BBC History UK 04.2020

ALAMY →

19 APRIL 1506

Church row sparks

Lisbon pogrom

Around 2,000 Jews massacred

after dispute over holy vision

I

n spring 1506, Lisbon was not a happy

place. After a long drought and a severe

bout of plague, the Portuguese capital was

in a febrile mood. And when an argument broke

out at the convent of São Domingos de Lisboa,

things quickly turned ugly.

The trigger came when, during a Sunday

service, one worshipper declared he had seen

the face of Jesus shining from the altar. Another

man said that was rubbish: he had merely seen

candlelight reflecting from the crucifix.

This second man was a New Christian – one

of thousands of Jews who had fled west and

converted to Catholicism after being expelled

from Spain. Anti-Semitic resentment was

already running high in Lisbon. And with the

second man’s remarks, the dam broke.

A screaming crowd dragged him outside by

the hair, beat him to death and set his body on

fire. Then someone said they should round up

and kill the other heretics too.

So began one of the worst pogroms in

Portuguese history, as mobs roamed in search

of Jews. “They burnt them in the streets of the

city for three days on end,” wrote one observer,

“till the bodies were consumed and became

ashes.” Babies were dashed against the wall.

It was not until Tuesday that the king’s

troops managed to restore order. By then, some

2,000 people had been massacred. The chief

perpetrators were hanged, but the damage had

already been done.

Dominic Sandbrook is a historian. His latest

book is Who Dares Wins: Britain, 1979–

(Allen Lane, 2019)

WHY WE SHOULD REMEMBERÉ

James Cook lands in Botany Bay

• watched by the wary locals

BY DIANA PRESTON

A monument to those killed in Lisbon, when mobs

roamed the streets for three brutal days

Two hundred and fifty years ago, on Thursday 19 April 1770, James Cook

• perhaps Britain’s greatest navigator – sighted the south-east coast of Australia
  while commanding HMS Endeavour. It was “rather low, and not very hilly, the
  face of the country green and woody”. On 29 April, he anchored in a “capacious,
  safe and commodious bay”, watched by Aboriginal men, women and children of
  the Gweagal clan. Hoping to make contact with them, he decided to go ashore, but
  as the ships’ boats approached through the surf, all vanished except for two men
  “who seem’d resolved to oppose our landing”. To placate them, Cook threw beads
  and nails. When that failed, he fired a few musket shots to frighten them off, and
  finally stepped onto the wet sand. However, over subsequent days his repeated
  attempts to make contact with the Aboriginal people failed. “All they seem’d to
  want was for us to be gone,” he wrote.
  Cook’s landing in Botany Bay – so named by Cook for “the great quantity of
  plants” collected there by Joseph Banks, the naturalist accompanying him – was
  pivotal to the history of Australia, even
  if his men were not the first Britons
  to reach the mainland. In January 1688,
  a band of buccaneers had landed on
  Australia’s north-western shore, among
  them William Dampier, later sent back
  by the Admiralty in command of HMS
  Roebuck to take another look. Dampier
  again explored the western coast, but so
  unpromising were his reports of a barren
  land that no British expedition
  returned until Cook.
  Even then, no further European
  expedition visited Australia for 18
  more years. Cook was dead before,
  on the advice of Banks – now president
  of the Royal Society – the British
  authorities despatched the ‘First
  Fleet’ to transport convicts who,
  following the loss of the American
  colonies, needed to be deposited
  somewhere else. When Botany Bay
  proved too exposed, the first perma-
  nent settlement was established eight
  miles north in a bay Cook had named
  Port Jackson – today’s Sydney.
  The settlement survived early
  hardships, thrived and expanded. Not
  so the Aboriginal people, whose com-
  plex relationship with the land – which
  had been shaped and managed by them, with
  thousands of years of planned burning – the new
  arrivals never understood. The settlers’ casual
  seizure of their lands brought conflict, while
  European diseases like smallpox caused thou-
  sands of deaths. Cook himself never returned to
  Australia, but when revisiting other places, he
  noted the negative impact on indigenous peoples
  of European contact. He would surely have
  regretted some legacies of that first landing in
  Botany Bay, even if applauding the vigorous new
  nation that took root there.

Cook noted the

negative impact on

indigenous peoples of

European contact 

Diana Preston is

a historian, writer

and broadcaster.

Her books include Paradise

in Chains: The Bounty Mutiny

and the Founding of Australia

(Bloomsbu r y, 2018)

Artwork commemorating the

landing of Captain Cook, Kamay

Botany Bay National Park

ALAMY

19 APRIL 1506

Church rowsparks

Lisbon pogrom

Around2,000Jewsmassacred

after dispute over holy vision

I

nspring1506,Lisbonwas not a happy

place.Aftera long droughtand a severe

bout of plague,the Portuguesecapitalwas

in a febrilemood.And whenan argumentbroke

out at the conventof São Domingos de Lisboa,

thingsquicklyturnedugly.

