The British in Lisbon


The British had a major presence in the commercial affairs of Lisbon.  Many Portuguese struggle with the difference in the terms British and English, and the British merchants were known collectively as the English Factory and much of their profit went up to London in the form of gold bullion.  The British at Lisbon lost 78 people.  According to the records 29 men and 49 women were killed of which only two men and two women were of any consequence, the others being Lisbon Irish ..... so obscure as not to be known to any but the Irish Friars.  Many of the English Factory lost a great deal of money since their Portuguese customers were now in no position to pay their debts.  The new Prime Minister Pombal imposed a 4% import tax to finance the rebuilding of Lisbon at which the English protested and sulked, but to no avail.  From this point, the English Factory never recovered its former wealth.

The reference to the 'Irish' would apply to Roman Catholic Irish, such was class/religious distinctions of the time.

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