Guiné
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/049
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Guinea
Title (official language of the state)
Guiné
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Conselho Ultramarino
Date(s)
1614/1833
Language(s)
por
Extent
24 boxes, and 1,773 documents
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Guiné (Guinea) 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. This collection, in particular, contains diverse documentation relating to the Portuguese colonial administration relating to Guinea.
Among the numerous documents that are part of this collection, a few contain information regarding Portuguese New Christians and Sephardim. Some examples are the following:
CU/049/0001/00004 (March 4, 1622), CU/049/0001/00011 (November 4, 1634) and CU/049/0001/00021 (October 19, 1641): Documents relating to New Christian merchants operating in West Africa. It is the case of the New Christian merchant Álvaro Gonçalves Francês, who was captain of Cacheu for some time. His New Christian background was used to attack him. For instance, Francês was accused of trading with the enemy and imprisoned in Ribeira Grande, Cape Verde.
CU/049/0001/00059, July 11, 1648: Letter from Domingos Garcia to King João IV of Portugal (1604-1656). Garcia had left Lisbon for Cacheu on February 20, 1648, in the frigate São Teodósio, which transported provisions to support the Portuguese position in Brazil during the Dutch occupation. He mentioned, among other issues, the existence of New Christians loyal to Castille in Cacheu, along with many other soldiers against the Portuguese Crown.
CU/049/0001/00060, after July 11, 1648: Inside information produced by the Overseas Council about the Portuguese presence in Cacheu and its main challenges, according to recent letters sent from there by different officials. Among these letters, there is one sent by Domingos Garcia on July 11, 1648, which referred to some New Christian merchants who were loyal to Castille and were trying to influence the inhabitants of Cacheu to refuse allegiance to the Portuguese Crown and choose the sovereignty of Castille instead.
CU/049/0001/00089, June 23, 1657: Letter from the ecclesiastical vicar of Cacheu, Gaspar Vogado, to King Afonso VI of Portugal. He protested against the fact that the captain of Cacheu, Manuel de Passos de Figueiroa, had appointed Manuel Rodrigues Salgado as his successor in case of his death. Figueiroa did die, and Salgado took up the office. The vicar Gaspar Vogado argued that he was more qualified to serve as captain, requesting his formal appointment by the king. He accused Manuel de Passos de Figueiroa of being "a Jew" and a criminal who had been excommunicated.
Among the numerous documents that are part of this collection, a few contain information regarding Portuguese New Christians and Sephardim. Some examples are the following:
CU/049/0001/00004 (March 4, 1622), CU/049/0001/00011 (November 4, 1634) and CU/049/0001/00021 (October 19, 1641): Documents relating to New Christian merchants operating in West Africa. It is the case of the New Christian merchant Álvaro Gonçalves Francês, who was captain of Cacheu for some time. His New Christian background was used to attack him. For instance, Francês was accused of trading with the enemy and imprisoned in Ribeira Grande, Cape Verde.
CU/049/0001/00059, July 11, 1648: Letter from Domingos Garcia to King João IV of Portugal (1604-1656). Garcia had left Lisbon for Cacheu on February 20, 1648, in the frigate São Teodósio, which transported provisions to support the Portuguese position in Brazil during the Dutch occupation. He mentioned, among other issues, the existence of New Christians loyal to Castille in Cacheu, along with many other soldiers against the Portuguese Crown.
CU/049/0001/00060, after July 11, 1648: Inside information produced by the Overseas Council about the Portuguese presence in Cacheu and its main challenges, according to recent letters sent from there by different officials. Among these letters, there is one sent by Domingos Garcia on July 11, 1648, which referred to some New Christian merchants who were loyal to Castille and were trying to influence the inhabitants of Cacheu to refuse allegiance to the Portuguese Crown and choose the sovereignty of Castille instead.
CU/049/0001/00089, June 23, 1657: Letter from the ecclesiastical vicar of Cacheu, Gaspar Vogado, to King Afonso VI of Portugal. He protested against the fact that the captain of Cacheu, Manuel de Passos de Figueiroa, had appointed Manuel Rodrigues Salgado as his successor in case of his death. Figueiroa did die, and Salgado took up the office. The vicar Gaspar Vogado argued that he was more qualified to serve as captain, requesting his formal appointment by the king. He accused Manuel de Passos de Figueiroa of being "a Jew" and a criminal who had been excommunicated.
Archival history
The Conselho Ultramarino (Overseas Council) archive had different locations in Lisbon. The archive 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 moved to Terreiro do Paço, where the Conselho Ultramarino was located. In 1834, still quite disorganised, the archive was moved to the Secretaria de Estado dos Negócios da Marinha e Ultramar (Secretariat of State of 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 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 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 in Brazil (1808-20), the activity of the Conselho Ultramarino was reduced to routine procedures, such as the payment of wages or issuing licenses. Then, the Mesa do Desembargo do Paço e da Consciência e Ordens, created in Rio de Janeiro in 1808, assumed 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 in Brazil (1808-20), the activity of the Conselho Ultramarino was reduced to routine procedures, such as the payment of wages or issuing licenses. Then, the Mesa do Desembargo do Paço e da Consciência e Ordens, created in Rio de Janeiro in 1808, assumed 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: persons, families
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) |