Published by Templeton Press on 30 October 2003, this new work by British author Jenifer Roberts adds to the knowledge of glass-making in Portugal in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and includ…
Published by Templeton Press on 30 October 2003, this new work by British author Jenifer Roberts adds to the knowledge of glass-making in Portugal in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and includes new research into the lives of William and John James Stephens, who owned the royal glassworks in Marinha Grande from 1769 to 1826. Their story is a true rags-to-riches tale, for when a Cornish servant girl gave birth to an illegitimate son in May 1731, she little realised that he would become one of the richest industrialists in Europe. Her son, William Stephens, was a man of genius. He lived through the earthquake which destroyed Lisbon and became friends with the Marquis of Pombal, dictator of Portugal. Opening a glass factory in the village of Marinha Grande, he was granted a monopoly of glass supply and exemption from all taxes. Intelligent and charismatic, he charmed dictators, queens and princes into extending his privileges, allowing him to build up enormous wealth. In 1803, his fortune passed to his brother, John James, who steered the glass factory through the upheavals of the Peninsular War. The richest man in Lisbon (and one of the most eccentric), he held daily banquets in his mansion house but attended the dinners with only one shoelace to his shoes, his guests perched on chairs without seats, his footmen serving mustard from broken wineglasses. On his death, the massive fortune made in Portuguese glass transformed a cousin in London, Charles Lyne, into the richest commoner in England. Later it passed into the hands of his son“s widow, a French ballerina who scandalised society by her sexual adventures, while the infamous Court of Chancery creamed off the wealth into the pockets of lawyers. As well as providing new information on the Portuguese glass industry, this fascinating story follows dramatic events in European history: a tale of earthquake, wars and revolution told through the lives of a strange and compelling mix of characters. The book contains 384 pages, with 40 illustrations, full references, and index. Copies can be obtained from Templeton Press, 42 The Common, Langley Burrell, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 4LQ, UK. Priced at GBP 19.95, plus postage and packing charges of GBP 2.95 (UK), GBP 3.80 (Europe) and GBP 6.90 (world). Cheques and international money orders should be made payable to Templeton Press.