For The Love Of Port

Hi Roy.

I found you email on the "For the Love of Port" website.

I live in Gibraltar, where wine from everywhere is cheap and easily
available, but - I know nothing at all about wine, except what I like
and don't like.

My interest is in my family history. My great-great-grandparents
(engineering family) went to live in Oporto from around 1840 and for the
next 60-odd years, several generations of them being born and dying
there, though the family often returned to England on business or for
important family events (marriages, birth of children, etc). They were
part of the English 'colony' in Oporto, and made strong links with
people in the wine trade. These links continued when in later years
(20th century and up until the 1950s) some of the family moved to Jerez
in Spain, where they continued to be in contact with engineers (Cooke)
and wine people (Fergusson).

My particular point in writing to you is to ask where I might find
information about the history of Port, especially links with English
importers, transporters, ships, etc., and connections between Oporto and
Newcaste/South Shields.

I'd be grateful if you could point me in the right direction.


*** NAME WITHHELD BY ROY HERSH***

How cool is that. The power of the internet to connect people from all over the world is just amazing!

has he had any luck? or were you able to help him at all? Sounds like a great story. Right now I'm in the process of putting together my family tree and history and i'm haveing a lot of fun so far!

I was unable to be of much help and had hoped that some of the UK guys would use their connections to provide some assistance, if possible.

Roy,

I'd help if I could, but what your anonymous correspondent has asked for help with is a massive task. The only way that I could anticipate successfully carrying out such research would be to visit Newcastle and the region and spend a month working through the local history sections of the local libraries.

I plan to do something similar in London in 20 years time, when I have the freedom to be able to spend my time furthering my knowledge rather than being a "wage slave".

Alex