Recollections of José Pearce de Azevedo

Author: Len Port

Report:

Page:

Year: 2025

Subject Matter: Anglo-Portuguese relations

The 2nd Portuguese Division and the Battle of La Lys: A Review of Proper Context

Author: Jesse Pyles

Report:

Page:

Year: 2025

Subject Matter: WW1

The Portuguese Land Reform resulting from the 25th of April Revolution

Author: José J. M. Rodrigues

Report:

Page: 47

Year: 1988

Subject Matter: Diplomatic and General History

The British in Portugal

William Bolton, from Warwick, was a British trader in Madeira between 1695 and 1714. He is known to us now because of his extensive correspondence with his trading partner, Robert Heysham, a merchant banker in the City of London.

A 1663 British Ordinance exempted Madeira and the Azores from the requirement that goods shipped from British ports should go in British vessels. British merchants established themselves in Funchal, creating a tradition that continues to this day. Bolton arrived in Madeira in 1695 and is believed to have left in 1714. There was a lively market for Madeiran wine (which was not then the fortified wine we know today), both in England and America. There was also good demand from visiting ships as wine protected against scurvy.
 

Bolton imported cloth and grain, as well as furniture, clothes, leather, glass, and small manufactured items. With Heysham’s financial backing he exported wine and brandy and sugar-preserved fruit to England, the West Indies and America and imported sugar from Barbados, salted cod from Newfoundland, and whale oil and timber from New York and New England. Many of the transactions involved a “triangular” arrangement with Heysham’s brother in Barbados. He did not hesitate to criticise his trading partners when they sent poor-quality or unsaleable goods, but the relationship continued to flourish.

Bolton reported on the merchant and military ships that called at Madeira, giving details of their origin, destination, cargo, name, type, and captain. He relayed to Heysham news of shipping lost and battles that took place. His letters placed orders with Heysham and complained when shipments sold badly. His letters also made provision for his relatives in England.

Additionally, he reported on the quality and quantity of the vintage, the market and probable price, as well as the weather. He had little to say about the Madeiran people or politics, although he was exiled temporarily in 1696 and sent to Lisbon after a rival laid false information (according to Bolton) against him, which led to his imprisonment for forty-eight hours in Funchal followed by deportation. In Lisbon he was able to persuade the authorities that he had been victimised, and six months later he was back in Funchal. After that he did all he could to keep on the right side of the authorities, asking Heysham to send clocks that he could give as presents to the Governor.

We know Bolton as the result of a bookseller from Leicester buying the papers of a country library, among which were around 225 of his letters. These were bought and transcribed by André Simon, the prolific writer on wine. The Bolton Letters: The Letters of an English Merchant in Madeira, 1695-1714 volume 1: 1695-1700, was published in 1928. The second volume, covering the later letters, was never published by Simon. He gave the typescript to Graham Blandy, of the Blandy family in Madeira, who produced a second volume going up to 1714  and sold copies in mimeographed form to raise funds for the Holy Trinity Church in Funchal. Apart from his letters there is no further information about Bolton such as when he left Madeira or when he died.

The British in Portugal

Charles George was born in England in January 1825 at the height of the industrial revolution. The son of an English father, also called Charles, he married Emma Bulmer Bonsall (1828-1896) on 13 February 1848 at the Kennington Parish Church. They lived in Northfleet (Kent), where he worked as a boilermaker in the local shipyards.

At that time, steam engines were becoming essential. By 1856 Queen Victoria’s Navy consisted of 247 steamships out of a total of 254 vessels. Portugal had been slow to adapt to the steam age and needed to make up for lost time. Suffering a shortage of steam power specialists, it offered opportunities for British engineers to move to Lisbon through a cooperation agreement between the two countries. With the Thames shipbuilding industry beginning to decline from 1843 onwards, being replaced by shipbuilding in the north of England and in Scotland, Charles applied to the Royal Navy Arsenal in Lisbon, which maintained and repaired ships in the Ribeira das Naus, between Terreiro do Paço and Cais do Sodré. Despite receiving offers to join local shipbuilding companies or to return to the UK, he stayed with the Arsenal for the rest of his working life. The Arsenal’s documents attest to his dedication.

Charles and Emma had fourteen children: Elizabeth, Charles, Maria, John, Thomas, Emma, ​​Helen, Edmond, Alfred, Henry, William, Frederick, Marta and Albert. Some were born in Kent and others in Lisbon. They clearly adapted to the Lisbon way of life and integrated into Portuguese culture. In honour of Henry the Navigator, the second name of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren became Henrique.

