Paper short abstract:

This paper uses the 1797 nominal censuses of Benguela in order to produce a synchronic analysis of the Donas or wealthy ladies of Benguela, the female component of the local colonial elite.

Paper long abstract:

Through the north and south nominal household censuses carried out in Benguela towards the end of 1797, this contribution offers a synchronic analysis of the female component of the local colonial elite: the Donas or ladies who underpinned Portugal's ambitions throughout parts of the African continent prior to the advent of formal colonialism. We are particularly interested in developing a number of profiles that the demographic data lend themselves well for investigation: age, colour, marital status, living quarters, and wealth. In the process, this study provides a quantitative examination of the phenomenon of the Donas immediately following the height of slave trading in Benguela that adds to an existing, modest literature based on individual biographies and hence, largely anecdotal.