Angola
Item
Country
PT
Name of institution (English)
Overseas Historical Archive
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
por
Contact information: postal address
Calçada da Boa-Hora 30, 1300-095 Lisbon
Contact information: phone number
00351 210 30 91 00
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
ahu@ahu.dglab.gov.pt
Reference number
PT/AHU/CU/001
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Angola
Title (official language of the state)
Angola
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Conselho Ultramarino
Date(s)
1602/1833
Language(s)
por
Extent
181 boxes and 16,315 documents
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Angola sub-collection is part of the Conselho Ultramarino (Overseas Council) fonds. This institution had jurisdiction over all overseas territories of the Portuguese Empire. Its fonds includes numerous letters, royal orders, and documentation exchanged between this Council and other institutions of the monarchy. The Angola sub-fonds contains several documents concerning the Portuguese colonial administration in Angola.
Among the numerous documents in this collection, a few contain information regarding Portuguese New Christians and Sephardim. Some examples are the following:
CU/001/0001/00012; June 12, 1610: consultation of the Conselho da Fazenda (Council of the Treasury) sent to King Felipe III of Portugal (1578-1621). It referred to some requests sent by Angola, São Tomé, and the Cape Verde Islands contractors. The need for new contracts arose from a law of 1601, according to which New Christians living in Portugal, such as all "naturais do reino" (natives of the kingdom), could travel to India, Guinea and Brazil without any particular license. However, a new law issued on March 20, 1610, revoked the said license and re-established some limitations determined by previous laws of Kings Sebastião (1554-1578) and Felipe II (1527-1598) against the circulation of New Christians. This document is available online.
CU/001/0026/02624; March 10, 1729: letter from the governor of Angola, Paulo Caetano de Albuquerque, to King João V of Portugal (1689-1750). Among other issues, he complained about the bishop of Cape Verde, Friar Manuel de Santa Catarina (1726-1812), for accepting anyone who wished to receive sacred orders, even if they were "black fishermen" or illiterate New Christians.
CU/001/0001/00088; February 28, 1618: letter from King Felipe II of Portugal (1527-1598) on five documents the Conselho da Fazenda sent regarding different subjects. Among them was a reference to a Jew named Salomão, to whom the king had ordered to issue a certificate of a particular debt to be paid in Tangier.
Among the numerous documents in this collection, a few contain information regarding Portuguese New Christians and Sephardim. Some examples are the following:
CU/001/0001/00012; June 12, 1610: consultation of the Conselho da Fazenda (Council of the Treasury) sent to King Felipe III of Portugal (1578-1621). It referred to some requests sent by Angola, São Tomé, and the Cape Verde Islands contractors. The need for new contracts arose from a law of 1601, according to which New Christians living in Portugal, such as all "naturais do reino" (natives of the kingdom), could travel to India, Guinea and Brazil without any particular license. However, a new law issued on March 20, 1610, revoked the said license and re-established some limitations determined by previous laws of Kings Sebastião (1554-1578) and Felipe II (1527-1598) against the circulation of New Christians. This document is available online.
CU/001/0026/02624; March 10, 1729: letter from the governor of Angola, Paulo Caetano de Albuquerque, to King João V of Portugal (1689-1750). Among other issues, he complained about the bishop of Cape Verde, Friar Manuel de Santa Catarina (1726-1812), for accepting anyone who wished to receive sacred orders, even if they were "black fishermen" or illiterate New Christians.
CU/001/0001/00088; February 28, 1618: letter from King Felipe II of Portugal (1527-1598) on five documents the Conselho da Fazenda sent regarding different subjects. Among them was a reference to a Jew named Salomão, to whom the king had ordered to issue a certificate of a particular debt to be paid in Tangier.
Archival history
The Conselho Ultramarino (Overseas Council) archive had different locations in Lisbon. The archive was moved to Campo Santana, near the city centre, in 1750. It was relocated to a building in Rua do Ouro in 1796 and later to another in Rua Augusta. Later, the archive was moved to Terreiro do Paço, where the Conselho Ultramarino was located. In 1834, still quite disorganised, the archive was placed in the Secretaria de Estado dos Negócios da Marinha e Ultramar (Secretariat of State for the Navy and Overseas). In 1842, Filipe Roberto Da Silva Stockler, former archivist of the Conselho Ultramarino, was charged with organising the archive.
In 1931, the documents of the Conselho Ultramarino fonds were transferred to the Arquivo Histórico Colonial (Colonial Historical Archive), later renamed Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (Overseas Historical Archive). The archive was placed in Palácio da Eva in Junqueira, Belém (west of Lisbon). After that, some other fonds produced by the Conselho Ultramarino were added to the archive collection, namely some that were kept in the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo (National Archive of Torre do Tombo).
In 1931, the documents of the Conselho Ultramarino fonds were transferred to the Arquivo Histórico Colonial (Colonial Historical Archive), later renamed Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (Overseas Historical Archive). The archive was placed in Palácio da Eva in Junqueira, Belém (west of Lisbon). After that, some other fonds produced by the Conselho Ultramarino were added to the archive collection, namely some that were kept in the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo (National Archive of Torre do Tombo).
Administrative / Biographical history
The Conselho Ultramarino (Overseas Council) was regulated on July 14, 1642, and instituted one year later. This body was responsible for all affairs related to the Portuguese overseas territories. Its duties included the financial (with jurisdiction over all assets of Portuguese colonies, except the Azores, Madeira, and North African territories), judicial and military administration, the regulation of shipping, the appointment to overseas positions, and the attribution of benefits for services rendered in colonial territories. Later, some of these duties were transferred to the Junta do Comércio, Agricultura, Fábricas e Navegação (Board of Trade, Agriculture, Industry and Navigation) and the Conselho do Almirantado (Council of the Admiralty) after their creation in 1755 and 1795, respectively.
During the period in which the Portuguese court was settled in Brazil (1808-20), the activity of the Conselho Ultramarino was reduced to routine procedures, such as paying wages or issuing licenses. Then, the Mesa do Desembargo do Paço e da Consciência e Ordens, created in Rio de Janeiro in 1808, took on some of the functions of the Conselho Ultramarino and other state bodies. The Conselho Ultramarino was abolished on August 30, 1833.
During the period in which the Portuguese court was settled in Brazil (1808-20), the activity of the Conselho Ultramarino was reduced to routine procedures, such as paying wages or issuing licenses. Then, the Mesa do Desembargo do Paço e da Consciência e Ordens, created in Rio de Janeiro in 1808, took on some of the functions of the Conselho Ultramarino and other state bodies. The Conselho Ultramarino was abolished on August 30, 1833.
Access points: locations
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The collection is arranged chronologically.
Access, restrictions
Some documents are available online:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Kevin Soares, 2023
Linked resources
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino | Collections (official language of the state) |