English Chilean
Encyclopedia
English Chileans English descendants in Chile are estimated to number between 350,000 and 420,000 people, although over 700,000 Chileans may have British (English
, Scottish
and Welsh
) origin (4.5% of Chile's Population).
Since the Port of Valparaíso opened its coasts to free trade in 1811, the English began to congregate in Valparaíso. The first to arrive brought with them tools, articles of china, wool and cotton, with instructions to return with copper and hemp. This was the first exchange of what would become a deep-rooted commercial relationship between Great Britain
and Chile
.
In Valparaíso they constructed their largest and most important colony, bringing with them neighborhoods of English character, schools, social
, sports clubs, business organizations and periodicals. Even today their influence is apparent in unique areas, such as the bank and the national marina, as well as in certain social activities, such as football (soccer), horse racing, and the consumption of tea.
The English eventually numbered more than 32,000 during the port of Valparaíso's boom period during the saltpeter
bonanza at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The British colonial influence is important to understanding the boom and bust of the port of Valparaíso.
The English colony was also important in the northern zone of the country during the saltpeter boom, in the ports of Iquique
and Pisagua
. The King of Saltpeter, John Thomas North
, was the principal backer of nitrate mining. The English legacy was reflected in the streets of the historic district of the city of Iquique
, with the foundation of various institutions, such as the Club Hípico (Racing Club). Nevertheless, said presence came to an end with the saltpeter crisis during the 1930s.
An important contingent of English immigrants also settled in the present-day region of Magallanes
. In the same way, they established English families in other areas of the country, such as Santiago, Coquimbo
, the Araucanía
, and Chiloé.
Also to note is Australia
n prime minister Chris Watson
was born in Valparaiso of English/New Zealand
and German-Chilean
parentage.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, Scottish
Scottish Chilean
Scottish Chileans are Chileans of Scottish descent who came from Scotland and in some cases, Scots-Irish people from Northern Ireland. A large proportion of Scottish Chileans are sheep farmers in the Magallanes region of the far south of the country, and the city of Punta Arenas has a large...
and Welsh
Welsh Chilean
Welsh Chileans are Chileans of Welsh descent whose family roots came from Wales. The Welsh did not settle in Chile. Generally, they were identified with the other British groups in Chile. About 30,000 residents of the Patagonia region have Welsh surnames...
) origin (4.5% of Chile's Population).
Since the Port of Valparaíso opened its coasts to free trade in 1811, the English began to congregate in Valparaíso. The first to arrive brought with them tools, articles of china, wool and cotton, with instructions to return with copper and hemp. This was the first exchange of what would become a deep-rooted commercial relationship between Great Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
In Valparaíso they constructed their largest and most important colony, bringing with them neighborhoods of English character, schools, social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
, sports clubs, business organizations and periodicals. Even today their influence is apparent in unique areas, such as the bank and the national marina, as well as in certain social activities, such as football (soccer), horse racing, and the consumption of tea.
The English eventually numbered more than 32,000 during the port of Valparaíso's boom period during the saltpeter
Sodium nitrate
Sodium nitrate is the chemical compound with the formula NaNO3. This salt, also known as Chile saltpeter or Peru saltpeter to distinguish it from ordinary saltpeter, potassium nitrate, is a white solid which is very soluble in water...
bonanza at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The British colonial influence is important to understanding the boom and bust of the port of Valparaíso.
The English colony was also important in the northern zone of the country during the saltpeter boom, in the ports of Iquique
Iquique
Iquique is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Atacama Desert and the Pampa del Tamarugal. It had a population of 216,419 as of the 2002 census...
and Pisagua
Pisagua
Pisagua is a Chilean port on the Pacific Ocean, located in Huara comuna , in Tarapacá Region, northern Chile. In 2007, the new province of El Tamarugal was established and the comuna of Huara, previously within the province of Iquique, was incorporated to the newly created province.-Early...
. The King of Saltpeter, John Thomas North
John Thomas North
John Thomas North was a British investor and businessman. North was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, the son of a coal merchant and a churchwarden. At the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to millwrights and engineers before working for several years as a mechanic. He moved to Chile in South America...
, was the principal backer of nitrate mining. The English legacy was reflected in the streets of the historic district of the city of Iquique
Iquique
Iquique is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Atacama Desert and the Pampa del Tamarugal. It had a population of 216,419 as of the 2002 census...
, with the foundation of various institutions, such as the Club Hípico (Racing Club). Nevertheless, said presence came to an end with the saltpeter crisis during the 1930s.
