The Captaincies of the Azores () were the socio-political and administrative territorial divisions used to settle and govern the overseas lands of the Azores by the Kingdom of Portugal. These territories, a segment of the Captaincies of the Portuguese Empire, which usually conformed to the individual islands, allowing the stewardship of the King through the Donatary and Captaincy system.
History
Following the discovery of the first islands in the Atlantic, chiefly Madeira, and slow settlement of those possessions, the Portuguese needed a mechanism for control that did not necessitate dislocation by hereditary princes or monarchs. The Donatário system allowed the monarch to appoint individuals of confidence to run their affairs in those territories. Initially, Henry the Navigator was bestowed the administration and development of newly discovered lands, which he then transferred to the possession of the Order of Christ (to which he was its head). His heirs and descendants (the Dukes of Viseu) would therefore oversea the orderly expansion of Portuguese dominion in the New World, without necessarily venturing into the seas.
To this end, and by extension, he nominated his own men of confidence (since the Salic Laws only permitted the transfer of title to legitimate male heirs) that would directly oversea the activities in his place. These "captains" or capitães dos donatários (captains of the donataries) would govern in his place, endowed with certain privileges that facilitated their stewardship and rewarded their active development of the territory. The captaincies were, therefore, a scaled-down version of the donatário system.
On 15 August 1432 a small vessel disembarked on the northern shore of what became known as the islands of the Azores. There quick settlement, resulted in Prince Henry applying the same method of consolidating faithful relationships, deeming some vassals sources of manpower to conduct political and economic administration of the archipelago. Therefore, the captaincy system was employed on the islands, which in the beginning were limited to a group of rocky outcrops (the Formigas) and the unspoiled island of Santa Maria, where settlers had made a beachhead in the northern region of Anjos. With progressive discoveries, the number of captaincies expanded, only broken by inter- and intra-island rivalries and death.
Commander of Santa Maria and Captain of the Azores
1439–1461 — Gonçalo Velho Cabral As "discoverer" and commander of the expedition to the Atlantic, Cabral was the first commander to obtain the title of Captain of the Donatary in the Azores. Yet, the title bestowed on Gonçalo Velho is not very clear, as it has been both referred to as the comendador da ilha de Santa Maria e nosso capitão nos Açores (Commander of the island of Santa Maria and Our captain of the Azores), or alternately as the comendador das ilhas dos Açores (Commander of the Azores). The more probable interpretation of this role, being from the Order of Christ responsible for the administration of the islands, came from the comenda regime, referring to a knighthood or commandery, normally associated with the Order in Portugal, but applied to the, then, populous island of Santa Maria in the archipelago. Still, in 1460, in a letter from Henry the Navigator, the prince described Cabral as Capitão por mim em minhas ilhas de Santa Maria e São Miguel dos Açores (Captain for Me in My Islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel in the Azores).
Cabral was the ideal Captain to obtain this title, who "cultivated the island [of Santa Maria] with noble people, treating the island with much love and caring the people with much gentleness; for this reason he was obeyed by all and very dear to the entire island.Gaspar Frutuoso Saudades da Terra, Book III, p.112/143Susana Goulart Costa (2008), p.238 It is still unclear at what time Gonaçalo Velho Cabral abrogated and vacated the captaincy of the two islands to his nephew, João Soares de Albergaria.
Donatary-Captaincy of Santa Maria After the sale of the captaincy of São Miguel to Rui Gonçalves da Câmara, the Captaincy of Santa Maria and São Miguel was divided into two separate administrations, with Santa Maria remaining in the hands of Gonçalo Velho Cabrals successor, João Soares de Albergaria. 1474–1499 — João Soares de Albergaria; succeed his maternal uncle (Gonçalo Velho Cabral) in the commandership of the Azores, he sold his privileges to São Miguel to Rui Gonçalves da Câmara in order obtain free-up money during his wife's illness; Albergaria was responsible for promoting the settlement on the island and its defense, but was captured during a Castilian raid and ransomed. He, eventually, returned to the island late in his life. 1499–1571 — João Soares de Sousa; until 1509 it was Lieutenant João de Marvão who administered this territory, since at the time of João Soares de Albergaria death (1499), João Soares was only six years old at the time. He was recognized for his progressive Captain-ship of Santa Maria, assisting the poor and providing reasonable terms for land rental: for these actions he was arrested and sent to Lisbon to face judgement. He, eventually, appealed to the King and was returned to his post; 1571–1576? — Pedro Soares de Sousa; 1580–?? — Jerónimo Coutinho; 1594–?? — Brás Soares de Sousa; 1626–?? — Pedro Soares de Sousa, grandson of the previous; 1639–?? — Brás Soares de Sousa, grandson of the previous; 1649–?? — Branca de Gama; 1654–?? — João Falcão de Sousa; 1665–?? — Joana de Meneses; 1667–1720 — Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor; 1720–1734 — Afonso de Vasconcelos e Sousa Cunha Câmara Faro e Veiga, 5th Count of Calheta; 1734–1801 — José de Vasconcelos e Sousa Caminha da Câmara Faro e Veiga, 1st Marquess of Castelo Melhor; the last donatary captain, before the creation of the Captaincy-General of the Azores, in 1766. After this date, the rest of the captains became honorary, while maintaining the corresponding incomes; 1801–1806 — António José de Vasconcelos e Sousa da Câmara Caminha Faro e Veiga, 6th Count of Calheta and 2nd Marquess of Castelo Melhor; 1806–1827 — Afonso de Vasconcelos e Sousa da Câmara Caminha Faro e Veiga, 7th Count of Calheta and 3rd Marquess of Castelo Melhor; 1827–1832 — António de Vasconcelos e Sousa da Câmara Caminha Faro e Veiga, 8th Count of Calheta and 4th Marquess of Castelo Melhor.
