary” Briones Lauff

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Maria Jesus “Mary” Briones Lauff

Birth	:	8 Jun 1831 Santa Clara, Santa Clara County, California, USA
Death	:	6 Mar 1894 Marin County, California, USA
Burial	:	Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church Cemetery, Bolinas, Marin County, USA
Coordinate	:	37.9212570, -122.6938858
Description	:	*Maria Jesus Briones* Sebrean Lauff Marriages** Francisco Sebrean May 20, 1850 -widowed in 1853 Charles Lauff on April 19, 1862 A STORY; First Bolinas marriage & celebration "The first marriage which occurred in the township (of Bolinas), was contracted between Francisco Sebrean and *Senorita Maria J. Briones,* daughter of Gregorio Briones. This occurred May 20, 1850, and was an event long to be remembered by those present. Great preparations had been made for the occasion, and everything was in keeping with the order of things in that day. Up to this time there had not been a floor laid in the township,... Read More	*Maria Jesus Briones* Sebrean Lauff Marriages** Francisco Sebrean May 20, 1850 -widowed in 1853 Charles Lauff on April 19, 1862 A STORY; First Bolinas marriage & celebration "The first marriage which occurred in the township (of Bolinas), was contracted between Francisco Sebrean and *Senorita Maria J. Briones,* daughter of Gregorio Briones. This occurred May 20, 1850, and was an event long to be remembered by those present. Great preparations had been made for the occasion, and everything was in keeping with the order of things in that day. Up to this time there had not been a floor laid in the township, but what was a wedding without a dance, and what was a dance without a floor? So some whip-sawyers, among whom Charles Lauff, were employed to furnish the requisite lumber and construct the floor. This floor was fourteen by twenty, and, though seeming quite small now, afforded ample opportunity for devotion to the Terpsichorean muse. A grand barbecue was also prepared, and the carcass of a fat bullock was roasted to a turn over the pit of bright coals. In connection with this there was a table set, the like of which had not been seen before in all these regions round about. Viands were spread upon it in bountiful profuseness, so that there was enough and to spare for all the guests. In the early hours of that bright and beautiful Spring morning, a single horse with two riders might have been seen threading his way along the mountain trail leading from Bolinas to San Rafael. These riders were a man and woman, both in the full flush of youth and of love. He was the hero of the day, Francisco Sebrean, and she, the fair Senorita Maria J. Briones, and their destination, the mission, where was to be realized the full fruition of their ardent love. The services of Padre Santilla were invoked, and the twain were made one flesh, both by the laws of God and man. Again mounting their horse, they started out on the journey home. Here was romance more than realized, but we draw the curtain and leave the newly-made man and wife along with their love, their happiness, and their hopes. Arriving at the Briones homestead late in the afternoon, they found all preparations for the wedding feast duly made. Congratulations were showered upon them from every side, and all was joy and gaiety. The wants of the inner man having been more satisfied, all repaired to the dancing floor, and then the real pleasure of the guests began. The music consisted of a violin and guitar, and the dances were waltzes, polkas, schottisches and reels. A few quadrilles were indulged in by the American guests present. And thus was the continued the round of eating, drinking and dancing, till the early dawn of another day was being heralded through the world by the clarion-throated chanticleer, and the approach of Aurora in her chariot of light." History of Marin County, California published in San Francisco, Cal 1880 A STORY; Maria & Charles, their love destined to be To understand this love story in the early days of Marin, it is necessary to have some understanding of the "Days of the Dons," when Mexico was the ruler of California. The capitol of California was Monterey where the governor resided. There were missions up and down the coast, fundamentally to Christianize the native Indians (which turned out to be a disaster), and the Mexican land grants had just come into play. Marin County had its first Mexican land grant in 1834. Interestingly, the first two were given two days apart. The first was to James Garry who was granted the northern part of Olema Valley and the west shore of Tomales Bay; the second, where our romance takes place, was given to Manuel Garcia, who was granted the southern part of Olema Valley, Bolinas Lagoon, and the future townships of Bolinas and Stinson Beach. Garcia later deeded his grant to his brother-in-law, Gregorio Briones, the father of our heroine. It was to be an on again, off again romance, although the principals didn't know it. The hero was Charles Lauff, an Alsatian, with a blond beard, much older than Maria Briones, who was only a child when he first met her. Our hero first laid eyes on Maria when he came to build the frame dwelling that would replace the adobe house which was used by Gregorio Briones and before him, Manuel Garcia. Marin Pepper, the author of Bolinas: A Narrative of the Days of the Dons, wrote that Lauff "had planned the building which was to be two stories, with a broad balcony that would form the roof of the porch along the full length of the house. The house would face the Bolinas lagoon and the mountains arising along the shore." The