Trade, Credit, and Marriage. The Mobility of Portuguese Conversa Merchants and Financiers

Abstract

This paper aims to shed light on the mobility and activities of Portuguese businesswomen in the first half of the 17th century, through several case studies. All of the women featured in the case studies had a New Christian (Converso) origin and belonged to prominent merchant families with international business interests. Most were involved in trade and credit within the Hispanic Monarchy, and some continued their husbands' economic activities after their death. By investigating their activities, we can see that these women travelled at least once in their lifetime due to their husbands' duties — and, eventually, to conduct their own business — to settle family debts, get married, or participate in commerce. Our women predominantly moved from Lisbon to Madrid, but we also found them in Cádiz and Antwerp. For this article, we worked with various sources, including personal letters from relatives, testaments and Inquisitorial documents, most of which were obtained from the Archivo Histórico Nacional, the Archivo General de Indias, and the Archivo Histórico Provincial de Sevilla.