According to SAR’s Patriot Research System California has almost 200 recognized Patriots buried in the state and only a handful have been “marked”. “Marking” involves a meeting like ceremony at a location at or close to the burial locations and placing of a commemorative marker at or close to the burial(s). The ceremony typically includes a Color Guard and musket team and while a local chapter(s) put together the program the State Society conducts the ceremony.
The Spanish Patriots were identified in what is often called the “Border Studies”, a monumental work of 8 volumes that detail Spain in the Western U.S. and its often-misunderstood role.”. Spanish that donated funds to support the Revolution were detailed in documents found in the Royal Spanish Archives. Our South Coast Chapter Compatriot, Dr. Granville Hough and his daughter are the source of the extensive research that qualified the Alta-California Spanish as Patriots recognized by SAR. Their work is available at: “Spanish Patriots During the American Revolution, 1779-1783, The 8-volume Series by Written by Dr. Granville and NC Hough. Note that Volume 1 & 2 are dedicated to those in Alta California.
The SAR Grave Marking materials can be downloaded from SAR.org at https://www.sar.org/committees/patriot-record-committee/ You will need to login to SAR.org to access this page. It can be located under the “Membership” link and then “Patriot Records Committee” and click to access the page.
The California Society offers a helpful guide for putting together a Patriot Grave Marking project. This is not a replacement for the information from NASSAR rather explanations on the steps the San Diego Chapter used for their successful Patriot Grave Marking in August of 2024. Included are examples of how to locate the Patriot data and hints on holding the ceremony. Click here for the document: https://www.californiasar.org/wp-content/uploads/CA-Chapter-Grave-Marking-Project-Guide.pdf
