Junta da Administração do Tabaco
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/JAT
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
The Tobacco Board
Title (official language of the state)
Junta da Administração do Tabaco
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Junta da Administração do Tabaco
Date(s)
1656/1833
Language(s)
por
Extent
circa 840 storage units (410 books and circa 430 bundles)
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Satisfactory
Scope and content
The Junta da Administração do Tabaco fonds aggregates documentation on tobacco trade and manufacturing affairs since the mid-17th century. It gives precious information on the relevance of this good for the Portuguese economy in the 17th and 18th centuries and how its commerce, transformation and taxation were managed. Collaterally, it also contains information on the sugar trade and soap production as interconnected businesses.
The fonds includes records on tobacco contracts, some of them taken by New Christian merchants. In the first half of the 18th century, two New Christian businessmen took on the general contract of tobacco: Manuel de Aguilar (1710-1712) and António Ribeiro (1719-1721). Manuel de Aguilar was the father of Diogo Lopes Pereira, alias Diego de Aguilar. As Manuel died before the end of its three-year contract, his son Diogo assumed the contract and his late father's debts, resulting in a lengthy judicial process that marked the early career of the future Baron of Aguilar. Therefore, this fonds includes unique information on the early years of Diego de Aguilar as a merchant, in particular "maços" (bundles) 7, 8 and 9. Besides Aguilar and Ribeiro, the fonds also contains records related to other New Christian "estanqueiros", who subcontracted the local contracts, or merchants who supplied tobacco to contractors. Some of them later moved from Portugal to London and other destinations of the Western Sephardic Diaspora. An example is Gabriel Lopes Pinheiro, alias Moses Lopes Dias, one of the major suppliers of tobacco, who tried to obtain the general contract in 1713 but without success (maço 9).
The fonds includes records on tobacco contracts, some of them taken by New Christian merchants. In the first half of the 18th century, two New Christian businessmen took on the general contract of tobacco: Manuel de Aguilar (1710-1712) and António Ribeiro (1719-1721). Manuel de Aguilar was the father of Diogo Lopes Pereira, alias Diego de Aguilar. As Manuel died before the end of its three-year contract, his son Diogo assumed the contract and his late father's debts, resulting in a lengthy judicial process that marked the early career of the future Baron of Aguilar. Therefore, this fonds includes unique information on the early years of Diego de Aguilar as a merchant, in particular "maços" (bundles) 7, 8 and 9. Besides Aguilar and Ribeiro, the fonds also contains records related to other New Christian "estanqueiros", who subcontracted the local contracts, or merchants who supplied tobacco to contractors. Some of them later moved from Portugal to London and other destinations of the Western Sephardic Diaspora. An example is Gabriel Lopes Pinheiro, alias Moses Lopes Dias, one of the major suppliers of tobacco, who tried to obtain the general contract in 1713 but without success (maço 9).
Archival history
After the dissolution of the Junta da Administração do Tabaco, in 1833, part of its documentation was transferred to the Royal Archive of Torre do Tombo. The other part was sent to the archive of the "Próprios Nacional" (National Assets). Later, on May 14, 1894, these records were also incorporated in the Torre do Tombo as part of the extinct Conselho da Fazenda (Treasury Council). The Junta da Administração do Tabaco fonds remained placed in the Monastery of São Bento da Saúde, where the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo was settled, until 1990 when the national archive was transferred to its new facilities in the Alameda da Universidade.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Junta da Administração do Tabaco (the Tobacco Board) was constituted in 1674 to manage the tobacco trade and control its contraband. On July 14, 1674, a law compelled everyone who owned tobacco to declare it to be taxed. This declaration should be made before the Junta da Administração do Tabaco in Lisbon, the "desembargador" (judge) of tobacco in Porto, the "provedores" (managers) of the kingdom's "comarcas" (districts), or the "provedores da Fazenda" (treasury managers) in Madeira and Azores. Denunciations of contraband should be taken by the "contador da Fazenda" (treasury auditor), who also served as the "conservador do tabaco" (tobacco curator).
The Junta rented the management of tobacco incomes to privates in each of the 23 "comarcas" (districts) of the kingdom and the "lojas" (stores) of Lisbon. In 1700, the tobacco monopoly was rented to a single contractor, the Spanish merchant D. Pedro Gomez, for three years. As "contratador-geral do tabaco" (the general contractor of tobacco), he was obliged to acquire the necessary tobacco to supply the kingdom and Atlantic islands in the "alfândega" (customs house), to operate its manufacturing in the "Fábrica Real" (royal factory), and to manage its wholesale trade. He could also subcontract the local management of tobacco income (the "estanco") to third parties (the "estanqueiros"). This method was a continuation of the previous organisation by "comarcas" and "lojas".
The first statutes of the Junta da Administração do Tabacco were only established on October 18, 1702. They defined the Junta's composition - one president, five deputies and one secretary - and its duties. The board was responsible for managing all tobacco affairs, including civil and criminal matters, and its trade, manufacturing and taxation. The tobacco income's management continued to be rented to a general contractor by three-year contracts, who later subcontracted it to local contractors or "estanqueiros".
The Junta da Administração do Tabaco was abolished on August 6, 1833. After that, the responsibilities over disputes involving the tobacco business were attributed to a judge and the management of its income to the Tesouro Público (Public Treasure).
The Junta rented the management of tobacco incomes to privates in each of the 23 "comarcas" (districts) of the kingdom and the "lojas" (stores) of Lisbon. In 1700, the tobacco monopoly was rented to a single contractor, the Spanish merchant D. Pedro Gomez, for three years. As "contratador-geral do tabaco" (the general contractor of tobacco), he was obliged to acquire the necessary tobacco to supply the kingdom and Atlantic islands in the "alfândega" (customs house), to operate its manufacturing in the "Fábrica Real" (royal factory), and to manage its wholesale trade. He could also subcontract the local management of tobacco income (the "estanco") to third parties (the "estanqueiros"). This method was a continuation of the previous organisation by "comarcas" and "lojas".
The first statutes of the Junta da Administração do Tabacco were only established on October 18, 1702. They defined the Junta's composition - one president, five deputies and one secretary - and its duties. The board was responsible for managing all tobacco affairs, including civil and criminal matters, and its trade, manufacturing and taxation. The tobacco income's management continued to be rented to a general contractor by three-year contracts, who later subcontracted it to local contractors or "estanqueiros".
The Junta da Administração do Tabaco was abolished on August 6, 1833. After that, the responsibilities over disputes involving the tobacco business were attributed to a judge and the management of its income to the Tesouro Público (Public Treasure).
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The archival processing of this fonds is not completed. It comprises one sub fonds - the Fábrica do Tabaco (the Tobacco Factory) - organised into sections and series; and eleven series.
Access, restrictions
Access is limited to the physical condition of the records and the existence of alternative formats (microfilmed or digital copies).
Finding aids
"Relação dos papéis pertencentes à extinta Junta de Administração do Tabaco" (Inventory of the records from the extinct Junta da Administração do Comércio)". 1833 (handwritten book available in the archive's reference room, signature: L. 305).
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2021
Bibliography
Linked resources
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