POMBAL AND POMBALISM

Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo (1699–1782), first marquis of Pombal, is by convention almost always referred to simply as Pombal, although he was not raised to the marquisate until quite late in his career in 1769. Pombal came from a minor noble family, was just twenty-one when his father died, lacked a powerful patron and possessed no great prospects. But he was quick to seize such opportunities as came his way. In 1723, he married a niece of the count of Arcos, despite her family's opposition. This improved his social standing, although he still had little influence at court – until in 1738 his cousin, Marco António de Azevedo Coutinho, became secretary of state for foreign affairs and war. It was Azevedo Coutinho who in 1739 secured for Pombal the important political appointment of Portuguese ambassador to Britain.

Pombal lived in London from 1739 to 1743. Although he apparently never learned much English, he was exposed there to a wide range of stimulating ideas, read voraciously and was able to establish friendly contacts with members of the prestigious Royal Society. In London Pombal tried to find out why England was so advanced technologically and prosperous commercially, how it had acquired such influence over the Portuguese economy and what could be done to make the Anglo-Portuguese relationship more equal. Recalled to Lisbon in 1743, Pombal had little time to readjust before being appointed ambassador to Vienna, a position he held from 1745 to 1749.