Registo Geral de Mercês
Item
Country
PT
Name of institution (English)
The National Archive of Torre do Tombo
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
por
Contact information: postal address
Alameda da Universidade, 1649-010 Lisbon
Contact information: phone number
00351 210037100
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
mail@dglab.gov.pt
Reference number
PT/TT/RGM
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
General Registry of Favours
Title (official language of the state)
Registo Geral de Mercês
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Registo Geral de Mercês
Date(s)
1639/1949
Language(s)
por
Extent
424 books
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Registo Geral de Mercês fonds contains favours granted by Portuguese kings since João IV, as well as those conceded during the Republic regime, after 1910. It also includes royal decrees and records related to military orders, enrollment of residents of the Royal House, donations and favours by Torre do Tombo, national and foreign decorations and nominations and favours given to individuals who served in the Portuguese overseas territories in North Africa, Angola, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Verde, Cacheu, Guinea, Mozambique, Monomotapa, S. Jorge da Mina, S. Tomé and Princípe, Brazil, China, Japan, and the Portuguese State of India.
In Early Modern Portugal, some New Christians achieved royal favours for their services to the Crown. This recognition reflected their high social and economic relevance. Also, a few New Christian families could circumvent the statutes of purity of blood and enter military orders or received favours and honours that were banned to descendants of Jews. Evidence of these cases lies in the Registo Geral de Mercês fonds. It could also be found here examples of favours granted to New Christian/Jewish diplomatic agents of Portugal in European courts such as Jerónimo Nunes da Costa in Amsterdam (PT/TT/RGM/A/001/0006/326231), his brother Manuel Nunes da Costa in Hamburg (PT/TT/RGM/A/001/0004/04267), or Manuel Fernandes Vila Real in Paris (PT/TT/RGM/Q/0015/350013), for instance.
As the fonds is organized chronologically by king/queen and the records of each book are arranged alphabetically by the first name of the recipient, it is pretty simple to search favours, privileges or donations given to a specific individual.
In Early Modern Portugal, some New Christians achieved royal favours for their services to the Crown. This recognition reflected their high social and economic relevance. Also, a few New Christian families could circumvent the statutes of purity of blood and enter military orders or received favours and honours that were banned to descendants of Jews. Evidence of these cases lies in the Registo Geral de Mercês fonds. It could also be found here examples of favours granted to New Christian/Jewish diplomatic agents of Portugal in European courts such as Jerónimo Nunes da Costa in Amsterdam (PT/TT/RGM/A/001/0006/326231), his brother Manuel Nunes da Costa in Hamburg (PT/TT/RGM/A/001/0004/04267), or Manuel Fernandes Vila Real in Paris (PT/TT/RGM/Q/0015/350013), for instance.
As the fonds is organized chronologically by king/queen and the records of each book are arranged alphabetically by the first name of the recipient, it is pretty simple to search favours, privileges or donations given to a specific individual.
Archival history
The registry of the Secretaria das Mercês (Secretariat of Favours) was destroyed after a fire on October 2, 1681. A decree in 1684 ordered the favours recorded in the Chancellery of King João IV to be copied to the Registo das Mercês. In 1791, the Registo das Mercês' service and archive were transferred to the Torre Tombo, then located in the Convent of São Bento da Saúde, in Lisbon. The record books from 1808 to 1821 (from the period when the Portuguese court was in Rio de Janeiro) remained in Brazil, and, at present, they are part of the collection of the National Archive in Rio de Janeiro.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Registo das Mercês (Registry of Favours) was instituted by the permit of December 31, 1547, which ordered all donations, provisions, privileges, licenses, favours, etc., to be recorded in books. On November 29, 1643, King João IV created the Secretaria das Mercês e Expediente (Secretariat of Favours and Paperwork) with the responsibility of recording all consults, orders, decrees and commands that were not matters of the State, in particular, orders of favours granted by services or grace. On January 19, 1671, the statutes of this Secretariat specified which services should be granted with a "mercê" (favour) and regulated the required proofs and procedural protocols. In 1681, after a fire had destroyed the Registo das Mercês' archive, a decree ordered their reformation following the Royal Archive and Military Orders chancelleries, the account book of the Chancellery in the Contos (Audit Office) and the enrolment of the Conselho Ultramarino (Overseas Council).
In 1777, the Registo das Mercês received new statutes, and it became subordinated to the Conselho da Fazenda (the Treasury Council). These statutes also regulated that the Registo das Mercês' books related to former reigns should be dispatched to the Torre do Tombo. On February 5, 1791, the services and archive of the Registo Geral das Mercês were incorporated in the royal archive. In 1833, the mission of registering letters, licenses, provisions and other decrees was also transferred from the extinct Secretaria das Mercês to the Torre do Tombo.
A new rearrangement in 1887 became mandatory the register of the certificates of honorific favours. The record of all national and foreign decorations in the Torre do Tombo was also made obligatory in 1919. However, in 1928, this task was transferred in 1927 to the Chancelaria das Ordens Portuguesas (Chancellery of Portuguese Orders), under the dependence of the Republic Presidency.
In 1777, the Registo das Mercês received new statutes, and it became subordinated to the Conselho da Fazenda (the Treasury Council). These statutes also regulated that the Registo das Mercês' books related to former reigns should be dispatched to the Torre do Tombo. On February 5, 1791, the services and archive of the Registo Geral das Mercês were incorporated in the royal archive. In 1833, the mission of registering letters, licenses, provisions and other decrees was also transferred from the extinct Secretaria das Mercês to the Torre do Tombo.
A new rearrangement in 1887 became mandatory the register of the certificates of honorific favours. The record of all national and foreign decorations in the Torre do Tombo was also made obligatory in 1919. However, in 1928, this task was transferred in 1927 to the Chancelaria das Ordens Portuguesas (Chancellery of Portuguese Orders), under the dependence of the Republic Presidency.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The fonds is organised into 24 sections: 12 according to each sovereign (from Afonso VI to Manuel II); one gathering favours granted by several kings; one with those granted during the Republic (1910-1946); and 10 organised by theme (honorific favours; favours and donations from the Torre do Tombo; military orders; negative certificates; registry of certificates; enrolment of residents of the Royal House; and decrees from the kingdom, India and Africa).
Access, restrictions
Part of the books are available in digital format in the archive's online database.
Finding aids
Handwritten finding aids available in the Torre do Tombo:
Handwritten indexes (F. 1 to 35, 73 to 76; L. 335 to 353, 355 to 366; C. 612/1-33)
"Registo Geral de Mercês: catálogo das Ordens Militares e condecorações estrangeiras" (Catalogue of military orders and foreign honours). 1956. (C. 612/1-33; C. 611/1-8)
Published finding aids:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2021
Bibliography
Linked resources
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