WILLS AND PROBATE OF THE DECEASED OF SOMBRERETE 1681-1840

Dr. Tomás Dimas Arenas Hernández's work is a valuable research contribution, not only for lawyers but also for anyone interested in understanding the life and relationships of the people of Sombrerete from 1667 to 1825. One of the greatest challenges we face when conducting historical research is undoubtedly access to information. Arenas Hernández tells us about the condition of the records, but we must also consider that they are manuscripts and often with expressions difficult to understand in our time.
The author deserves special recognition, since, thanks to his intervention, not only were the records preserved, but they were also digitized, so that future generations could know how the inhabitants of Sombrerete related to each other. Let us remember that Aguascalientes was part of the current state of Zacatecas, so the relationships of its inhabitants were very similar.
This book explains how the will was conceived as a legal instrument and the functions it fulfilled, its long evolution from the Law of the Twelve Tables to 1825. The examples that Tomás Dimas presents to us are illustrative and draw our attention to many aspects that we did not know, such as the fact that women could make wills from the age of 12 and men from the age of 14, that a dowry could be included in case one of the testator's daughters married, and much information that we must consult if we want to know more about the history of our country.