Whilst the current association of the Consular Corps of Gibraltar was formally established in 1928, such a recent date belies the historical provenance of Diplomatic Representation in Gibraltar, given as early as 1604 there is mention of the Consul of Genoa accredited to the City of Gibraltar. Post 1704. The sources are very abundant as to a field of activity, which has proved of enormous importance and benefit to Gibraltar. For example following the British capture of the territory, Genoa continued to accredit Diplomats to Gibraltar, in that by 1707, its Consul was Geronimo Role and 1711 Don Juan Bautista Sturla. That tradition continued as the centuries elapsed in respect of the various countries comprising the peninsula of Italy. Including the Roman States of the Church, in the person of Sir John Maria Boschetti, Knight of the Golden Spur and Count of the Holy Roman Empire. The tradition is alive today, over 300 years later in the person of Patrick Canessa, as Consul of Italy and vice Doyen of the Consular Corps.

Other representatives are equally historical. For example the Dutch, in the person of John Gerard Dique, an ancestor of John Gavino and himself a Consul of the USA. The Dutch Representation no doubt arose as a result of the Anglo Dutch nature of the Conquest and it continues to this day in the person of Raacida Amenzou. Similarly with the French Representation, once again in the person of the above mentioned Don Juan Bautista in 1725 and continued until today accredited in the person of Pierre Fayaud.

In addition to the historical provenance of Diplomatic Representation in Gibraltar, it is a source of enormous pride that a good deal of such Representations have carried out through generations by the same family. For example and in no particular order:

1. Two generations of Imossi have served Belgium and another four Greece, with yet another four serving Peru.
2. Seven Savignon family members have served Norway, since 1921.
3. Via the Andrew-Speed and since 1919, four generations of Gaggero have served Sweden and another two Denmark.
4. The Benaim family have represented Israel, for 40 years, since 1956.
5. Two generations of the Cardona family have represented Liberia, for 76 years, between 1930 and 2006.
6. Five generations of Porral have been Consul of Siam [now Thailand] for 87 years, since 1923 to date.
7. The current Consul of Poland uniquely enjoys local ancestors who discharged Diplomatic Representation, during all thee centuries since 1704
8. Several generations of Sheppard-Capurro have served Finland. From 1921, following it independence.
9. Five generations of Sprague were consuls of the USA, for 86 years, since 1834 until 1920. Today the United States is represented in Gibraltar by a Consular Warden of the US Embassy in London in the person of James Lasry.

(By Anthony Lombard, Consul of Poland)