During the 1819 Freycinet Expedition over the Mariana Islands, Jacques Arago sketched several images of people among many other things. In particular, he had sketched pictures of Stephan Lajo and Claudio Lajo and noted that they were Indiens de race pure, which translates to the effect of "purebred Indians," or purebred indigenous people.
As with much of the Mariana Island mainstream history, it is unfortunate that not much else was recorded about them, which makes it quite a challenge to trace not only their ancestry but their potential descendants.
I was not familiar with the name or the potential indigenous word for "Lajo." However, I have found that låhu means to go or walk.
1727 Census
In the 1727 Census three people were recorded with the surname Laho:
- Juan Laho, unmarried male from Mongmong
- Tomas Laho, married from Umatac
- Ambrosio Laho, unmarried male from Inarajan
1758 Census
In the 1758 Census only one person with the surname Laho was recorded:
Tomas Laho, listed as orphan from Pago
1897 Census
Fast forward to the 1897 Census (gaps) and the surname Lajo appears only once. Don Casildo Lajo age 68, was recorded with his wife Josefa Marchena, age 68 residing in the Barrio of Sinajana.
Guam News Letter
From the December 1918 edition of the Guam News Letter the death of Joaquina Lajo Quichocho (November 12, 1918) was recorded.
Help!
Thereafter and from the 1920 Census and beyond I have not been successful in finding any other information. Through my current research efforts the contemporary surname Lajo (as spelled) are tied to families found in the Philippines and those with Hispanic heritage.
Does anyone have any information or is a descendant of any of the Lajo families from the Mariana Islands?
