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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