The Admission Process For Ship'S Masters In The House Of Trade: Files And Procedure

The masters were key figures in the Indies Run. For this reason, the House of Trade considered the masters responsible for any infraction of the ordinances that occurred on board the ships. In this way, masters were obliged to present guarantors who would vouch for them and meet others requirements. These procedures were translated in the orderly expedition of a series of documents in the House of Trade, which have arrived until us in the files form. The analysis of this files, from a diplomatic perspective, is the main objective of this work.