Juan García de Talavera resided in St. Augustine (Florida) where he died in 1576. He may have been a soldier. His guitar was sold at auction there on 1 July 1576.
Eugene Lyon (lyon1977: 26) reports concerning St Augustine that "All was not work and struggle in St. Augustine in 1580. Apart from the great annual feasts and processions, when the whole community celebrated, residents could amuse themselves in many ways. Music was made in the town; the guitar and the lute-like vihuela appear in the property inventories.(n 26) "
Note 26 (on p. 32) reports that "A vihuela, the property of deceased soldier Juan Pompeyo, was auctioned at St. Augustine on 1 July 1576; from A.G.I. Escribania de Camara 154-A, fol. 783vo; a guitar was offered for sale after the death of Juan Garcia de Talavera; in idem, fol. 784." (AGI = Archivo General de Indias)
Information supplied by Dr Victor Thompson, Professor & Director, Laboratory of Archaeology, University of Georgia. 18 September 2020.