Peru Land and Property

Land records are primarily used to learn where an individual lived and when he or she lived there. They often reveal other family information, such as the name of a spouse, heir, other relatives, or neighbors. You may learn where a person lived previously, his or her occupation, and other clues for further research. In Peru, only a very small percentage of the population were included in land records because few people owned land.

Land records in Peru begin in 1528 and are found in notarial, municipal, and ecclesiastical records in the National Archive (Archivo General de la Nación) in Madrid. Other records are in the National Archive (Archivo General del La Nación) and in the National Library (Biblioteca Nacional) in Lima. You might be able to use land records for your research if you can visit the Peruvian archives in person or hire a local research agent.

The Family History Library does not have copies of land records from Peru. Because of the availability of better genealogical sources, such as church records and civil registration, land records are seldom used in Peruvian research.