Juan Márquez Cabrera

Who is Juan Márquez Cabrera?

Juan Marquez Cabrera was the governor of Florida between 1680 and 1687.

Juan Márquez Cabrera was appointed governor in 1680, replacing Pablo de Hita y Salazar. He arrived to province November 30 of that year. On his arrived, Hita y Salazar gave him a report that included a detailed outline of the progress made by him in St. Augustine until then. In this report, he explained the many changes he had in the castle. However, none of these changes corresponded to the original plans, that commissioned him the crown.

Governor Cabrera made a series of investigations that concluded with the numbers of materials and structures carried out in St. Augustine by Hita y Salazar and he said the report that gave him Hita y Salazar was false. His engineers found many errors in the structures which he commanded to do, especially in reference to some walls and bastions, which were unstable because their bases were incomplete. He, as the three previous governors, worked hard at building the Castillo de San Marcos. In 1683 he formed a company of free mulatto and black militia in St. Augustine. It consisted of 42 men and six officers. In August 1686 Juan Marques Cabrera was in South Carolina and he made an attack against the English settlement at Port Royal, that caused its destruction, but a storm stopped their movement to Charles Town. He leave the office in 1687, being replaced by Diego de Quiroga y Losado.