Izcue y Arias (firm) Records and Related Documents, 1782-1832

Francisco Xavier Izcue was a prominent Lima merchant of Basque origin, active in the last quarter of the eighteenth and first quarter of the nineteenth century. His career spanned the period of late colonial reform and the struggles for independence. A member of the influential Filipinas merchant company and the consulado of the wealthiest Lima merchants, Izcue had strong commercial ties with Spain. In 1803, he consigned over 95,000 pesos to Spain, placing his among the ten most active houses in the transatlantic trade. In the matricula of 1819 (a forced loan of consulado members), Izcue was charged the fourth highest rate, making him one of Lima’s richest merchants on the eve of independence. During the Wars of Independence period Izcue served on the Junta de arbitrios, whose duty it was to acquire funds for the army, and to decide on other matters, such as the crucial question of free trade. Izcue’s sons went on to careers as merchants and diplomats.