«With my work and industry»: the life of the Lima notary Cristóbal de Aguilar y Mendieta (1559-1619) and its economic and social activities

Abstract

The historians of the colonial period conducted studies on social groups such as encomenderos, merchants, artisans, and clergy, among others, but the field and work of the notaries have not been sufficiently treated. This work addresses this gap in historiography with the study of the life of a prominent member of the royal notaries and receivers of the city of Lima, the scribe Cristóbal de Aguilar and Mendieta. The reconstruction of his life allows us to understand the diversity of activities in which he participated and his social and economic influence beyond the fulfillment of his trade. Aguilar y Mendieta was a colonial businessman with interests in real estate, slave sales, and commerce, in general. His social influence led him to participate in brotherhood and found, with his fellow clerks, an orphanage for abandoned children. He was a very respected scribe and of great ancestry among his colleagues.