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Joseph, Archbishop of Braga

1703–1756

Born
6 May 1703, Lisbon
Country of birth
Kingdom of Portugal, today Portugal
Died
3 Jun 1756, Ponte de Lima
facts
7
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

  • Birth6 May 1703, LisbonProbable1 source
  • TitleRoman Catholic Archbishop of Braga, 1740–1756Confirmed1 source
  • Death3 Jun 1756, Ponte de LimaProbable1 source
  • ParentPeter II of PortugalConfirmed1 source

A life in time

  1. Born · Lisbon

    Birth, Lisbon

  2. Event · Roman Catholic Archbishop of Braga

    Event

  3. Died · Ponte de Lima

    Death, Ponte de Lima

What was it like?

The world around Lisbon, 1703: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

When Joseph, was born in 1703, Lisbon belonged to the Kingdom of Portugal, ruled by Peter II of Portugal.

Known for

Titles held

  • Roman Catholic Archbishop of Braga1740–1756
Who ruled

  • Peter II of Portugal

    Monarch of Portugal, 1683–1706 · Kingdom of Portugal

  • John V of Portugal

    Monarch of Portugal, 1706–1750 · Kingdom of Portugal

  • José I of Portugal

    Monarch of Portugal, 1750–1777 · Kingdom of Portugal

Born around the same time

  • Mauritia Eleonora of Portugal

    1700 · Princess of Portugal and through marriage countess of Nassau-Siegen

  • Leonor Tomásia de Távora, 3rd Marchioness of Távora

    1700 · Portuguese noblewoman (1700-1759)

  • Giovanni Battista Sammartini

    1700 · Italian composer

  • Charles Jennens

    1700 · English landowner and art patron (1700–1773)

  • Margherita Durastanti

    1700 · Italian singer

  • Daniel Bernoulli

    1700 · Swiss mathematician and physicist (1700-1782)

Fashion

Maintaining appearances with limited clothing

Social strivers would meticulously maintain their limited clothing, washing and soaping collars and cuffs, and using animal fat to keep shoes looking shiny even when the soles were worn through. They also applied powders to their hats to mask age and wear, aiming to project an appearance of higher status.

Simple and borrowed festive wear for fishermen

Fishermen wore simple, uniform clothing including linen drawers, a woolen hat, and a sleeveless vest, adding a jacket only in cold weather. On feast days, they upgraded to a suit with silver shoe buckles and striped cotton stockings, often borrowed from relatives if they did not own one.

Music

Instruments in royal and public life

Musicians used wind and percussion instruments, such as trumpets, shawms (charamelas), and timbales, to provide harmonic accompaniment for court ceremonies and public processions. These ensembles played at royal river excursions on the Tagus and during festive street celebrations.

Villancicos in church and festivals

Villancicos, which often depicted characters like sailors, soldiers, slaves, and gypsies, were sung during major church feasts such as Christmas and Epiphany. They incorporated theatrical elements with costumes, gestures, and simulated dances representing peasants and various cultural groups.

Getting around

Daily travel distances were limited

A standard daily distance for a hurried group with horses was about 40 kilometers, though speeds were much lower if using oxen.

Main modes of transport were primitive

During this period, most people traveled on foot, on horseback, on mules, or by boat, as there were no railways or regular stagecoach lines.

Daily life
Around 1675–1699

Cooking Tools and Costs

While ceramic cooking pots were common and cost about 5 réis each, metal pots were considered expensive items. Poor families often relied on simple hearths for cooking, as specialized fireplaces were comparatively rare in the Portuguese climate.

Around 1675–1699

The Multipurpose Rural Home and Hearth

In rural homes, the fireplace was the central point for cooking, resting, and daily family life, often situated on a ground floor of packed earth. Households frequently consisted of a single room where furniture served multiple purposes, such as tables used for both eating and seating.

Food
Around 1707–1708

Daily bread rations for staff

In 1707, individuals serving as household staff at the Real Colégio de São Paulo in Coimbra received a daily ration of four loaves of bread for their two main meals.

Bread used as a thickener

To thicken broths and stews, a common practice was using bread; for instance, a fish stuffing recipe included five réis of breadcrumbs.

Prices and wages
Around 1700–1700

Wheat rent in early 18th-century Avis

In 1700, a resident of the town of Avis paid a tax of 520 réis for the wheat he owed as rent on a farm.

Around 1675–1699

Lisbon olive oil price changes

Olive oil prices in Lisbon remained constant until 1670, then declined until about 1692 before beginning a steady rise.

During their lifetime

  1. 1703

    Anglo-Portuguese Trade Treaty of 1703

    The 1703 Methuen Treaty allowed British woolens to be imported duty-free while granting Portuguese wine lower duties in England.

  2. 1724

    Devastating 1724 storm hits Lisbon

    A massive windstorm and rain event on November 19, 1724, caused widespread destruction in Lisbon and beyond, killing over 160 people.

  3. 1737

    1737-1738 drought causes crop failures

    A severe drought lasting from late 1737 through early 1738 led to widespread crop failures and public health issues, prompting city-wide religious processions for rain.

  4. 1748

    Águas Livres Aqueduct begins operations

    The Águas Livres Aqueduct, a massive engineering project to supply water to the city of Lisbon, began operating in 1748.

  5. 1755

    The 1755 Great Lisbon Earthquake

    The 1755 earthquake killed up to 90,000 people and destroyed most of Lisbon, forcing survivors to live in tents while the government mandated earthquake-resistant construction.

  6. 1756

    Foundation of the Douro Wine Company

    The government established the Douro Wine Company in 1756 to regulate wine production and exports, often using harsh methods that triggered violent riots.

Family

Parents

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.