Sare, the Cradle of the Aniotzbehere Family

Indianoen Borda, family house

The oldest manuscript relative to a member of the family is from the year 1709.

It is the death certificate of Catherine de Aniotzbehere :

"The fourth day of the month of September of the year seventeen hundred and nine Catherine of Aniotzbehere inhabitant of the mill of Lehetea in the parish of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, rightfully able to claim all the Sacraments, Penitence, Viaticum, and anointing. There entered the next day into the cemetery of the parish church of Saint Martin de Sare, in the presence of Joanny de Saint Martin, inhabitant of the house of Haldum of that parish. Joanny de Elhardy Sieur de Uhaidee also of that parish and Joanny de Etcherique inhabitant of Burghi. These witnesses have been duly named and recognized for participating in the funeral procession."

We see the name again written in that manner (De Aniotzbehere, or D'Aniotzbehere) near the end of the century, from then on it was just Aniotzbehere. The name was not noble, it indicate that they were the natives of the house of D'Aniotzbehrea.

The Professions of the Aniotzbehere Family

There are two major professions that show the spirit that is evoked in the Basque region, Shepherds and Fishermen.

Many of our ancestors worked the ocean, notably fishing for cod at Terre-Neuve on boats that were then named Terre-Neuviers. The archives of Rochefort furnished us with many navigation documents.

From the year 1779 we can trace Joannis (07-28-1760). He left then for many months every year (sometimes for ten consecutive months) for Saint-Pierre-Et-Miquelon or Terre-Neuve and that lasted for forty years. His life outside of the ocean was like that of all fisherman when they were not on the water. They were cultivators and laborers on pastures.

Martin (1769), also consecrated himself to the life of a fisherman from 1804 until 1817. He died of an illness in 1824.

The son of Joannis, Jean (12-14-1796), followed the same way as his father. Starting in 1815 he was a cabin boy, until 1846 he had gone as far as officer or non-commissioned officer and he embarked for the same destinations.

His brother Martin (10-12-1797) left for the same adventure from 1815 until 1822, the year he died. 'Captured by a storm on the sea above the area of Brick, the ship "The Two Brothers" was sunk the 10th of October 1822, hence the restored official report signified that the captain and the other fishermen whose copy was transmitted on October 24, 1822 to the mayor of Sare". Martin was 25 years old when he died.

Jean (01-23-1801), the last of the family also embarked for the sea from 1819 until 1830, the year he got married to Gracieuse Fagoaga.

Conditions aboard are extremly difficults for a miserable pay. You can have a look at the life of those people here

The Fishing Boat

We know at least three Shepherds, the three brothers that emigrated to the United States, Jean, Francois, and Jean, who were then named in California, Juan Gordo, Francisco and Juan Flacco respectively, found their fortunes. Many were cultivators or laborers, not working as mariners as were their relatives on the other side of the world.

The oldest profession we know in the family is from Christoal (1730/1740). He was a laborer as we can read in the baptism certificate of his son.

But different professions have come again thus into the family. Housewives, dressmakers, chefs, inn-keepers (Michel after his return from California), administrator of a mine (Jean-Pierre a.k.a. Pedro in Mexico), nun (Sabine, 07-11-1839, daughter of Jean and Gracieuse), blacksmith, carpenter (Jean a.k.a. Ganchion, 04-24-1832), Director of the Bank of America in King City, California (Adrian Ansberry, 03-04-1882).

"On March 7, 1796, (16 of Ventose year IV) Jean Aniotzbehere was named the caporal of the National Guard of Sare. The Guard was designed for people between the ages of sixteen and sixty, and made up of citizens that volunteered for the duty."