1831. Carta de Susana Maria, proprietária, para Luís José de Almeida Saraiva, Juiz de Fora.

Private letter from Susana Maria, a farm owner, to Luís José de Almeida Saraiva, lower court judge.

Pedro Marques Madeira, worker in Arronches, was condemned for several robberies in Alentejo. One of the witnesses that should go to the Court of Arronches to declare her testimoty about these acts was Susana Maria, the widow of a farmer. However, she alleged she was too old and too ill to go there, and she chose to write a letter instead.

Basteira. 4th november 1831.

Mr. Court Judge.

I hope you are in good health, surrounded by a lot of fortune and for many, many years.

This letter is to inform you that, today, I was notified through a warrant by the court judge of Arronches to come and meet you, along with my servant. And I'm unable to go there, due to my illness and my 60 years of age, for I suffer from hydropsy, and since these troubles occured to me and my husband, may God keep his soul, I never enjoyed good health again.

In what concerns the criminals and bandits who came into this house, I didn't recognize any of them because the first strangers to come in picked up the light right away and they forced me to keep my face covered, tied up facing a wall, with one of them watching me all the time, with a gun in his hands, advising me not to turn or look. About the bandits, I've been paying attention to some signs to see if I discover something, but I haven't been very lucky. If I ever figure out something, I'll tell you by letter, because I can't go there personaly. Whoever has ruined my husband, has ruined me too.

I really appreciate all your readiness with the bandits who came into my house to do such insolence to my husband, may God keep his soul.

And the notified servant is the bearer of this letter.

I won't bother you no longer.

Your great venerator and much obliged,

Susana Maria