Baron – Many Branches, One Tree

A Church and Faith Restored: Part 10 of 10

The Carpenter of Mission San Jose Joseph Edouard Baron (1825 – 1921) * While it was unheard of for a priest such as Father Joseph du Lin to take possession of a church as his own property, it was not unprecedented that Eduard Baron* and his co-workers took control of the living quarters at Mission … Continue reading

Desperate Measures: Part 9 of 10

The Carpenter of Mission San Jose Joseph Edouard Baron (1825 – 1921) * Father Joseph du Lin, the French priest at Mission San Jose, had embarked on an extensive renovation project of the property in direct disobedience to his superior, Bishop Joseph Alemany. Among his many debts, he owed carpenters Eduard Baron* and Jules Audrain … Continue reading

“The Debts are Higher than We Thought”: Part 8 of 10

The Carpenter of Mission San Jose Joseph Edouard Baron (1825 – 1921) * “The priest has not returned. I do not know where he is.” So begins the first of three letters Father Anthony Langlois wrote to diocesan administrators toward the end of June 1852, from Washington Township, where he had gone to resolve the … Continue reading

Trouble at Mission San Jose: Part 7 of 10

The Carpenter of Mission San Jose Joseph Edouard Baron (1825 – 1921) * If you have been following the story of my husband’s great-great-grandfather, Eduard Baron*, you know that he and four of his co-workers, all French carpenters, appealed to the Bishop of Monterey after they were denied wages for their work on the restoration … Continue reading

Answering to God and Man: Part 6 of 10

The Carpenter of Mission San Jose Joseph Edouard Baron (1825 – 1921) * Empty promises and no payments were all Eduard Baron* and his fellow workmen received after months of repair work on the church and adjoining rooms at Mission San Jose. Their attempts to recover lost wages from the parish priest, Father Joseph du … Continue reading

Words of Caution: Part 5 of 10

The Carpenter of Mission San Jose Joseph Edouard Baron (1825 – 1921) * The first sign that something was amiss at Mission San Jose appeared in a letter, dated August 4, 1851, from Joseph Sadoc Alemany, Bishop of Monterey, to Father John Nobili, the Jesuit he had appointed pastor of Mission Santa Clara. In the … Continue reading

Days of Romance and Bliss – Part 4 of 10

The Carpenter of Mission San Jose Joseph Edouard Baron (1825 – 1921) * Life in the one-street village of Mission San Jose was not as worldly as it had been in San Francisco, but there still was enough to occupy a young man’s free time. With 300 inhabitants and many travelers passing through the area, … Continue reading

A Hard Offer to Refuse: Part 3 of 10

The Carpenter of Mission San Jose Joseph Edouard Baron (1825 – 1921) * Though Eduard Baron* and Jules Audrain had been attracted to the climate and beauty of the town of Mission San Jose, it was an intriguing job offer in 1851 to restore the mission itself that sealed their decision to put down roots … Continue reading

Clues on the Ancestry Trail – Part 2 of 10

The Carpenter of Mission San Jose Joseph Edouard Baron (1825 – 1921) * If you’ve ever explored your family tree, you’ve probably stumbled across someone who left few to no breadcrumbs on the ancestry trail. Maybe you gave up your search, or you were content to have just found their name as a link to … Continue reading

More than Meets the Eye – Part 1 of 10

The Carpenter of Mission San Jose Joseph Edouard Baron (1825 – 1921)* Everyone has a story. Whether you discover that story depends on how much effort you’re willing to put into getting to know that person. And if you take the time and dig deep enough, you might find that the seemingly most ordinary person … Continue reading