Juan Moya was born around 1806 in the Presidio La Bahia, 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. On November 26, 1831, José Miguel Delgado and his 3 sons were issued land from the McMullen-McGloin Colony. Juan and his family stayed on the Rancho de Buena Vista. At this time, he was married to María Antonia Martinez and had a one-year-old son named Agustín. On November 30, 1834, Moya was issued more land by the Power and Heweston Colony in Bee County. In GoliadJuan Delgado was granted land as well. Him and his family primarily stayed at their ranch in Bee County. It 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. Ten years later, around 1846, Juan Moya, his wife and seven children decided to settle in Victoria County. He would occasionally returned to Bee and Goliad during land title disputes arising from the Texas Revolution. Moya and two of his sons Antonio and Marcelo were accused of murdering the Swift family who were nearby neighbors. 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.
After his death
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.
