Page 186 - Conflitti Militari e Popolazioni Civili - Tomo I

186 XXXIV Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

on the coast during, based on data collected by Ribeiro da Silva , sheds light on the incidence
37
of this type of attack during the period under analysis.
A general picture of the frequency of these threats on the port of Vila do Conde up until
the 1620s is given by references in council documents dating back to 1534. We come across a
single mention for the decades of the 1530s, 40s, 50s and 60s; six mentions for the 70s; three
th
mentions for the 80s; four for the 90s; two in the first and second decades of the 17 century
and five in the 1620s. If we cross-references related to the nationality of the pirates and pri-
vateers, we find that the French dominated up until the 1580s; the English, mentioned only
once in the 1560s and 1570s, dominate the references for the 1580s and 1590s, disappearing
after this; the Flemish are mentioned for the first time in records in 1604 and are still there in
the 1620s; and the so-called “Turks” undoubtedly dominate from 1610 to the 1620s.
The case study shows, in the first place, that one consequence of these attacks is the instil-
lation of fear related to the risk of invasion of the urban area. The fear of looting is exacer-
bated by a fear of capture or rape and death. A letter from the Duke of Bragança to the town,
following an attack suffered in 1569, mentions that “... the … fear [and] chaos was such
that the women departed, what shouldn’t happen not even if take place if the French actually
disembarked” . This extract clearly demonstrates the climate of insecurity at the time and
38
the panic felt, which also encouraged the population to move inland.
This fear would grow with reports of invasions in areas close to the town we are analys-
ing, such as those in the Mondego estuary (Figueira da Foz) or in Buarcos, in 1602 . this
39
fear can also be understood in light of the size of the privateer armadas. The reports collected
mention both single ships and groups of around ten or eleven ships, which demonstrate
40
the organised nature of these incursions, particularly those of British origin. But they also
present an exaggerated count of one hundred . Although we cannot ignore the possibility
41
that potential victims exaggerate these numbers, to try and ensure more and speedier assist-
ance, we cannot underestimate the impact on local populations, as documented in the reports
of the seizure of Baiona and Vigo, in 1585, Coruña and Vigo again in 1589, Faro, Cadiz and
Baiona in 1596, as well as the already mentioned invasion of Buarcos in 1602 . This fear
42
was even greater in the case of the so-called “Turks”, who inspired particular terror due to
their propensity for land invasions, with the inevitable taking of hostages, which would earn
hefty sums through the prisoner ransom process .
43
The impact on the daily life of coastal populations was considerable, even affecting the

37 Nogueira, Miguel - Pirataria sobre a costa portuguesa e suas repercussões no povoamento e defesa do
litoral : (séc. XVI-XVII). Porto : Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto, 2005. Cota:04-N713p
38 A.M.V.C. - A/71.
39 A.M.V.C. - Lv. 845, fl. 27v.
40 A.M.V.C. - Lv. 26, fl. 228-229. Record dated 1617 relating to a force, supposedly of Turks, that was in front
of the town.
41 A.M.V.C. - Lv. 1708, fl. 28. This number relates to 1587, conveyed by one of coastal lookouts, is, we believe,
greatly exaggerated. Note that the force that took Vigo em 1585, and sacked it for 3 weeks, only had around
30 ships (CF. Silva, Francisco Ribeiro in - O corso inglês..., p. 313).
42 For more on this, vd, among others, Silva - Francisco Ribeiro- O Corso inglês ..., pp. 313 - 314; 318; 324-
325.
43 For more on this, vd. idem- ibidem, p. 312.