‘The intelligent and beautiful Teresa de la Guerra’ filled DON GUILLERMO HARTNELL’s home with ‘family love, laughter, spontaneous song, as well as good food and drink’

+++  This was true of Hartnell’s bride, writing crudely and reading seldom, but remembered as “the intelligent and beautiful Teresa de la Guerra” who “never was better pleased than when all around her were happy,” according to Hutton’s ‘Glances at California.’  This became the constant preoccupation of her life, and the Hartnell home from the first day was for many years a place filled with family love, laughter, and spontaneous song, as well as good food and drink.  Lonely travelers always found a mecca here.  ++  With the best qualities of Spanish-Californians embodied in his wife, Don Guillermo sought as intimates among his contemporaries not only young men of proud old name living in Monterey, but also foreign residents of background and experience similar to his own.  Notable among them, from the first days of his marriage, were the Anglo-American trader, Captain Cooper; Don Jose Amnesti, a Basque who had married Teresa’s cousin, Prudencia Vallejo, in 1824; Scot David Spence; the one-times whaler, “Santiago” Watson, from England; the Spanish traders, Antonio Jose Cot and Estevan Munras; and Don Juan Malarin, a Peruvian chosen by Governor Arguello (at the time of the Hartnell – de la Guerra nuptials) to take the Spanish men-o-war ‘Asia’ and ‘Constante’ as prizes to Acapulco, where he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Mexican navy.  Certain enterprising Mexicans, like Francisco Pacheco and Antonio Maria Osio, also became good friends of Don Guillermo, their names appearing often in his correspondence.  ++  After marriage, Hartnell’s life, social as well as business, grew increasingly routine.  Religion demanded his regular attendance at mass with Dona Teresa; and, from friendship, they frequently attended christenings, confirmations, weddings, and funerals at the ‘presidio’ church or San Carlos Mission, a few miles out of town.  The bond was close between home and church in that all-Catholic community.  ++  According to custom, each new house must be blessed before occupancy.  No family ‘baile’ seemed complete without the family priest.  His advice was asked about the most trivial matters as well as crises.  The tolling of church bells ordered each day, from early mass to evening prayers.  Too much has been been made of California’s week-long ‘fiestas.’  A quiet, God-fearing life was the ideal upheld by padre and respected by ‘paisano.’ …  +++