SANCHEZ / CORCHERO FAMILY HISTORY (as researched by Josephine Corchero McNamara from the experiences and memory of Ramona Sanchez Corchero)

Introduction, overview; Where they came from;

In the southwestern region of the Iberian Peninsula in the west central part of Spain, about fifteen miles from the Portuguese border will be found a region and former province known as Estremadura. Now in the state of Caceres a small town of Pozuelo de Zarzon. The Spanish for water well is pozo and the word zarza is a briar parch such as black berry. Thus the well near or in the briar patch. This is where our grandfathers Casto Corchero and Vitoriano Sanchez and their families emigrated.

On February 3, 1913 the Corchero and Sanchez families emigrated from Spain to the Hawaiian Islands. They sailed on a ship of English registry named the Willeston. The passenger count was 1,358 (491 men, 377 women, 490 children) 16 of these passengers belonged to the Corchero / Sanchez group.

From Gibraltar the Willeston sailed 56 days down around South America and up to Hawaii. They arrived March 30, 1913 but at a great loss because some of the children contracted measles mid-trip and were buried at sea. The Corchero’s lost their 14 year old son and the Sanchez family lost their 2 year old daughter.

The emigrants came to Hawaii to get work on the sugar cane plantations. Five year contracts were signed between the head of each family and the plantation owners. Under aged emigrants did not sign contracts and were free to go when they became of age. One by one money was saved and each as they came of age emigrated to parts unknown.

Six members of the Corchero / Sanchez group left Hawaii between the years 1914 and 1916. They all came to California and settled in the Greater San Francisco bay area.While living in Hawaii three children were born. In 1915 a girl and a grandson to the Sanchez family and a son to the Corchero family. Now there were 7 members to the Corcheros and 4 members to the Sanchez family that stayed on in Hawaii until their contracts had lapsed.

In 1919 the last of the families left Hawaii after paying their own passage. They sailed to the port of entry in Seattle Washington and then continued down the coast to San Francisco California and joined the rest of the family where they too had settled.