Author:
A. R. W.
Report:
HA 8
Page:
532
Year:
1944
Excerpt:
A house of residence for an Envoy was largely a matter of pre-arrangement and usually secured through the intermediary of a court official or the local British consular representative; and hired houses appear to have been customary since there is no record of any purchased building for their habitation. The only suitable building for an Envoy was one such as a member of the Portuguese nobility would own or occupy, and be willing to lease to him, or even one of the several suburban villas belonging to the royal family, and temporarily vacant. Except for these there were few if any other dwellings of sufficient size and ornateness adequate to the rank of an Envoy of high category, who would bring with him a secretary and personal suite of servants, members of his family, and often accompanied by a chaplain.
There was consequently an occasional change of residence and not all of these have been recorded in sufficient manner to identify them at this time. Some have since been demolished and new structures erected, while the earthquake of 1755 and the gradual extension of the city have considerably changed the former aspect of old Lisbon.
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