A History of the British Presence in Chile

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • William Edmundson

   Pages 1-6

3. Pirates, Buccaneers, Privateers, Corsairs, and Circumnavigators

   • William Edmundson

   Pages 7-25

4. Explorers by Sea

   • William Edmundson

   Pages 27-40

5. British Naturalists in Chile

   • William Edmundson

   Pages 41-53

6. Chile’s Wars

   • William Edmundson

   Pages 55-81

7. Visitors and Explorers on Land

   • William Edmundson

   Pages 83-94

8. British Artists in Chile

   • William Edmundson

   Pages 95-101

9. British Communities in Chile

   • William Edmundson

   Pages 103-129

10. Commerce and Industry

    • William Edmundson

    Pages 131-146

11. Mining

    • William Edmundson

    Pages 147-168

12. Banking

    • William Edmundson

    Pages 169-174

13. Railways

    • William Edmundson

    Pages 175-190

14. Education

    • William Edmundson

    Pages 191-196

15. Religion

    • William Edmundson

    Pages 197-214

16. Sports

    • William Edmundson

    Pages 215-220

17. The Battle of Coronel

    • William Edmundson

    Pages 221-227

18. The Decline of British Influence

    • William Edmundson

    Pages 229-231

19. The Imprint That Remains: Family Names and Geography

    • William Edmundson

    Pages 233-242

20. Back Matter

    Pages 243-276

    PDF

This book sets out to narrate the contributions to and influence on the history of Chile that British visitors and immigrants have had, not as bystanders but as key players, starting in 1554 with the English Queen 'Bloody Mary' becoming Queen of Chile, and ending with the decline of British influence following the Second World War.

• artist
• education
• migrants

'[Edmundson] has written such an excellent book which ought to appeal to anyone with an interest in Chile. Well-researched and concise, it is an appetite-warming guide for further reading and should be recommended to newcomers planning to spend much time in the country.' - Chilean News, (the Bulletin of the Anglo-Chilean Society in London), Year 66, No. 376, 10-11. April 2010

'I congratulate William Edmundson on bringing this important, but largely forgotten, part of Chilean history to the general public.' - Victor C. Hawkins, Chairman, British Commonwealth Society, Chile

'As the modern-day visitor can readily confirm, Chilean attitudes toward Britain are warm and admiring. William Edmundson's book is a well-documented account of how those ties were formed, starting even before the war of independence was won. He has researched extensively the motives industrial, commercial, and scientific, among others that brought adventurous and enterprising Britons to Chile, many adopting the country as their new homeland. This is an intriguing, informative book, relevant to the times, and worthy of inclusion in any Foreign Studies curriculum.' - Duncan Campbell, Site Administrator, The British Presence in Southern Patagonia

"This book provides a lot of useful reference material for anyone with Chilean ancestors or whose ancestors pursued careers there." - Jessie Denholm, The Scottish Genealogist

'A very well researched book, really entertaining reading, explaining hundreds of years of interaction between these two countries and the traces seen today in Chile' Luis Mansilla Miranda, customer review on Amazon.com.

William (Eddie) Edmundson works as a consultant and writer in Recife, Brazil, following a career in teacher training and management with the British Council that has taken him to Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and his most recent appointment as Director Cuba. Fluent in Spanish (and Portuguese), he started research into the history of the British presence in Chile while Director of the Chilean-British Institute in Concepción, in 1984-1990. His most recent book also has a strong focus on Chile - The Nitrate King: A biography of John Thomas North, published April 2011. William Edmundson has also published widely on English language teaching, and on the survival of steam locomotives in Latin America.

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