Early settlement and religious missions (1595–1846) Early historical accounts of Talavera, which was then known as
Catuguian, came from Catholic missions in the lowland regions of
Nueva Ecija, particularly the
Augustinian mission in
Gapan which was established in 1595. These missions led to the establishment of a series of subsidiary missions, or
visitas, in the surrounding areas. The Augustinian mission in Catuguian was set up as a subsidiary of the
visita in
Cabanatuan (established in 1750). When Cabanatuan was made a capital city (
cabecera) in 1780, the Augustinian missionaries assigned to Cabanatuan carried out small religious missions within its jurisdiction. Talavera or Catuguian, then, became a
visita (a subsidiary mission) of the Augustinian religious mission in Cabanatuan in 1846. The establishment of the
visita in Talavera helped consolidate dispersed settlements and contributed to community growth, which was largely composed of skilled Tagalog farmers. The
visita also supported the development of local religious and administrative structure. This contributed to population growth in Talavera (Catuguian), especially after
Nueva Ecija became an independent province in 1848, having previously been organized as a district (
corregimiento) in 1801.
Establishment of the town (1852–1853) In 1852, the inhabitants of Catuguian submitted a petition to the mayor (
alcalde) of Nueva Ecija requesting the creation of a town (
pueblo). The proposal sought to consolidate the
barrios of La Torre, Concepcion, Pulong Buli (later
Santo Domingo), Valle, and Baloc, with Catuguian designated as the seat of the new town. The petition was forwarded to the
Governor-General in Manila for approval. The town was formally established on 11 December 1852. Catuguian was designated as the
cabecera (administrative headquarters), with the initial jurisdiction comprising the
barrios of La Torre, Santo Domingo, Baloc, Concepcion, and Valle. A subsequent petition was filed on February 4, 1853, to the governor-general in Manila, requesting that the town would be renamed "Talavera", after
Talavera de la Reina in Spain. The petition was approved on February 14, 1853, and Catuguian officially came to be known as Talavera.
Spanish colonial administration and growth (1853–1898) Following a royal decree dated 20 December 1863, a system of separate primary education for boys and girls was established in each
pueblo, including in Talavera. By 1866, the population had risen to 4,421 inhabitants. On 20 November 1872, a Royal Decree issued by King Amadeo I formally recognized the Parroquia de Talavera as an independent
parish. Due to its extensive grasslands, Talavera became a major cattle supplier for the Manila market.
American colonial period and territorial changes (1898–1941) During the
Philippine-American War, Talavera was occupied by General
Henry Lawton. In 1910, the Sitio of Bacal, formerly Buenavista (part of San Juan de Guimba), was annexed to Talavera in 1910 upon the recommendation of
Isauro Gabaldon. In 1912, the Sitios of Kabisukulan, Rangayan, Rizal, Sineguelas, Pukoc, Agricultura, Pulong-Maragol, and Mataas-na-Lupa were separated from Talavera and were organized into an independent municipality under Muñoz in 1912. In 1914, the barrio of Lomboy was annexed to Talavera. In 1937, the barrio of San Francisco was separated from Talavera and was annexed to Santo Domingo in 1937. During the American occupation, a wave of migration to Talavera increased due to rising demand for agriculture and livestock grazing, as haciendas grew in size. Peasant struggles became evident in San Ricardo, Bantug, Casili, and Morcon, because of landlordism and shared tenancy, including unfair farm practices on rations and tenant pays. Land tenure remained a problem, as land ownership was not widely transferred to tenant farmers.
Japanese occupation and World War II (1941–1945) In December 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army occupied Talavera. Barangay Sibul became a rendezvous point for 510 rescued prisoners of war at Camp Pangatian.
Postwar period and administrative changes (1945–1955) After the war, Talavera experienced the expansion of the Huk forces in Nueva Ecija, which became part of what was known as Huklandia. Several
barrios of Talavera, namely General Luna, Morcon, Mabini, Ricarte, Casili, and Picon, along with Plaridel and Bosque, were annexed to Llanera in 1955. ==Geography==