Tangier serves as a gateway to the Mediterranean Sea and has been a significant port since antiquity. It was occupied by Portugal from 1471 until 1661 when it was gifted as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza on her marriage to Charles II. Tangier would remain an English possession until its abandonment in 1684, after which Morocco reoccupied the city.
This book contains an account of Sir Hugh Cholmeley’s (1632-89) journey to Tangier in 1663, where he assisted in the construction of a mole to protect the city’s harbour. Initially working with the governor, Andrew Rutherford, Earl of Teviot, and Sir John Lawson, Cholmeley gradually took over the project due to his experience in managing the pier at Whitby.