An important contingent of English immigrants also settled in the present-day region of Magallanes
Magallanes
-Chile:* Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region** Magallanes Province, within this region** Punta Arenas or Magallanes, the main city in the region and province-Philippines:* Magallanes, Agusan del Norte* Magallanes, Cavite* Magallanes, Sorsogon...
. In the same way, they established English families in other areas of the country, such as Santiago, Coquimbo
Coquimbo
Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo lies in a valley south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than 400,000 inhabitants. The commune spans an area around the...
, the Araucanía
Araucanía Region
The IX Araucanía Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions and comprises two provinces: Malleco in the north and Cautín in the south....
, and Chiloé.
Notable English Chileans
- Michelle BacheletMichelle BacheletVerónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria is a Social Democrat politician who was President of Chile from 11 March 2006 to 11 March 2010. She was the first woman president of her country...
(English maternal great grandmother) - Juan Pablo BennettJuan Pablo BennettDivision General Juan Pablo Bennett Argandoña was a Chilean military officer and member of the Government Junta that ruled Chile between 1924 and 1925....
- Claudio Bunster WeitzmanClaudio BunsterClaudio Bunster Weitzman is a Chilean scientist.Bunster studied Sciences at the University of Chile , Santiago and received his Ph.D in Physics from Princeton University, U.S. in 1973. He remained at the university, at the Institute for Advanced Study and also at the University of Texas, until 1984...
- Daniella Campos LathropDaniella CamposDaniella Andrea Campos Lathrop is a Chilean TV presenter and beauty pageant titleholder who placed in the Top 10 at Miss World 1998.-Miss World 1998:...
- Julio Canessa RobertsJulio CanessaLieutenant General Julio Canessa Roberts is a Chilean military and political figure. He was a member of the Government Junta that ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, representing the Army. He was also a designated Senator between 1998 and 2006....
- Marta ColvinMarta ColvinMarta Colvin Andrade is a sculptress from, Chillán, Chile.-Biography:Marta Colvin Andrade was the daughter of James Colvin and Elcira Andrade....
- Enrique Cood RossEnrique CoodEnrique Cood Ross was a Chilean political figure, who served as minister and diplomat.He was born in Valparaíso, the son of Enrique Cood and of Isabel Ross. After completing his studies in his native city at the school of Guillermo Wolkins, he continued his education in England and Belgium...
- Joaquín Edwards BelloJoaquín Edwards BelloJoaquín Edwards Bello was a Chilean writer and journalist. He was of British descent.-Life:Edwards Bello was born in Valparaíso, one of the most important ports in Chile. His family, the Edwards, is still one of the most influential in the country.Joaquín studied at The Mackay School and later at...
- Agustín Edwards Mac ClureAgustín Edwards Mac ClureAgustín Edwards McClure was a Chilean lawyer, diplomat and businessman, and founder of the Santiago edition of El Mercurio newspaper....
- Jorge EdwardsJorge EdwardsJorge Edwards Valdés is a Chilean novelist, journalist and diplomat. He is currently the Chilean ambassador to France.-Life and career:...
- Alejandro FoxleyAlejandro FoxleyAlejandro Tomás Foxley Rioseco is a Chilean economist and politician. He was the Foreign Minister of Chile from 2006 to 2009 and previously served as Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1994 and leader of the Christian Democrat Party from 1994 to 1996.-Education and personal life:Foxley received a...
- Laurence GolborneLaurence GolborneLaurence Nelson Golborne Riveros is a Chilean engineer and entrepreneur. He is the current Mining Minister and Energy Minister in the administration of President Sebastián Piñera.- Family and education :...
- Marmaduque GroveMarmaduque GroveMarmaduque Grove Vallejo was a Chilean Air Force officer, political figure and member of the Government Junta of the Socialist Republic of Chile in 1932.-Early life:...
- Luis Eduardo HicksLuis Eduardo HicksLuis Eduardo Hicks Castillo is a Chilean footballer who plays as a defender for Medan Chiefs from Liga Primer Indonesia....
- Pablo HolmanPablo HolmanPablo Ernesto Holman Concha is a former member of Chilean pop/rock band Kudai. And recently is in the band Lilyput-External links:*...
- Stewart Iglehart
- Gustavo LeighGustavo LeighAir General Gustavo Leigh Guzmán was a Chilean general, who represented the Air Force in the 1973 Chilean coup d'état and, for a time, in the ruling junta that followed. Leigh was forced out of the military government in 1978.-Biography:Leigh was born in Santiago, son of Hernán Leigh Bañados and...
- Bernardo LeightonBernardo LeightonBernardo Leighton Guzmán was a Chilean Christian Democrat who was targeted by Operation Condor.In 1937, President Arturo Alessandri Palma appointed him as Employment minister....
