Burke's Peerage contained for a long period an account of the 5 Lousada Dukes. The following notes were extracted from this (see note 1 below) by an Australian Lousada. The account appears to have been first handwritten by Emanuel the 2nd Lousada Duke (see note 2) whose Paris papers (from the Molyneux-Seel collection) also contain the same (this time printed) section from a (possibly) later edition of Burke's which in a footnote (reproduced in note 4 below) correctly gives additional details - the elevation in Spain of the Duque de Losada to Class 1 Grandee status in 1759 and also the Italian origin of the Duque's title. The 3 versions have minor differences - see note 3 below for a comment on Comanderies and see note 5 below for differences in describing Isaac. The extract below describes Emanuel #135 as a kinsman and successor of the Duque de Losada. This was probably a retreat from the position shown in the family tree in the Molyneux-Seel papers which shows Emanuel #135 as the great-grandson of the Duque de Losada who was, inconveniently, unmarried and childless. In fact the lifespan of the Duque 1706-83 most closely coincided with Aaron #125 1706-68 who was the son of Emanuel #41 b1682 and the father of Emanuel #135 1740-97. There is a degree of imprecision and uncertainty in the stated genealogy which must have been troubling to the authors who evidently needed to refine it from time to time. The extract below also camouflages the fact that the title was Italian by remarking incorrectly that a Duke's title is born only by Grandees (some Grandees were Marquis), as if the Duque being made Grandee somehow made the title Spanish (it didn't). The Italian reference above is fully covered by us elsewhere, but Ruvigny and the purported title documents do more openly reflect the Italian dimension. We suggest elsewhere why these authors changed the name of the Duquedom from Losada to Losada y Lousada (a fact that is little remarked upon) without explanation. Finally, a deep confusion is introduced into those accounts of the family history such as these 2 versions from Burke's and also from Ruvigny (ref 32) - the ancestors said to be in Jamaica before 1655 should not be assumed to be Baruch Lousadas. In fact, our work indicates that the Baruch Lousadas arrived in Jamaica from Barbados around 1705, so that if there is any truth in the story it is that the Lamego in-laws the Curiel/Acostas were those ancestors. This confusion has had a profound effect because it suggested that there was a direct Spain/Jamaica link for the Baruch Lousadas whereas in fact their link was indirect via Livorno and Barbados!  
 



Notes:
1. Copies of the typed notes have circulated in the Australian Lousada family for about a century.

2. Emanuel's handwritten notes can be found among his Paris papers (from the Molyneux-Seel collection) and they appear to exactly replicate the notes above. The relationship between Emanuel and Sir Edmund Burke appears not to have been smooth - nor inexpensive for Emanuel - as shown in the notes written by a great-great-grandniece. The notes were written in the period between the latest date contained in them namely 1875 and Emanuel's death in 1895.

3. The printed version refers to a Francis de Losada who founded a Comanderie of St Stephan, handwritten by Emanuel as Francois de Losada who founded a Comanderie of St Etienne, and rendered above as Francis de Lousada who founded a Comanderie of St Stephen. Involvement in, or better, founding a Commandery was a useful way to demonstrate sincere Christian allegiance - Gaspar de Guzman ie Olivares was appointed around 1610 to the Commandery of Vivoras in the Military Order of Calatrava for his distinction in leading the students at the University of Salamanca - see ref 70 p18. They were associations for lay people under the auspices of the Church with some notionally charitable or altruistic purpose. Search of Spanish literature would have revealed many more people named Losada not included here (eg see our Olivares notes showing a Secretary of State for Northern European Affairs named Andres de Losada y Prada d1627) but none of them are proven to be related to the Baruch Lousadas and neither is Francois/Francis de Losada/Lousada! Emanuel no doubt obtained his information from the Spanish herald who identified the vacant title of the Duque de Losada and whose name may be found in Emanuel's papers. The research conducted by the herald was almost non-existent, but was the probable source of the limited information about Francis - who was evidently a probable scion of the unrelated old 'de Losada' nobility.

4. The footnote below in the printed extract from (Burke's?) Foreign Titles of Nobility contained in Emanuel's Paris papers correctly replicates data which we found in ref 164 - the title was Italian and it was only the ascent to Grandee status that was Spanish. The latter could be pursued in Spain but pursuit of the former would need to take place in Italy. The elevation to Grandee status was non-hereditary (see ref 168).

 

5. Isaac, later known as the 1st Lousada Duke, is curiously described as Emanuel's only son - but he was the 4th and last son; there was a daughter as well (Abigail #138 who married Daniel Ximenes). The printed version refers to Isaac as the only surviving son of Emanuel (#135) as do Emanuel's handwritten notes