The Lisbon earthquake wiped out the colonial ships that made his fortune
A Neuchâtel merchant watches his Lisbon-linked fortune vanish overnight after an 18th-century earthquake; how do you fall from that high?
The Lisbon earthquake wiped out the colonial ships that made his fortune
In this episode, we trace the life and fortunes of David de Pury, from Swiss patrician roots to commercial power in Lisbon, and the sudden rupture that erased vast wealth. What did it mean for a fortune to be tied to ships, colonies, and systems so fragile a single quake could undo them?
Person: David de Pury
Date: 1 November 1755 (Lisbon earthquake)
Location: Lisbon; Neuchâtel
Event…
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