Thetriggercamewhen,duringa Sunday

service,one worshipperdeclaredhe had seen

the face of Jesusshiningfrom the altar. Another

man said that was rubbish:he had merelyseen

candlelightreflectingfrom the crucifix.

Thissecondman was a New Christian– one

of thousandsof Jewswho had fled west and

convertedto Catholicismafter beingexpelled

from Spain.Anti-Semiticresentmentwas

alreadyrunninghigh in Lisbon.And with the

secondman’sremarks,the dam broke.

Ascreamingcrowddraggedhim outsideby

the hair, beat him to deathand set his bodyon

fire. Thensomeonesaid they should round up

andkill the otherhereticstoo.

Sobeganone of the worstpogromsin

Portuguesehistory,as mobsroamedin search

of Jews.“Theyburntthemin the streetsof the

city for threedays on end,”wroteone observer,

“till the bodieswereconsumedand became

ashes.”Babiesweredashedagainstthe wall.

Itwas not until Tuesdaythat the king’s

troopsmanagedto restoreorder.By then,some

2,000peoplehad beenmassacred.The chief

perpetratorswerehanged, but the damage had

already been done.

DominicSandbrookis a historian.Hislatest

bookisWhoDaresWins: Britain, 1979–

(Allen Lane, 2019)

WHY WE SHOULD REMEMBERÉ

James Cooklandsin BotanyBay

• watched by the wary locals

BYDIANA PRESTON

A monumentto thosekilledin Lisbon,whenmobs

roamed the streets for three brutal days

Two hundredand fifty yearsago,onThursday 19 April1770,JamesCook

• perhapsBritain’sgreatestnavigator– sightedthesouth-eastcoastofAustralia
  whilecommandingHMSEndeavour. It was“ratherlow,andnotveryhilly,the
  faceofthecountrygreenandwoody”.On 29 April,heanchoredina “capacious,
  safeandcommodiousbay”,watchedbyAboriginalmen,womenandchildrenof
  theGweagalclan.Hopingtomakecontactwiththem,hedecidedtogoashore,but
  astheships’boatsapproachedthroughthesurf,allvanishedexceptfortwomen
  “whoseem’dresolvedtoopposeourlanding”.Toplacatethem,Cookthrewbeads
  andnails.Whenthatfailed,hefireda fewmusketshotstofrightenthemoff,and
  finallysteppedontothewetsand.However,oversubsequentdayshisrepeated
  attemptstomakecontactwiththeAboriginal people failed. “All they seem’d to
  wantwasforustobegone,”hewrote.
  Cook’slandinginBotanyBay– sonamedbyCookfor“thegreatquantityof
  plants”collectedtherebyJosephBanks,the naturalist accompanying him – was
  pivotaltothehistoryofAustralia,even
  if hismenwerenotthefirstBritons
  toreachthemainland.InJanuary1688,
  a bandofbuccaneershadlandedon
  Australia’snorth-westernshore,among
  themWilliamDampier,latersentback
  bytheAdmiraltyincommandofHMS
  Roebucktotakeanotherlook.Dampier
  againexploredthewesterncoast,butso
  unpromisingwerehisreportsofa barren
  landthatnoBritishexpedition
  returneduntilCook.
  Eventhen,nofurtherEuropean
  expeditionvisitedAustraliafor 18
  moreyears.Cookwasdeadbefore,
  ontheadviceofBanks– nowpreside
  oftheRoyalSociety– theBritish
  authoritiesdespatchedthe‘First
  Fleet’totransportconvictswho,
  followingthelossoftheAmerican
  colonies,neededtobedeposited
  somewhereelse.WhenBotanyBay
  provedtooexposed,thefirstperma-
  nentsettlementwasestablishedeight
  milesnorthina bayCookhadnamed
  PortJackson– today’sSydney.
  Thesettlementsurvivedearly
  hardships,thrivedandexpanded.Not
  sotheAboriginalpeople,whosecom-
  plexrelationshipwiththeland– which
  hadbeenshapedandmanagedbythem,with
  thousandsofyearsofplannedburning– thenew
  arrivalsneverunderstood.Thesettlers’casual
  seizureoftheirlandsbroughtconflict,while
  Europeandiseaseslikesmallpoxcausedthou-
  sandsofdeaths.Cookhimselfneverreturnedto
  Australia,butwhenrevisitingotherplaces,he
  notedthenegativeimpactonindigenouspeoples
  ofEuropeancontact.Hewouldsurelyhave
  regrettedsomelegaciesofthatfirstlandingin
  BotanyBay,evenif applaudingthe vigorous new
  nation that took root there.

Cooknotedthe

negativeimpacton

indigenouspeoplesof

European contact 

DianaPrestonis

a historian,writer

andbroadcaster.

HerbooksincludeParadise

inChains:TheBountyMutiny

andtheFoundingofAustralia

(Bloomsbu r y, 2018)

Artworkcommemoratingthe

landingof CaptainCook,Kamay

Botany Bay National Park