He was born in London after his family emigrated there after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Soon after, they moved to a small town in southwestern France, Saint-Esprit (today, a district of Bayonne). After a short time, the family moved to Bordeaux, where Furtado was raised and educated.
Furtado was born in London after his family fled there following the devastating Lisbon earthquake of 1755. The family then resided in a small town in southwestern France, Saint-Esprit (now part of Bayonne), before eventually settling in Bordeaux, where Furtado spent his formative years.