BRAZIL IN THE NEWS VIA THE ESSEX RECORD OFFICE

Ursain Bolt

Not much in world news press at present, except of course, the Olympics, at least for a few more days.  Very exciting for those who love sport and soon all this will be resigned to history. 

On that note, I am pleased to receive information from our prestigious Essex Record Office who have highlighted the life of James Paroissien who was baptised in St. Margaret’s Church, Barking on Christmas Day 1784. I have a particular interest in this church where I was married in 1966 (as was James Cook, the famous explorer in 1762).

But back to the earlier James who studied medicine in those early days.   In 1806 he left England to practise as a surgeon in Montevideo, Argentina.  Once there he switched to trading as a merchant but left after the British invading forces were defeated in 1806-1807 and went to Rio de Janeiro.  His journal records his impressions of Brazil, although much of his account relates to hunting.  On 2 August he recorded that the weather was ‘exceedingly hot muggy and rainy … accompanied with violent gusts of wind’.  On Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 August they set off towards the Taghuihi river killing plover and other ‘fine’ birds, parakeets and even a sloth at the top of a high tree which ‘stuck so fast‘ that somebody had to climb up to retrieve the body.  On 7 August he described the river as being extremely beautiful with the banks imprinted with the marks of the capybara, which were described as being very numerous.  Continuing from the river they shot more birds and two golden monkeys, two toucans and a squirrel.

After James' stay in Rio, he returned to Argentina before joining the army to fight for the liberation of Chile and Peru from the Spanish.  He served as surgeon-general and later as aide-de-camp to the commander José de San Martin, returning to England in 1821 to seek diplomatic recognition for the newly liberated Peru.  The mission failed and in 1825 he returned to South America as agent for the Bolivian Mining Company.  An economic crash in Britain left James ruined and he died after ill health prevented his return to Britain to clear his name in September 1827.

James'  diary will be on display in the Essex Record

Office's Searchroom throughout August 2016.

This entry was posted in Archives, Collections, Document of the Month and tagged Brazil, Peru, South America.

Do find time to visit our ERO which is such a fascinating place.