We have recently returned from a most enjoyable few days in Cadiz with a few friends. What a fabulously interesting and historic city; the narrow car free streets, plazas complete with bars and restaurants full of people enjoying their afternoons and evenings, chatter of parrots in the trees, sunsets across the ocean, sandy beaches, water on all sides. A really compact ‘almost island’ peninsula city with everywhere easily accessible on foot. We stayed in the middle of the old city a few streets from the cathedral square and only a 10 minute walk from the station (which a train from Jerez airport brought us into). Constrained on all sides, impossible to grow, Cadiz remains an Andalusian city full of historical landmarks, devoid of modern sprawl which lies beyond the narrow isthmus.

Cadiz, Gadir, Gades, Qadis … is regarded as the most ancient city still standing in Western Europe, its founding traditionally dated to around 1100 BC. The Phoenicians established a port in the 7th century BC; it fell to Carthage and Hannibal’s conquest, then to Rome with the First Punic Wars, followed by the Visigoths, then Moorish rule from 711 to 1262. Christopher Columbus sailed from Cádiz on his voyages to the Americas and the city later became the home port of the Spanish treasure fleet. Consequently, it became a major target of Spain’s enemies; Francis Drake occupied the harbour for three days in 1587; in 1596 it was captured by an Anglo-Dutch fleet who burned much of the city; raided or blockaded by the English in 1625, 1655-57, 1702, 1797-1802, 1803-08 . In the 18th century, the Port in the Bay of Cádiz enjoyed the virtual monopoly of trade with the Americas.

We were taken back in time by the archaeological excavations of Gadir under an old theatre in the middle of the city, and by the ‘Cave of the Blue Parrot’ ex flamenco cellar, which revealed Phoenician vestiges. Intrigued by the ‘Plaza de la Constitution’ and the adjacent museum of the Courts of Cadiz. In 1812, when nearly all of Spain was under Napoleon, Cadiz held out and developed a very modern and liberal constitution, the first in Spain (scrapped some years later when the Spanish absolute monarch returned). The museum also housed a fabulous detailed wooden model of Cadiz from 1777, showing what a fortress it was to enter by land, and how little it has really changed since then.

Gazing down on the wall was a large portrait of the Governor of Cadiz, Alejandro O’Reilly, and another of merchant Pedro Alonso O’Crowley O’Donnell. The Irish had evidently made their mark in Cadiz society, and were welcome to stay there during the years of wars with England!

Another day we took the ferry across to Puerto Santa Maria and visited the spectacular home of Osbourne sherry (of the black bull). Initially the bodegas of James Duff and later Thomas Osbourne Mann from 1804. All goes to show what a cosmopolitan city Cadiz was at this time, with Irish, Scottish and English intermingling with the Spanish Andalusians!

So what of our Gibbs ancestors, working to establish themselves in this trading city, gateway between Spain and the New World, at exactly this period in history. ‘The History of Antony and Dorothea Gibbs & of the early years of Antony Gibbs and Sons‘ reveals much about the crucial role Spain played in Antony’s recovery from bankruptcy. He embarked on his first trip abroad in August 1788, seeking orders for woollen goods through France and Spain, spending a while in Madrid, not reaching home until May 1789. Three month later Dorothea travelled with him to Madrid, where Willian was born on 22nd May 1790. Antony stayed in Cadiz in the house of an agent friend that year. In February 1792 Antony suffered a near fatal accident when his carriage rolled over him and the Cadiz surgeon declared that there was no hope for him, not expected to live out the day. Travelling was a perilous adventure in those days, the future firm Antony Gibbs & Sons was nearly stillborn that day in Cadiz. ‘James Duff (one of Antony’s oldest friends in Andalusia) was British Consul in Cadiz, with whom Antony lived at this period whenever he went there …’ Business was challenged when Spain declared war with England in 1796 and decreed all debts due to English subjects to be embargoed. Various outbreaks of yellow fever devastated Cadiz, with 250 deaths daily in October 1800.

Peace returned to Europe in 1801. At the end of the year Antony travelled overland from Lisbon to Cadiz with his eldest son George Henry and set himself up with a house, office, and warehouse. Yellow fever still stalked Andalusia, so he left Dorothy and family in Exeter. They returned home in August 1802, leaving Branscombe in charge in Cadiz. Antony set off overland by carriage for Spain again in September with both sons, George Henry and William, amid rumours of pending war with France, arriving back in Exeter in May 1803. George Henry was sent out to Cadiz alone at the end of September 1803, via to Lisbon. His ship was chased once by a man-of-war and three times by smaller vessels; “nothing but the shocking weather at the bar (Lisbon) saved us, for here are upwards of ten privateers cruising off the coast in wait for the packets.”

Spain declared war against England in December 1804. The Battle of Trafalgar took place offshore from Cadiz in October 1805 with the Royal Navy against the combined fleets of France and Spain. Antony’s Cadiz establishment was practically closed, imported goods trapped in his warehouse. He devised a scheme to procure an English Government license for a Spanish ship to carry the greater part of his stock of goods in Cadiz to South America! With the licence arranged by his brother Vicary, Antony made his twelfth and last expedition abroad, journeying to Cadiz with George Henry. I told the story of the ‘Hermosa Mexicana’ making its way through the British blockade to Lima in a previous post!

In 1808 the Spaniards declared against the French and peace with England, and 23 year old George Henry journeyed to Cadiz via warships, Gibraltar and Tangier, to attend to Antony’s affairs there. With the founding of Antony Gibbs & Son in London, they formed the Cadiz House partnership of Antony Gibbs Son & Branscombe. Wellington’s great defeat of the French at Salamanca meant Andalusia was free of invaders, and it was settled that William Gibbs should go to Cadiz to revive trade there. In 1813 George Henry accompanied William for a few months; Branscombe retired and Antony Gibbs & Sons became sole partners of the Cadiz house. Despite outbreaks of fever and family concerns, William remained in Cadiz and did not return to England until summer 1817, missing the death of his father Antony, and returning to Cadiz in the new year. He was still there when his mother died in 1820, provoking a trip home, taking his younger brother Joseph back to Cadiz in April 1821 until the spring of 1822.

During this visit to Spain William became engaged to Doña Francisca (Frasquita) de la Peña, of Chiclana, near Cadiz. “She was a charming woman, very clever and cultivated and of an excellent family, great friends of his. Her letters are admirable. The question of religion stood in the way: both her family and his were averse to a mixed marriage and neither of them would leave the faith of their fathers.” My previous blog article of William Gibbs’ First Love.

William returned three more times to Spain, the last occasion being in 1853 when, accompanied by two nephews he saw Doña Francisca after 30 years. Antony, George Henry and William leveraged their unique experience of Spain to forge a trading business during very challenging times of wars and fever, requiring arduous journeys and extended periods far from family.