house, which was palatial in this time, is standing after 154 years beside Pine Gulch Creek, which says something for Lauff's building abilities. The house wasn't finished until 1841 when Father Santillo from the San Rafael Mission came all the way over the mountain to perform the blessing of the home. The convention in those days was to follow up the blessing with two or three days of feasting, followed by competitions in riding and shooting. The feast, Pepper says, consisted of platters of meats, tortillas and spicy sauces. It was attended by the other land-grantees, and was a great event. It was at this housewarming party that Lauff first noticed Maria when Francisco Sebrean fell in love with her. Marin Pepper wrote, "Lauff was amused at the romance and it occurred to him that they were a very handsome pair." At this time, Maria was 13 and Francisco 16, but what no one else seemed to know was that Maria at this early age had eyes only for Lauff. Lauff's restless and adventurous nature led him to join hunters and trappers in the Rocky Mountains. He was gone for five years, but before he returned to Casa Briones, Maria had become a woman. She was now 18 and of marriageable age. During Lauff's absence, Sebrean thought he had a chance to make Maria love him. But as soon as Lauff returned, Sebrean realized he didn't have a ghost of a chance, because Maria was in love with Lauff. Now Maria's father had always admired Lauff, said he always did everything he undertook well, so he was delighted to notice the romance blooming under his eyes, and soon gave his consent to the marriage. He and Lauff went to Yerba Buena, as San Francisco was then called, to select linens and lace for the wedding. It was during this trip that unfortunate news came to them which made the future marriage impossible. The news Lauff heard was bad. It seemed as though the United States was about to invade Mexican California. Sutter and his Indians were preparing to defend their lands against the United States, who had sent John Fremont out to do the job. The Mexican governor, in a last desperate attempt to regain power, ordered Fremont to leave, but he remained. Now Lauff, who knew both Sutter and Fremont, decided to go on the next boat to Sacramento to see if these rumors were true. He didn't realize that by this one act he would be branded by the Mexicans as an outsider. Lauff learned that Fremont was indeed camped outside Sacramento, and that the purpose of this trip was to invade Mexican territory. On top of this news, three relations of the Briones were shot down in cold blood and killed by Kit Carson, Fremont's mountain guide, as they ascended the path to the San Rafael Mission, of all places. Lauff realized that he had lost Maria forever. Marin Pepper writes, "Because children of pioneer Californians were taught to have unquestioning faith and trust in their elders, Maria Briones accepted her father's ultimatum: she was not to see Lauff again, their engagement had ended, he was no longer welcome at Casa Briones." By 1847 all of Northern California was in U.S. hands. In 1848 it was declared a state of the union. The old relationship between Maria and Sebrean had resumed. Francisco was a Mexican and not a traitor to the Mexican cause; Lauff had recently joined the U.S Army which was at war with Mexico. The war ended in 1848 and was followed by the treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo, which was supposed to leave Mexican property in the hands of the Mexicans, but the U.S. broke this treaty, which led to all sorts of confusion, but that is another story. Maria and Francisco were married on the 20th of May, 1850. It was the first marriage in the township of Bolinas. In the 1880 History of Marin, this marriage is described in detail, how after three days of feasting, in which a whole bullock was roasted over a firepit, there was dancing on a floor that Lauff had himself built. Maria was now 22, and it was four years after she had bidden Lauff goodbye on the eve of her marriage to him. A year passed and Maria produced a son named after the father, Francisco. All seemed well with the couple, but in 1853 a smallpox epidemic broke out among the Indians who served as servants and vaqueros at Casa Briones. Unfortunately, Francisco, worn out with caring for the smallpox victims, himself died. He was buried in the cemetery that Don Gregorio had deeded to the Catholic church. A few years later, Don Gregorio relented and let Lauff return to Casa Briones. The don was a just man and always felt that Lauff had been misunderstood. So finally, Lauff and his Maria were married on April 18, 1862, just 12 years after her first marriage. As would be expected, Lauff built Maria a fine house "with a captain's walk on the roof and broad verandas on all four sides." Pepper wrote. Lauff spared no expense on the best furnishings that could be bought in San Francisco and shipped by schooner to Bolinas. Lauff had a generous rancho, for in addition to her own property which was given to her by her father, he purchased 297 acres of land from Don Gregorio, so they settled in style in early Bolinas. And they were happy. Besides Francisco's son, Maria produced four sons for Lauff; Oscar, Frederick, George and Marcus, and three girls, Carrie, and the twins Julia and Valentine. Evidently Lauff had the upper hand in the marriage: note the non-Mexican names of the offspring! Written by Joan C. Reutinger rural West Marin historian and journalist 1915-1999 *** * * 2 children by first marriage** 1 not linked John Baptiste Sebrean born June 24, 1853 Oakland 9 Children by second marriage