- Sergio Livingstone PohlhammerSergio LivingstoneSergio Roberto "Sapo" Livingstone Pohlhammer , affectionally called Sapito Livingstone, is a former Chilean goalkeeper, considered the first great footballer in the country's history, who later became a well regarded journalist. He was called El Sapo for his typical posture in the goal mouth...
- Patricio LynchPatricio LynchPatricio Javier de los Dolores Lynch y Solo de Zaldívar was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and a Rear Admiral in the Chilean navy, and one of the principal figures of the later stages of the War of the Pacific...
- Ofelia MartnerYoya MartínezYoya Martínez, real name Ofelia Martner Semblett was a Chilean actress. She is best known for her role as Hilda Viuda de Maturana on the popular TVN television series, Los Venegas from 1989 until 2008.- Television series :* Incomunicados * El loco estero * La señora * J.J...
- Harold Mayne-NichollsHarold Mayne-NichollsHarold Alfred Mayne-Nicholls Secul is a Chilean journalist and former president of the National Professional Football Association and of the Chilean Football Federation . He was replaced as president of the ANFP by Jorge Segovia in November 2010. He is also a FIFA official.-References:...
- Rodrigo Montt SwettRodrigo MonttRodrigo Antonio Montt Swett is a Chilean lawyer, jurist and politician.-Early life:Montt was born in Santiago, Chile on July 5th, 1974, the fourth of six children of Manuel Montt Dubournais and María Gloria Swett De la Cerda.-Education:...
- Anita Reeves
- Edmundo SearleEdmundo SearleEdmundo "Mundo" Searle was a Chilean cartoonist who specialized in society and turf cartoons.Searle was born in Valparaíso, and studied at the San Luis English School of Limache and at the Colegio de los Sagrados Corazones of Valparaíso, where he graduated in 1908...
- Felipe SeymourFelipe SeymourFelipe Ignacio Seymour Dobud is a Chilean football midfielder. He currently plays for Genoa of the Italian Serie A.-Early career:...
- Robert Winthrop SimpsonRobert Winthrop SimpsonRobert Winthrop Simpson was a Rear-Admiral of the Chilean navy and a hero of the War of the Confederation.-Early life:...
- Robert Souper HowardRobert SouperColonel Robert Souper Howard was an English soldier who served in the Chilean Army during most of the War of the Pacific.-Early life:Born in Harwich, England, son of Colonel William Souper and Emily Howard...
- Roberto SouperRoberto SouperLt. Colonel Roberto Federico Souper Onfray was a Chilean military officer who launched an unsuccessful coup d'état against the regime of Salvador Allende, surrounding the presidential palace with a tank regiment....
- María Elena SwettMaría Elena SwettMaría Elena Swett Urquieta is a Chilean actress. She was born in Santiago on April 11, 1979. Formally married to the Chilean actor Felipe Braun. She is also known as "Mane" by friends and family. She studied at Colegio Nuestra Señora del Pilar and later at the Academia de Humanidades de Recoleta....
- Sussan Taunton ThomasSussan Taunton-Biography:Sussan is a Chilean actress, studied acting at the Centro de Educación Artística of Televisa for over 3 years. She came to Mexico seeking for an opportunity in 1988 and became an instant hit, having notable roles in the most important soap operas of Televisa...
- Willy ToppWilly ToppWilly Adolfo Topp Bravo , commonly known as Willy Topp or sometimes Billy Topp, is a Chilean footballer who plays as striker. He plays for Belgian side Royal Racing Football Club Montegnée...
- Carlos Villanueva RolandCarlos Villanueva (footballer)Carlos Andrés Villanueva Roland is a Chilean football player who is currently playing for Al Shabab.-Audax Italiano:In the Copa Libertadores 2007, the left-footed playmaker was the hub of Audax Italiano...
- Juan WilliamsJuan Williams RebolledoJuan Williams Rebolledo was a Chilean rear admiral who was the organizer and commander-in-chief of the Chilean navy at the beginning of the War of the Pacific.-Early life:...
- Alexander Bryan Witt
- Andrés Wood
Also to note is Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n prime minister Chris Watson
Chris Watson
John Christian Watson , commonly known as Chris Watson, Australian politician, was the third Prime Minister of Australia...
was born in Valparaiso of English/New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and German-Chilean
German-Chilean
German Chileans are an important ethnic group in Chile; they are Chileans of German descent deriving their German ethnicity from one or both parents – they also include a minority of German citizens holding permanent residency in Chile...
parentage.