Robinson: The Legacy of an English Family in the History of Portalegre

Abstract

There are moments in history when the material mixes with the immaterial, and the Robinson Factory, commonly known as the Cork Stopper Factory, represents the auric moment when this happens. On the initiative of an English family, Portalegre witnessed the building of a genuine industrial empire in the second half of the 19th century, which began to decline in the second half of the 20th century under the aegis of Sociedade Corticeira Robinson S. A., founded in 1931. The year 1848 marked the beginning of an auspicious period in the history of Portalegre. George Robinson and his family settled permanently in Portalegre, acquiring a small factory that, step by step, they transformed into a powerful empire. The dynamics of the Robinson family went beyond the cork industry, and the philanthropic nature of the numerous initiatives they took part in stands out. This article reveals the legacy of the English Robinson family and exposes the catastrophic situation in which the former cork empire finds itself. The analysis points to various solutions, highlighting, among others, the importance of publicising the family's vast legacy and contributing to the preservation of the industrial heritage, which is currently in an advanced state of disrepair.