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EDITOR’S NOTE
INTRODUCTION
CELEBRATING 165* YEARS IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: THE MADEIRAN PORTUGUESE (1846-2011)

Jo-Anne S. Ferreira, 

Coordinator and Guest Editor for the Guardian 165th Supplement

“E se mais mundo houvera, lá chegara,”

(“And if there had been more of the world, they would have reached it”)

said Luí­z Vaz de Camões (Os Lusí­adas VII, 14), writing about the 15th-century Portuguese explorers.

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As of 9 May 2011, Madeiran Portuguese and Madeiran descendants in Trinidad & Tobago can look back on 165 years of the Madeiran Portuguese presence in this country. We recognise this anniversary on 10 June, the “Day of Camões, Portugal and Portuguese Communities,” a holiday in Portugal and recognised worldwide wherever Portuguese have settled.

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I am pleased to have worked with the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, and would like to publicly and especially thank Tracey Alonzo, and Lisa Jessamy and Cherry Antoine. It was a delight to coordinate a number of contributions, Trinidadian and Madeiran, each with their own unique and interesting perspective. Thank you to all our writers and supporters (see below) for their enthusiastic and timely responses.

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The following contributors kindly responded to my invitations. We are particularly pleased to bring greetings from Dr João Alberto Jardim, President of (the Autonomous Region of) Madeira; from the Ambassador of Portugal, His Excellency Mário A. Lino da Silva, based in Caracas; from Dr Luis Ritto, University professor in Brussels and former EU Ambassador, with an overview of Portuguese emigration to the Caribbean region; Dr Fátima Barros, Director of the Regional Archives of Madeira on doing genealogical research in Madeira and online; Dr Alberto Vieira, Director of the Centre for Studies of the History of the Atlantic (CEHA); Rev Jorge Gameiro of the Presbyterian Church of Madeira; and the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Thomas E. Gullickson, based in Port-of-Spain.

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Luís Sidónio de Castro of Madeira (cousin of the San Fernando Xaviers) was instrumental in contacting the office of the President of Madeira and Rev Gameiro. With the help of Dr David Rampersad, I was able to contact Her Excellency Ambassador Razia Ali and her staff who in turn kindly contacted His Excellency Ambassador da Silva in Caracas.

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Our local contributors include Abbot John Pereira of Mt St Benedict (with Janine Mendes-Franco writing on her uncle Bishop John Mendes), and Rev Clifford Rawlins of the Church of Scotland, both clerics, writing about their respective denominations, are descended from Portuguese of Madeira. Gérard A. Besson writes on Albert Gomes, J. Wayne Quintal on the San Fernando Portuguese, Roger A. Camacho, President of the Portuguese Association of Richmond Street, and I give an overview of the cultural contributions of our Madeirans and descendants, with a timeline, a bookshelf and surnames of the Portuguese experience in Trinidad & Tobago.


Herman Rodrigues Jnr and Angelo Bissessarsingh also kindly provided images of businesses, the latter from his Virtual Museum of Trinidad & Tobago.

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My heartfelt thanks to all those who have contributed to recording and preserving our national heritage over the years: my parents and grandparents and family (the Tobago de Freitases and “Picton Street Ferreiras” and Sabino de Souzas), all forebears (including my maternal great-great-grandfather, editor Samuel Carter of Scarborough and San Fernando), the gracious time and help of all interviewees, Madeirans here and in Madeira, Gérard Besson, friends, colleagues and fellow Trinbagonians. 


We invite you to read and enjoy this exciting compilation of perspectives by and about Portuguese and Portuguese descendants and friends. Parabéns - congratulations, T&T!

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*Further research shows that the first Madeirans arrived in Trinidad in 1834, thus making this the 177th anniversary.

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CREDITS

Greetings and Advertisements:

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Photo Credits:

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Design/Layout:

  • Denise Baptiste

  • Karen Orosco-Huggins

  • Sean Simon

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