Mateo Benedid (1800-1878), hailing from Cadiz, was one of the two sons of Josef Benedid Diaz (1760-1836), the other being Joaquin Benedid Diaz (1814-1854). The Benedid family was renowned for their craftsmanship in guitar making, following in the footsteps of their father. Fernando Sor, in his guitar method, expressed a preference for certain guitar makers, among them Alonzo of Madrid, Pages and Benediz of Cadiz, Joseph and Manuel Martinez of Malaga, as well as Rada, the successor and pupil of the latter, and those crafted by M. Lacote of Paris.

In 1843, the year this guitar was created, Mateo Benedid resided at 132 calle Herron, along with his wife Maria de los Dolores Sosa and their five children (comprising one boy and four girls). Tragically, two years prior, their two-year-old daughter had passed away, but they had recently welcomed a newborn daughter. Additionally, five members of his wife's family also shared their living quarters. This paints a picture of a hardworking guitar maker striving to provide for his large family, even in challenging circumstances. Sadly, Mateo Benedid's struggles persisted, leading to his passing in 1878 at the Casa de Misericordia in Cadiz.

This particular Mateo Benedid guitar from 1843 originally belonged to Captain John Bautista Rogers Cooper (1791-1872), a mariner hailing from Massachusetts. He arrived in Monterey, then the capital of Mexican Alta California, in 1823 as the master of the ship Rover. In 1827, Captain Cooper married Geronima de Encarnacion Vallejo (1809-1902), the sister of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (1808-1890), who later became the military governor of Alta California.

Although Captain Cooper transitioned from the sea to trading and ranching in 1826, he eventually returned to maritime life. Between 1838 and 1844, he commanded the Mexican Government's ship, the California, making regular voyages between Monterey and Acapulco. These voyages involved transporting mail, prisoners, and officials along the coast. In 1846, he embarked on a journey to Peru, and in 1849, as the master of the Eveline, he sailed to China. It is highly likely that Captain Cooper acquired this guitar during one of his voyages between Monterey and Acapulco, spanning from 1843 to 1846.

Upon Captain Cooper's passing, the guitar was inherited by his daughter Amelia Cooper (1844-1918). From there, it was passed down to her daughter Frances Mary Molera (1879-1968), who eventually bestowed it upon its previous owner, T.N. (born 1938). Frances was T.N.'s grandmother's first cousin, and T.N. was personally acquainted with her Aunt Frances (Fanny), who shared the guitar's history with her.

Recognizing the significance of preserving this guitar's 175-year history in California, where it served as the personal property of pioneering families in Monterey, T.N. sought to document its lineage. She provided valuable information about its history and also shared annotated pages from a book to offer insights into how this guitar descended through General Vallejo's family to reach her possession.