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Maria Jesus “Mary” Briones Lauff's memorial?
Maria Jesus “Mary” Briones Lauff's memorial is located at: Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church Cemetery, Bolinas, Marin County, USA.
When did Maria Jesus “Mary” Briones Lauff death?
Maria Jesus “Mary” Briones Lauff death on 6 Mar 1894 in Marin County, California, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Maria Jesus “Mary” Briones Lauff's memorial?
Latitude: 37.9212570
Longitude: -122.6938858

Family Members:

Parent

Gregorio Briones

(1800 - 1863)

Maria Ramona Garcia Romero Briones Munoz

(1805 - 1901)

Spouse

Francisco Sebrean

(1828 - 1853)

Charles August Lauff

(1822 - 1917)

Siblings

Guadalupe Briones Crane

(1822 - 1869)

Dr Josef Pablo “Pablo” Briones

(1823 - 1897)

Juana Briones McGovern

(1826 - 1927)

Maria Rosita “Rosario” Briones Mesa

(1835 - 1901)

Children

Adeline F. Sebrean Gibson

(1850 - 1913)

Oscar Bengua Lauff

(1863 - 1939)

Mary J. Lauff

(1865 - 1877)

unexist

(unknow - unknow)

Julia Valentine Lauff MacKenzie

(1868 - 1945)

Charlotta “Lottie” Lauff

(1869 - 1872)

Alfred V. “Fred” Lauff

(1869 - 1939)

Marques A. Lauff

(1870 - 1948)

George Marcus Lauff

(1872 - 1897)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church Cemetery
Bolinas, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9212570, -122.6938858

2. Bolinas Cemetery
Bolinas, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9212600, -122.6938900

3. Druid Heights Burial Site
Mill Valley, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8892100, -122.5647100

4. Taylor Cemetery
Lagunitas, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0272580, -122.7346590

5. First Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden
San Anselmo, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9703310, -122.5667860

6. Montgomery Memorial Chapel Crypt
San Anselmo, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9687940, -122.5638630

7. Mount Tamalpais Cemetery
San Rafael, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9861984, -122.5544891

8. Olema Cemetery
Olema, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0313988, -122.7789001

9. Mission San Rafael Arcangel Cemetery
San Rafael, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9744330, -122.5280570

10. Fernwood Cemetery
Mill Valley, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8767014, -122.5231018

11. Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery
San Rafael, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0024986, -122.5397034

12. Marin County Farm Cemetery
Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0285500, -122.5652530

13. San Quentin Prison Cemetery
San Rafael, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9436480, -122.4883760

14. Saint Vincents Orphanage Cemetery
San Rafael, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0355800, -122.5334550

15. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church Memorial Garden
Belvedere, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8767515, -122.4712901

16. Sailors Cemetery
Sausalito, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8442390, -122.4774770

17. Golden Gate Cemetery (Defunct)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7851990, -122.5013850

18. Beth Olam Cemetery (Defunct)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7840450, -122.4987420

19. Caledonian Cemetery (Defunct)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7857070, -122.4958030

20. Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery (Defunct)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7819420, -122.4994290

21. French Benevolent Cemetery (Defunct)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7849610, -122.4947080

22. Pioneer Memorial Cemetery
Novato, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1132532, -122.5902599

23. German Benevolent Cemetery (Defunct)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7828920, -122.4945580

24. Angel Island Cemetery (defunct)
Tiburon, Marin County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8621830, -122.4325920