Antonio Gil Y'Barbo Collection

Collection

Identifier: A-0175

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains land records, maps, newspaper articles, and genealogical records pertaining to Antonio Gil Y'Barbo. Most of the materials are photocopies and photostats.

Dates

Creation: 1791-1977

Language of Materials

The collection is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Biographical or Historical Information

Antonio Gil Y'Barbo (also spelled Ibarvo, Ibarbo, Ybarvo, Y'barbo, Ebarbo and y Barvo) was born in 1729 at Los Adaes in the province of Texas (now Louisiana) to Spanish colonists, Matieu Antonio and Juana (Hernandez) Ibarvo. He married Maria Padilla and began living at the ranch Lobanillo near Lobanillo Creek in now Sabine County, Texas.

In 1773 a Royal order from the Marques de Rubi resulted in the closing of the presidios and missions in East Texas and Y'Barbo led the company of area residents to San Antonio. On behalf of the company, Y'Barbo made repeated petitions to Spanish authorities requesting permission to move back to their abandoned homes. Eventually (1777) they were permitted to move east as far as the Trinity River. They called this settlement Bucareli and lived there until 1779 when they moved back to reestablish Nacogdoches.

Y'Barbo was appointed by the Spanish government as civil and military captain of the militia and as lieutenant governor as well as judge of contraband. He resigned as civil governor in 1790. He was accused in 1791 of smuggling contraband goods and trading with the Indians, but these charges could not be proven. He continued to live in the territory and, after the death of his first wife, married Marie Guadalupe de Herrera in 1796. He died in 1809. Many of his descendants still live in the East Texas area.

("IBARVO, ANTONIO GIL." The Handbook of Texas Online. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/II/fib1.html [Accessed June 28, 2004].)