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Royal writ issued in 1603 granting the inhabitants of Macau, within the Portuguese State of India, the right to elect a Judge of Orphans every three years, modelled on practices in Goa and other cities of the State of India. The officeholder is to serve a single three-year term and may not be re-elected unless removed for cause or misconduct. The document further authorises the election of a Clerk of Orphans, to be held for life by a qualified individual. The writ commands the Viceroy of the Indies, the Judges of the High Court (Relação), magistrates of the State of India, the Captain-General of the Fleets, and the Ombudsman (Ouvidor) of Macau—or their successors—to uphold and enforce the provisions without imposing additional conditions or impediments. It mandates the registration of this decree in the official records of the High Court and Chancellery of the State of India, as well as in the municipal books of Macau. Issued under royal authority, the writ is to be treated as legally binding with the same force as if formally signed and sealed, overriding any conflicting provisions in the Ordinances of King D. Manuel. This document serves as an administrative and legal instrument reflecting colonial governance structures, civic organisation, and imperial authority in early seventeenth-century Macau.
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This 16th–17th century archival document, originating from Macao and held in the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (Lisbon), comprises a series of official reports addressed to the Portuguese monarch detailing the religious institutions operating in the city. Dated 1582 and 1621, and authored by Miguel Pinheiro Ravasco, the texts provide an account of convents and religious colleges under the Franciscan, Dominican, Augustinian, and Jesuit orders, as well as the Misericórdia brotherhood and a Santa Clara retreat for orphan girls. The documents record the number of religious personnel, their sources of income—including rents, alms, trade licences, and royal grants—and property holdings in Macao, Goa, and Malacca. Particular attention is given to financial arrangements such as the annual allocation of cruzados and taéis for missions in Japan and China, revenue from pharmacies and urban properties, and suspended payments due to logistical and administrative challenges. The reports also note permissions granted for trading Japanese silk under royal protection, though actual shipments were rare due to poverty and supply issues. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of these religious houses for sacramental administration and evangelisation. The material reflects the economic, ecclesiastical, and colonial structures of the Portuguese Empire in Asia and serves as a primary source for understanding early modern Catholic missionary activity, urban religious life, and colonial administration in Macao.
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Primary Sources
Resource type
- Manuscript (2)
Publication year
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Between 1600 and 1699
(2)
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Between 1600 and 1609
(1)
- 1603 (1)
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Between 1620 and 1629
(1)
- 1621 (1)
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Between 1600 and 1609
(1)