1822. Carta de Maria das Mercês Xavier de Lima Saraiva Abrantes, copiada de rascunho de Joaquim António Saraiva Abrantes, para o pai dela, Joaquim José da Luz.

Accusation letter from Maria das Mercês de Lima to her father, Joaquim José da Luz.

The author accuses the addressee of having abused her in the past.

Maria das Mercês de Lima, the daughter of Joaquim José da Luz, married Joaquim António Saraiva, a surgeon, against her father's will. The father denied her the dowry and the new husband started, allegedly, to abuse her. He also would be accused of having a mistress inside the same house. He forced Maria das Mercês to write to her father making veiled allusions to the fact that once the addressee committed incest with her, the daughter. Since she kept the drafts of the letters, the father managed to have his son in law arrested.