John Manuel, who died at him home in Stockton, November 19, 1898, is remembered as one of the stalwarts of the counties of Calaveras and San Joaquin, who attained to an eminently successful place in business and industrial affairs, andleft a large estate as a memorial of his industry and broad sagacity. He was also prominent as a citizen, and his worth to his community and state as a whole cannot adequately be sketched in this limited article.

Mr. Manuel was born in England, October 11, 1840, a son of William and Mary Ann Manuel, both of the same county, where the father died, but the mother outlived her son John, passing away in Stockton. Reared and educated in his native country, in young manhood, Mr. Manuel emigrated to American and soon made his way to California, where his first experiences were as a gold miner in Calaveras county. He later made the beginnings of the lumber business with which his name has been so prominently connected for years. His headquarters in the lumber trade were at Murphys, and in the course of a few years he had built up this enterprise to large and profitable proportions. At the same time he carried on ranching on extensive scale, owning land in both Calaveras and San Joaquin counties. All these extensive industries are still known as the Manuel Estate and carried on in that title, the main headquarters being at Angels. Included in the agricultural interests of this estate is a fine ranch of fifteen hundred acres in the Lower Division of Roberts Island, known far and wide as one of the most productive and valuable ranches in San Joaquin county. In 1895 Mr. Manuel moved from Murphys to Stockton, and there made his home until his death.

Mr. Manuel was well known in the orders of Masonry and Odd Fellowship, having his membership at Murphys. He was a business man of the highest integrity and reliability, devoted his energies without reserve to his affairs, and was in many ways a model of what the successful man should be.

His first wife was Miss Mary Williams, who was the mother of twelve children, eight of whom are still living, as follows: Frances L., wife of W. H. Matteson, on Roberts Island, San Joaquin county; Matthew H., of Murphys; Sarah E., wife of John C. Doherty, of San Francisco; John A., in Murphys; Raymond T., of Murphys; Irma, of Stockton; Mizpah, of Stockton; and Joseph W., in Stockton. On January 16, 1895, Mr. Manuel married for his second wife Mary Malspina, who is a native of Calaveras county, being a daughter of James and Catherine (Discalso) Malspina, her parents early settlers and still residents of Calaveras county. Mrs. Manuel since the death of her lamented husband has lived at her home at 212 West Acacia street in Stockton, in which city she enjoys a large acquaintance and friendship.