Volume 1

Materials towards a statistical account of the town and island of Bombay in three volumes.

  • Bombay Presidency
Date:
1893-1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Materials towards a statistical account of the town and island of Bombay in three volumes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    171/522 (page 153)
    AND ISLAND. 153 Company's general letter by the Addison. He lays down several ill consequences that have risen from the Portuguese Padres being permitted to reside in Bombay^ as reaping the benefit of the labours of our people and carrying it into foreign countries^ stirring up the Roman Catholics to sedition^ especially when we have any dispute with the Portuguese^ by inculcating notions into them tha.t they ought not to fight against their religion, and adding that the prelates of the Portu- guese countries seemed so little to regard the priests sent to Bombay that the very scum of the priesthood had been their pastors for some time. He ^ proposes supplying the places of the Portuguese with the said Italian Bishop and some priests of the Carmelite Order now on the island on their swearing allegiance to His Majesty King George, and under- taking that they will not directly or indirectly teach preach or practise anything contrary to the interest or dignity of the crown or of the prerogative of the Right Honourable Company; and thsit they will in all respects pay a due obedience to the Governor and Council for the time being, d his is unanimously approved and agreed to. Ordered that the Secretary provide orders and a proclamation accordingly.^ Two days later, 15th May, a proclamation was published requiring all the inhabitants of the Roman Catholic religion to pay the same obedience to the Bishop Don Frey Mauritio D^Sancta Teresa and the priests appointed by him as they formerly paid to the Portuguese bishop and priests, and orders were issued to the Portuguese priests to leave the island in twenty-four hours. Next day, 16th May, the Italian Bishop Don Frey Mauritio D^Sancta Teresa and the Carmelite priests took and subscribed the followino- oath before the President: I, Don Frey Mauritio of Sancta Teresa, bishop of Anastatiopolis, A^icar General in the empire of the great Moghal of the island of Bombay and the jurisdiction thereof, do swear upon the holy Evangelists (in which I have placed my right hand) to obey His Most Serene Majesty of Great Britain, and that I mil never directly or indirectly teach preach or practise anything contrary to the honour and dignity of the crown of his said Most Serene Majesty oi.to the interests of the Right Honourable English Company you. I will pay all obedience to the orders of the Honourable GoyeiTioi for the time being and will exercise the Roman Catholic religion according to its primitive institution without any alteration. In witness whereof I have hitherto set my hand this day 16th May 1720. Padre Frey Pedro of the most Holy Trinity and Frey Elizel D St. Joseph took and subscribed the same oath.^ In consequence of these orders on the 9th May 1720 Luis Gonsalves de Camara Coutmho, Portuguese General of the North, addressed the olio wing letter to the President and Governor: The surprising resolution that your Honour has taken to banish to this side all the parish priests of your island is what I much admire and wonder at, by ll n ^ Forrest’s Home Series, 11 ^2 ^ L20, 74. Forrest’s Home Series, U ^ Forrest’s Home Series, E 1] 8.5—20 Chapter L History. Portuguese Troubles, 1720.