The British factory in Lisbon & its closing stages ensuing upon the treaty of 1810

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The British factory in Lisbon & its closing stages ensuing upon the treaty of 1810

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THE BRITISH FACTORY IN LISBON ITS CLOSING STAGES ENSUING UPON THE TREATY OF 1810

COMPILED FROM ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS

BY

A. R. WALFORD ZION. SECRETARY TO THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION-—LLSROY ßT,AVCL7

PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE

INSTITUTO BRITANICO EM PORTUGAL 13, TRAVESSA ANDRÉ VALENTE

LISBON MCMXL

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated, with every testimony of esteem, to that long-suffering, hardy, and patriotic body of men- the British Consuls in Lisbon.

oRERUX COGNITIO VERA E REBUS IPSIS EST, (Scaliger)

uninnnnnnnnnnnnnmm~mm~unnnnmm~nnunnnnnnm

194 O COMPOSTO B IMPRESSO BO

CENTRO TIP. COLONIAL L. RAFAEL BORDALO PIRHBZ' RO, 97, 98

B 90

— LISBOA

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FOREWORD

Those who desire to become acquainted more widely with the past political and commercial background of Anglo-Portuguese affairs cannot do better than refer to that admirably comprehensive book «COMMERCIAL RELATIONS OF ENGLAND AND PORTUGAL)) compiled by V. M. Shillington and A. B. Wallis Chapman (published in 19o7 by Geo. Routledge & Sons, Ltd.) wherever a copy can be found, for it appears to be now out of print. This remarkably erudite compilation of data relating to events, places, and personages, may well be considered a classic of its kind being indeed a spacious repository of discerning commentaries and notations upon all the official documents examined. Nor can reference be omitted to the series of published works by that eminent historian of Anglo-Portuguese affairs, Professor Edgar Prestage (King's College Chair of Portuguese) which comprise a wide range of the diplomatic and cultural relations between the two kingdoms, and to which readers are referred for much that is instructive and illuminating. To write the history of the Lisbon British Factory, or indeed any portion of it, is largely to recount the history of the British Consuls in that same place: for it was the very founding of this Factory which gave rise to the subsequent appointment of an official representative to whom a Consular Patent was granted by the British government

6 after several local attempts by the Factory to utilise its own members for this position had failed to give satisfaction: failed, for the reason that few of the local British merchants and factors had any requisite legal capacity, or were imbued with those necessary civic precepts (and character) which only the specially trained man, bent to a consular career, can acquire with much labour and more experience. It would, moreover, be quite impossible to separate the history of the Lisbon British Consuls from that of the Factory seeing that the Consul from beginning to end was always the head and prop of the Factory, the one and only man who had any authority and control over its affairs and its members; and, in addition to being the intermediary between the Factory and the British Envoy, was also the guide, counsellor, and friend, of the entire British colony. Even the Consul's official duties throughout his tenure of office — and successively during the long life of the Factory — were merged uniformly with those of that primarily commercial institution. The short treatise now presented by no means pretends to emulate in any way the «magnum opus)) of the two joint-authors mentioned above, but merely to amplify and extend that part of it dealing with the affairs of the Lisbon Factory by presenting additional info, niation either unavailable, or unknown, to them at the time. This relation of new facts and intimate details of the inner organization and life of the Lisbon Factory and its members represents the outcome of lengthy investigations of documents in the British Museum Library and Public Record Office in London, and of researches in Lisbon which have succeeded in bringing to light some of the missing Minute and Account Books of this same Factory; also, to the facilities afforded by access to the archives of the Lisbon Branch of the Historical Association; and to the encouragement and assistance received from its President, Mrs. Jayne, here very gratefully acknowledged.

7 Readers will find in the following pages much that relates to the «death-bed scenes)) of this historic Factory during its closing days. Though the documentary evidence available is now fairly plentiful, any additional records relating thereto will be warmly welcomed for future publication in order to continue the picture of the friendly, and to some extent kindred, affinities of these two countries, Great Britain and Portugal, whose long enduring alliance through times of european unrest is an outstanding feature in the histories of two distant nations. A. R. W.

Acknowledgments for critical opinion, useful data, and transcription services are gratefully tendered to: S. George Nest Esqre, O. B. E., The British Institute, Lisbon. Asst. Secretary & Librarian Miss H. M. Friend, B. A., of the Historical Association, London. of Messrs. Henry Bucknall & Douglas Bucknall Esqre, Sons, Ltd., Lisbon. for proof reading. H. H. Hipwell Esqre,

CONTENTS'

Page

Chapter

I. The British Factory : its origin II. British Consuls in Lisbon ... ... ... III. The Contribution Fund ... ... ... ... IV. The Treaty of 165.E — Secret Article V. The Judge Conservator... ... ... ... VI. The Factory & the Earthquake ... VII. The Factory Members ... ... ... VIII. The Factory ((House)) ... ... ... IX. The Treaty of i8io ... ... ... X. The Treaty of 18io (Contd.) ... XI. Subsequent proceedings of the Factory XII. XIII. XIV.

The Factory's Burial Ground

...

...

...

...

...

... ...

33 37 çr 47 71 77 85 89 97 115

...

Appendix : Supplementary documents ... Index

23

z07

The Factory & its Chapel ... ... ... The Death Blow ... ... ...

13

121

133 ...

...

193

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The key-stone of Luso-British amity:

«There shall be a sincere and perpetual Friendship between His Britannic Majesty and His