Your search
Results 7 resources
-
This 1904 diplomatic correspondence, originating from the Portuguese Consulate General in Shanghai (Document No. 208, Ref. 7 B. 308, dated 16 May 1904), addresses procedural concerns regarding the registration of Chinese-born children as Portuguese subjects under colonial nationality regulations. Written by the Consul General and addressed to a high-ranking official in Lisbon, the document highlights ambiguities in the application of Macau’s nationality justification instruments to individuals of Chinese origin residing in Shanghai. It raises formal doubts about the validity of relying solely on testimonial evidence—particularly when provided by members of the same ethnic community—for establishing nationality, given the absence of official civil birth registries among non-Catholic Chinese populations. The author requests explicit instructions on the appropriate legal procedure for registering the offspring of Portuguese subjects born in Shanghai, stressing inconsistencies in current practices. Additionally, the document notes irregularities in the recording of marriages and baptisms within local churches, warning that strict adherence to legal requirements by the Consulate could lead to significant administrative and legal consequences. This primary source offers critical insight into the complexities of extraterritorial jurisdiction, colonial subjecthood, and bureaucratic governance within the Portuguese consular system in early 20th-century China, reflecting broader challenges in defining nationality across cultural and legal boundaries.
-
This 1904 official correspondence, originating from the Portuguese Consulate General in Canton, documents a formal request concerning nationality affirmation by two Macau-born Portuguese subjects, Felisberto Reis Graça da Cruz and Thomás José da Silva Louceiro. Dated 23 May 1904, the letter—assigned reference No. 1489, Case File No. 174, Series B—is addressed to Conselheiro Menezes de Souza Pereira de Lima, then Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in Lisbon. The document transmits sworn applications from the named individuals, who, having been recruited into the Chinese customs service, sought to formally affirm their Portuguese nationality through an oath. As native subjects of Macau—a Portuguese-administered territory at the time—their need to substantiate national status underscores the complex jurisdictional and administrative dynamics affecting colonial subjects in southern China during the late Qing period. The communication highlights procedural protocols within the Portuguese consular system regarding the recognition and validation of citizenship claims abroad. Situated within broader imperial and diplomatic frameworks, this file offers primary evidence of individual engagement with colonial bureaucracy, as well as the intersection of employment in Chinese state institutions and foreign subjecthood. The document serves as a valuable source for historians examining nationality, identity, and cross-border administration in early 20th-century South China and Portuguese colonial affairs.
-
This official diplomatic correspondence, dated 5 May 1904, originates from the General Consulate of Portugal in Shanghai and is addressed to a high-ranking Portuguese authority. Classified as a formal notification, the document records the arrival of the Portuguese cruiser "Vasco da Gama" in Shanghai at approximately 16:00 on the same date. The vessel had sailed from Hong Kong under the command of Captain of Sea and War Manuel Lourenço Vasco de Carvalho, a senior naval officer in the Portuguese Navy. Sent under reference number 228 I A, the communication underscores the operational movements of Portuguese naval assets in East Asia during the early 20th century. The content reflects the administrative and strategic functions of Portugal’s consular presence in Shanghai, serving both diplomatic and maritime oversight roles within the context of European colonial and commercial interests in China. The mention of the ship’s name, a prominent figure in Portuguese maritime history, reinforces the symbolic and practical dimensions of naval deployment in maintaining national presence abroad. This document provides valuable insight into Portugal’s extraterritorial operations, naval logistics, and diplomatic protocols in treaty port China during the late Qing dynasty. It is a primary source relevant to studies of colonialism, maritime history, and international relations in East Asia during the imperial era.
Explore
Primary Sources
-
Full-text online
(3)
- Transcriptions (3)
- Location (4)
Resource type
- Document (5)
- Manuscript (2)