Nevertheless, while their children were marrying into Portuguese families, Charles and Emma continued to maintain ties with the English community. They were members of the St. George’s congregation. Charles died in 1889 and was buried in the British Cemetery. Emma was buried in the same plot in 1896. The impressive gravestone reads, “Charles George, Master of the Boilermakers of the Royal Marine Arsenal Lisbon”. Our Chairman, Edward Godfrey, who guides visitors around the cemetery points the grave out as a classic example of a British family that became Portuguese. Their children Henry, Albert, and Helen were also buried there, as were some members of subsequent generations.

Main Source: Dossier de Lutas, written by Francisco Henrique George, great-grandson of Charles and Emma. Francisco is a former Director-General of Health of Portugal and former President of the Portuguese Red Cross.

If you know of British people who should be featured in the Newsletter, please send your suggestions to library@bhsportugal.org.

50 Years Ago

The Royal British Club held its AGM on 26 March, presided over by HE the British Ambassador, Nigel Trench, and it was unanimously decided to launch an appeal for funds to reduce the Club’s indebtedness to local banks, then amounting to over 1.000 contos, Esc. 1,000,000 (€247,000 in present-day terms). Members were told that, apart from a general increase in costs, the introduction of a minimum wage for hotel and catering staff had increased the Club’s annual wage bill by more than 300 contos causing a loss for 1974 of 225 contos. Note: a “conto” was 1,000 escudos and the term was used extensively in business and every day speech.

The edition of 10th May reported that twelve parties disputed 247 seats for The Constituent Assembly at the election held on 25 April 1975. This was the first election held post- 25 April 1974. Apart from some trouble in a couple of towns in the north of Portugal, the writer, presumably Susan Lowndes Marques, reports that the elections were a model of civility and goodwill. She describes in detail the procedures at her polling station in Estoril. The results of the principal parties were: Socialist Party – 37.87%; PPD Popular Democrat Party – 26.38%; Communist Party - 12.53%; CDS Centre Democrat Party – 7.65%

The edition of 24 May contained the announcement by the British Community Council that the Queen’s Birthday Party would take place at St Julian’s School on Friday June 6 from 5.30 to 7.30 pm.  The event would be organized by the WRVS in the form of a garden party. It would appear that the event was restricted to British residents and visitors. The Royal Toast would be proposed by HBM Ambassador at 7.00 pm. A minimum donation of 30 escudos would secure a ticket, available from certain members of the community and would cover afternoon tea, sangria, aperitifs and champagne. A cash bar would be available for those preferring stronger beverages.

The edition of 21 June reported that The Lisbon Sports Club had also fallen on hard times. An Extraordinary General Meeting was called for 24 June in order to agree on extraordinary measures to ensure the continued solvency of the Club. The report of the executive committee drew attention to the deplorable fact that 1975 was likely to end with a deficit of Esc. 600,000. Subscription income had decreased considerably during the year, many members having left the country, and the Club had also faced higher wages and food prices.

On a happier note, the same edition reported that the first (and very well produced) Report of the British Historical Society of Portugal was out and should prove very interesting to historians and near-historians. The Society was inaugurated on 30 October 1974 and was organized on the same lines and with the same aims as the Historical Association – Lisbon branch, whose first report appeared in 1937. Forthcoming events included a whole day visit to the Stephens Brothers Glass Works at Marinha Grande with transport by bus and lunch – cost to members being Esc. 275, the equivalent of about 50 euros at today’s prices.

Edward Godfrey

Members' News

On Sunday 11 May, while many men, women and children were taking part in a run along the Lisbon/Belém waterfront on a bright and sunny morning, Ninna Taylor was running a different type of marathon. She visited the Palacio dos Condes de Ribeira Grande on Junqueira, which now houses the MACAM (O Museu de Arte Contemporânea Armando Martins). Her marathon did not mean running for miles but instead involved covering large distances in her head as she visited the museum’s four galleries, imbricated in the MACAM  Hotel complex (not yet open at the time of the visit) and its lovely up-market restaurant and gardens.

She reports that it was an absolutely first-class experience: the museum rooms are lovely, the lighting excellent, and the staff most helpful and friendly. You can read her report and see some of her photos here.

MACAM. Rua da Junqueira 66, Lisbon. Closed Tuesdays.

Our member Roberto Cavaleiro is an extremely productive author of articles that appear in the English and Portuguese press and Portuguese journals. One of his recent articles that members may like to look at is called Anglo-Portuguese Intrigue in Tudor Times. It was published in The Portugal News and can be read here. If this whets your appetite for Roberto's writing, articles that reflect his wide range of interests can be found here.

Answer to Quiz. Catherine of Braganza, who married King Charles II, was jealous because he had picked flowers and offered them to a woman while walking in Green Park. She gave instructions that all flowers in the park were to be pulled up. To this day, it is the only Royal Park without flowers.

We would be delighted to hear about items of news from members, however insignificant it may be. Of especial interest is news about books or articles that have been published by Members, or visits to historical sites or exhibitions of interest.