Antão de Almada, 12th Count of Avranches

Antão de Almada
1st Captain-General of the Azores
In office
1766–1774
Monarch Joseph
Prime Minister Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo
Succeeded by Dinis Gregório de Melo Castro e Mendonça
Constituency Azores
Personal details
Born Antão de Almada
19 April 1718
Condeixa-a-Nova
Died 26 January 1797
Lisbon
Resting place Convent of Graça
Citizenship Kingdom of Portugal
Nationality Portuguese
Spouse(s) Violante Josefa de Almada Henriques
Children
  • Lourenço José Boaventura de Almada, Count of Almada
  • Maria José do Carmo Xavier de Almada
Residence Angra do Heroísmo
Religion Roman Catholic

Antão de Almada (19 April 1718—26 January 1797), 9th Master of Pombalinho, and 14th Majorat of Lagares d’El-Rei, was the Grand Master of Ceremonies for the Royal House and, owing to his positions, made administrator of a few Portuguese colonies, including the first Captain-General of the Azores.

Biography

Antão de Almada was born in 1718 in Condeixa-a-Nova, in paternal family palace:[1] He was the son of Luis José de Almada, 10th Count of Avranches, 13th Majorat of Lagares d' El-Rei, and 8th Master of Pombalinho, and his spouse D. Violante of Portugal.

He obtained the status of fidalgo by charter on 21 June 1734, and knight on 1 November of the same year.[2]

He married on 24 October 1756,[3] D. Violante Josefa de Almada Henriques (11th Countess of Avranches and 10th Mistress of Pombalinho), whose was his niece.

He obtained the position of deputy in the Estates General, and was part of the Royal Council, by order of Joseph I of Portugal (22 August 1766).[1] and nominated in 1750 to the position of alcalde and commander of Proença-a-Velha.

He presided over the first Captaincy-General of the Azores, as Presidente da Junta da Administração e Arrecadação da Real Fazenda e Governador e Capitão-General das Ilhas dos Açores (President of the Administrative Junta, Collector of the Royal Treasury and Governor/Captain-General of the Azores), a sequence of a charter dated 2 August 1766. He disembarked in the city of Angra on 28 September 1766 and took office on 7 October. He governed until 1774, although it is unclear when he returned to Lisbon.

After a century, Antão was described, in the following terms:

"we hear that the King is very well served by him, honouring him, and elevating him for his position in office with dignity and science. He lived with his family, served by carriages, beautiful animals, pages and servants. He was very affable, a Courtier and almoner: mostly very gentle, attentive and listened to the vigilante parties; he did not meddle in other people's jurisdiction; and even as he arrived during the reforms, he was not really sported for the strength of his authority; but, he never needed to employ violent means to achieve his proposed goals. So much was the respect that even today his name is revered in these islands [Azores], and uttered with true reverence".[4]

Later life

Almada died on 26 January 1797, and was buried in the family chapel, in the church of the Convent of Graça, in Lisbon.[1]

References

Notes
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Affonso de Ornellas, 1942, p.25
  2. ↑ Portugal Arquivo Nacional, ed. (1840). Diccionario aristocratico contendo os alvarás dos foros de fidalgos de casa real que se achão registados nos livros das mercês. Archivo da Torre do Tombo, Lisbon, Portugal. p. 58.
  3. ↑ Silva, Innocencio Francisco da, Apontamentos Biographicos Acerca de D. Luis Francisco de Assis Sanches de Baena (1707-1782) dados à luz e offerecidos a seu terceiro neto o ex.mo senhor Visconde de Sanches de Baena, Lisbon, Portugal, p. 15
  4. ↑ Ferreira Drummond, Francisco. "Anais da Ilha Terceira" (III, Capítulo I ed.).
Sources