Building a wealthy patrimony through notarial records and public knowledge

Abstract

In 1681 the officials of the Royal Audience of Lima seized a farm in the Magdalena Valley as part of the belongings of don Sebastián de Navarrete, accountant of Lima’s Royal Treasury, by order of the monarch. A few weeks later, the tenant and the new owner demanded its restitution, alleging that it had never belonged to the accountant but to his daughter doña Silvestra, who obtained it through a relative’s purchase and donation. The ensuing investigation to determine the estate’s ownership revealed the meticulous processthat the accountant Navarrete elaborated to justify a luxurious lifestyle, which exceded his salary. Supported by a wide circle of relatives, Navarrete forged public knowledge of a rich patrimony by using notarial records and disseminating their content, allowing him to evade questioning of his work in the royal treasury, at least temporarily.