MARRIAGE PATTERNS OF CALIFORNIA EARLY SPANISH-MEXICAN COLONISTS (1742-1876)

Marriage patterns of California's eighteenth and nineteenth century Sp anish-Mexican families are analysed using data from genealogies and mi ssion records. A shortage of women among the military based colonists led to an unusual marriage pattern with a large age differential betwe en husbands and wives. The average age at marriage was 18.4 years for women and 28.4 years for men. Spatial mobility was high for both sexes , particularly for men. More husbands than wives were born in Mexico. The Monterey presidial district of central California was the birthpla ce of a disproportionate number of husbands and the southern Californi a districts were a source of wives. The transition between a founding population predominantly composed of Mexican immigrants and a populati on of native-born Californians occurred at the beginning of the ninete enth century.