The British Historical Society of Portugal

An article in The Times by Isambard Wilkinson on the discovery of a British cannon in the sea off Carcavelos, near Lisbon.

Two articles for tourists by Peter Gilbert, written in the 1990s, that provide a personal insight into the centre of Lisbon and into Sintra, where Peter was brought up.

RTP coverage of the 2 June 2022 Queen's Jubilee celebrations, with expert commentary by our vice-president, Mark Crathorne.

The Queen's 70th Jubilee: An article from the Diário de Notícias celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne, with interviews with the Society's vice-president, Mark Crathorne, and the British Ambassador, Chris Sainty.

Prince Philip in Portugal: A brief paper by Edward Godfrey to remember the Duke of Edinburgh.

Eça de Queirós: The 19th century Portuguese novelist wrote "Cartas de Inglaterra" ("Letters from England") when he worked for the Portuguese consular service at Newcastle upon Tyne from 1874 to 1879 and at Bristol in 1888. It was during this period that he published his best-known novels, O Primo Basílio ("Cousin Bazilio") and Os Maias ("The Maias").

Peninsular War: Details of British officers who served in the Portuguese Army in both the 14th Regiment and the 10th Regiment, which was commanded by Lt. Col. James Ward Oliver.

Oporto: The “Forest of Family Trees” genealogy of British families dating back to the 12th Century, researched by Richard Symington, which contains the date of births, marriages, and deaths of British subjects who lived in, or visited Oporto, as well as those of other foreign nationals. A small fee is charged for online access, where one can navigate the database to find a person by using the “Find” facility first and then click on the “Find next” button. An idea of the vastness of the Forest can be obtained by going to the “View tab”, click on “Zoom” and then “Enter”, using, as an example, 10%.

Lajes Air Base, the Azores: Excerpt from a RTP Açores documentary about the RAF's presence on the Island of Terceira and the construction of Lajes Air Base. Combined British forces arrived on the island in October 1943 to construct the Lajes Base, which was essential for air cover for the Atlantic convoys against German submarine attacks, which, at their peak, were sinking up to 20% of Atlantic shipping. The Lajes Base was later used by the Americans and still hosts a US base to this day.

Portugal during WWII: Information regarding life during WWII in Portugal, which was officially neutral, is available on a fascinating web site called "Portugal 1939-45", compiled by Carlos Guerreiro. It can be found here. The folllowing make highly recommended reading regarding the activities of Allied and Axis spies in Lisbon during WW2: