Manuel Cabral de Alpoim

Manuel Cabral de Melo e Alpoim

Castle of Belmonte, belonging to their ancestors
Personal details
Born 1589
São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
Died 1676
Corrientes, Argentina
Nationality Portuguese
Spouse(s) Inés Arias de Mansilla
Juana Delgado de Espinosa
Occupation Landowner
Politician
Profession Army's officer
Military service
Allegiance  Spain
Service/branch Spanish Army
Years of service 1620-1676
Rank General

Manuel Cabral de Melo e Alpoim (1589–1676) was a Portuguese nobleman, Regidor and Alcalde of Buenos Aires.[1] He also served as Lieutenant Governor of Corrientes and Santa Fe Province (Argentina).[2] Cabral de Melo was one of the most powerful cattle breeders of South America during the Spanish Empire, belonging to a noble Portuguese family descended from the Royal House.[3]

Biography

Manuel was born in São Miguel Island, he arrived at the Rio de la Plata in the company of their parents Amador Vaz de Alpoim and Margarida Cabral de Melo, belonging to the Portuguese nobility.[4] His family had lived for five years in the Portuguese colony of Brazil, in which they had taken refuge after the earthquake in the Azores islands, in 1591.[5]

He began his studies in Buenos Aires, to continue his education at Lisbon (Portugal).[6] In 1613, he returned to Buenos Aires, and began to work in his father's business.

During 1620s and 1630s, Manuel Cabral de Melo e Alpoim occupied several government posts, including the positions of alcalde, regidor and Maestre de Campo.[7] Resident in Corrientes was appointed as Lieutenant Governor of Province in 1625.[8] He led the crackdown against the rebel Indians, who in 1628, had murdered the Spanish Jesuits among them Roque González de Santa Cruz, cowardly attacked by the cacique Ñezú in reduction of San Nicolás, located across the Uruguay River.[9] Commanding an army of 200 soldiers of Guarani origin, departed from the city of Itatí to Rio Grande do Sul, in support of the Jesuits. The rapid intervention of Alpoim, saved the lives of hundreds of people. Also gave approximately 40.000 cattle for creating stays in the area.[10]

The heart of Roque González de Santa Cruz, burned and pierced with an arrow, was found by Alpoim inside a bag of relics.[11] His heart wrapped in the blanket, was escorted by soldiers of Captain Alpoim to the city of Corrientes.[12]

The Jesuit martyrs

With large effort was also devoted to livestock, in 1620s, he had obtained permission for the exploitation of "ganado cimarron" (wild cattle and horses).[13] He had a ranch in Monte Grande, and also ran his mother's ranch in Luján.[14]

Alpoim was a man highly respected by the natives of the area, giving permission for raising cattle to the Indians of the Reductions, to feed their families.[15]

In 1637-38, Alpoim participated in expeditions against the rebel tribes that inhabited in the region of Calchaquí Valleys. The expeditions were led by Governor Pedro Dávila Enriquez and its successor Mendo de la Cueva.[16]

Manuel Cabral de Alpoim used some weapons for defense, he had two arquebus one of flint, and the other of ammunition. Also he possessed an iron spear, and a sword of habit of the Third .[17]

Family and Ancestors

His father, Amador Vaz de Alpoim, was a wealthy merchant who had participated in the expedition of the Ciudad de los Césares. His mother Margarida Cabral de Melo, was an aristocratic lady, great-granddaughter of Lourenço Anes and Grimaneza Afonso de Melo (natives of Azores).[18]

Manuel Cabral de Melo was twice married, 1st, to Inés Arias de Mansilla, daughter of Francisco Arias de Mansilla (regidor) and Lucía de Espinosa. And to 2dly, with Juana Delgado de Espinosa, daughter of Captain Francisco Delgado de Ledesma and Jerónima de Espinosa. He had two daughters Margarita and Gregoria, and a son, Juan Cabral de Alpoim y Arias de Mansilla, alcalde, regidor and landowner of Corrientes Province.[19]

In 1612, Alpoim traveled to Lisbon, where the King of Arms handed his Cartório da Nobreza (certificate of nobility).[20] Her family includes among its illustrious ancestors; Kings of Portugal of Castile and France, also including the Royal House of England,[21] through Afonso III of Portugal,[22] grandson of Eleanor of England. He also was descendant of the same John, King of England, through of Álvaro Gonçalves da Maia, an ancestor of Beatriz de Noronha, wife of Álvaro Martins Homem.[23]

Manuel Cabral de Melo e Alpoim claimed that his paternal ancestors were medieval knights of France.[24] probably of Norman origin.[25] His maternal ancestors were relatives to Gonçalo Velho Cabral and Pedro Álvares Cabral discoverers of Azores and Brazil.[26]

References

  1. ↑ Genealogía, Issue 13, Instituto Argentino de Ciencias Genealógicas, 1961
  2. ↑ IX Congreso Internacional de Historia de América, ERE, Editora Regional de Extremadura, 2002
  3. ↑ Studies in Genealogy and Family History in Tribute to Charles Evans on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, Charles F. H. Evans, 1989
  4. ↑ Matrimonios, bautismos y defunciones de la Catedral de Buenos Aires, 1601-1644, Academia Americana de Genealogía, Jan 1, 2002, 2002-01-01
  5. ↑ Hidalguía - Volumen30 - Página 748. Instituto Salazar y Castro. 1982.
  6. ↑ Orígenes de la ganadería en Corrientes: siglos XVI y XVII - Página. Raúl de Labougle. 1962.
  7. ↑ IX Congreso Internacional de Historia de América, byFernando Serrano Mangas, 2002
  8. ↑ Juan de Torres de Vera y Aragón : nueva historia de la fundación de la, By Gustavo Miguel Sorg, 2007, ISBN 9789870524625
  9. ↑ Misiones Orientales: La Provincia Perdida. Alejandro Larguía. 2000. ISBN 9789500513050.
  10. ↑ La Reducción Jesuítica de Santos Cosme y Damián: su historia, su economía y su arquitectura, 1633-1797. Rafael Carbonell de Masy, Teresa Blumers, Norberto Levinton. 2003.
  11. ↑ Revista de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Volume 39, Issues 3-4. Dirección General de Publicaciones, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
  12. ↑ Boletín de la Academia Nacional de la Historia, Volume 61. Academia Nacional de la Historia.
  13. ↑ El Interior y su Historia. Junta de Historia de la Provincia de Corrientes.
  14. ↑ Boletín de la Academia Nacional de la Historia. Academia Nacional de la Historia (Argentina).
  15. ↑ Buenos Aires: revista de humanidades, Volume 2, Ministerio de Educación de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, 1962
  16. ↑ Lecciones de historiografía de Corrientes, Part 1, Manuel V. Figuerero, 1929
  17. ↑ Lecciones de historiografía de Corrientes - Volumen 1, Manuel V. Figuerero, 1929
  18. ↑ Historia insulana das ilhas a Portugal sugeytas no Oceano Occidental, Antonio CORDEYRO, 1717
  19. ↑ Nobiliario del antiguo virreynato del Río de la Plata. Carlos Calvo. 1938.
  20. ↑ Actas de la XI Reunión Americana de Genealogía, Instituto Padre Sarmiento de Estudios Gallegos (Santiado de Compostela), Galicia, 2005, ISBN 9788400083366
  21. ↑ Buenos Aires: revista de humanidades - Volumen2 - Página 63. Ministerio de Educación de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. 1962.
  22. ↑ Corrientes: poder y aristocracia. Juan Cruz Jaime. 2002. ISBN 9789874347411.
  23. ↑ Primer Congreso Internacional de Historia y Genealogía Gallega. Instituto Argentino Gallego de Ciencias Históricas y Genealógicas. 1999-01-01. ISBN 9789879791509.
  24. ↑ Trabajos de investigacion y de tesis.̈, Issue 9, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Didáctica, 1946
  25. ↑ Nobiliário de familias de Portugal, Manoel Jozé da Costa Felgueiras Gayo
  26. ↑ Historia de San Juan de Vera de las Siete Corrientes, 1588-1814, Raúl de Labougle
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.