Juan Moya (known as both Juan Moya and Juan Delgado) was born around 1806 in the Presidio Louisiana Bahia (Goliad), Texas. His father is José Miguel Delgado and his two brothers are Pedro and Nepomuceno. His family descended from the first Spanish settlers who were from the Canary Islands and settled in San Antonio de Béjar in 1731.
In 1795, Moya"s father obtained land from the government in San Patricio County and lived on Delgado"s Ranch called Rancho San Miguel de Buena Virtud (later renamed to Rancho de Buena Vista). Juan and his family stayed on the Rancho de Buena Vista. On November 30, 1834, Moya was issued more land by the Power and Heweston Colony in Bee County.
In Goliad Juan Delgado (likely to be the same person as Juan Moya) was granted land as well.
Him and his family primarily stayed at their ranch in Bee County (which was known at the time as Rancho Moya - Spanish for: Moya Ranch). lieutenant was later renamed as the John Quincy Rancho after it was acquired by J.M. O"Brien.
Moya joined the Mexican Army during the Texas Revolution between 1835 and 1836 and fought as a captain of the Mexican Centralist Army. His ranch, Moya Rancho, was used as headquarter by General Martin Perfecto de Cos and as a camp by General Vicente Filisola, following the withdrawal from Mexico.
He would occasionally returned to Bee and Goliad during land title disputes arising from the Texas Revolution.
On June 8, 1874, they were lynched by a mob who suspected them of the crime. The Moya family cemetery is near Berclair, Goliad County, on the land of Juan Delgado. Following his death, Moya"s Rancho was divided into two parcels.
One was received by Lea Pryor and the other half received by the Moya family.
However, the family lost most of their land in court battles. Moya"s descendants still live in Goliad and in the surrounding counties.
In 1974 the family organized the Moya Association of Texas with about 2,000 members from seven states. The association"s role is to commemorate the memory of the Canarian settlers who were the first Texas colonists and cattle ranchers to settle in San Antonio.
On September 10, 1982, Governor William P. Clements rewarded the family for retaining the Canarian culture, a unique aspect of Texas heritage.