Donatary-Captaincy of São Miguel Until 1474, the island of São Miguel was part of a larger fiefdom bequeathed to João Soares de Albergaria, the Captaincy of Santa Maria and São Miguel.Carlos Melo Bento (2008), p.22 At that time, the island was a large, underpopulated and, therefore, unproductive possession of the Donatário Diogo, Duke of Viseu, and Koão Soares was more preoccupied with the health of his wife, and looked to the sale as a way of improving his finances (during a period while he was staying with their family in Madeira).Carlos Melo Bento (2008), p.23 The sale by João Soares de Albergaria of the Donatary-captaincy of the islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel, lead to the separation of the administration of São Miguel from Santa Maria, after 1474.
1474–1497 — Rui Gonçalves da Câmara, 3rd Donatary-Captain; Duke Diogo, nephew of King Edward approved the transfer of the Donatary-captaincy to Rui da Câmara, who offered lands to settlers who were obligated to transform the uncultivated lands within a five-year contract. Those who were unable to fulfill the contract would forfeit their lands to another, who were under the same obligations, thus rapidly populating the island. It was during Rui Gonçalves administration that the provincial capital of Vila Franca was destroyed resulting in the death of many and forcing the move of the administration to Ponta Delgada.Carlos Melo Bento (2008), p.33
Subsequently, all the donatary captains of São Miguel became members of the family of Rui Gonçalves da Câmara;
1497–1502 — João Rodrigues da Câmara, 4th Donatary-Captain; At the time of his death Rui Gonçalves had no issue; a squire to the house of Donatário D. Ferdinand, this nobleman left no heirs, and contrary to the laws of inheritance on 10 March 1474 D. Diogo authorized the bestowal of the Captaincy to this Captains illegitimate sons.Susana Goulart Costa (2008), p.237 1502–1535 — Rui Gonçalves da Câmara II, 5th Donatary-Captain; 1535–1578 — Manuel da Câmara, 6th Donatary-Captain; 1578–1601 — Rui Gonçalves da Câmara III, 7th Donatary-Captain and 1st Count of Vila Franca; 1601–1619 — Manuel da Câmara II, 8th Donatary-Captain and 2nd Count of Vila Franca; 1619–1662 — Rodrigo da Câmara, 9th Donatary-Captain and 3rd Count of Vila Franca; 1662–1673 — Manuel da Câmara III, 10th Donatary-Captain, 4th Count of Vila Franca and 1st Count of Ribeira Grande; 1673–1724 — José Rodrigo da Câmara, 11th Donatary-Captain and 2nd Count of Ribeira Grande; 1724–1724 — Luís Manuel da Câmara, 12th Donatary-Captain and 3rd Count of Ribeira Grande; 1724–1757 — José da Câmara Teles, 13th Donatary-Captain and 4th Count of Ribeira Grande; 1757–1766 — Joana Tomásia da Câmara, descendent titleholder of captaincy, married to Guido Augusto da Câmara, her uncle, to whom fell the titles of 14th (and last) Donatary-Captain and 5th Count of Ribeira Grande, owing to the death of the elder son José da Câmara Teles.
Donatary-Captaincy of Terceira The island of Terceira was established as a single captaincy, and later divided into two captaincies: that of Angra and Praia. It was the only island where the territory was divided into separate captaincies: 1450–1466 — Jácome de Bruges. This captain disappeared mysteriously, with the suggestion that he was murdered, thrown overboard while at sea, during a voyage. Contrary to the Mental Law that favoured legitimate male heirs, in 1450, Prince Henry the Navigator permitted his first-born daughter to inherit the Terceirense Captaincy. What followed was a long process, in which his son-in-law, Duarte Paim, claimed the captaincy, over the claims of Álvaro Martins Homem and João Vaz Corte-Real. This process was decided in favor of the latter, but after some pleading on the part of both men, the island was divided into two captaincies. 1466–1474 — Álvaro Martins Homem. Due to constant quarrelling between Homem and Corte Real, the island was divided into two captaincies by charter of Infanta D. Brites, tutor and curator of the donatary, from 17 February 1474. The island was roughly divided diagonally, and following long disputres, it was fixed in 1568, parting from the southern coast at the mouth of the Ribeira Seca, São Sebastião, crossed the island until the Cerro da Ribeira dos Gatos, near the northern coast (along the Canada da Almas, near Cruz do Marco, in Altares). In this area, a commission of "good men" of navigation, established a mark to distinguish the division, giving rise the locality. The post survived until 1997–1998, when alterations to the regional roadway resulted in its destruction. Having selected the territory of Angra, João Vaz Corte Real compensated Álvaro Martins Homem for the public works completed by the latter.
Captaincy of Angra The captaincy of Angra was created on 2 April 1474, under the stewardship of João Vaz Corte-Real (was bestowed on him, in recognition of his "many and great services"), who promoted the settlement of many nobles from the Kingdom, many in company of their servants and entourage. In the process he opened new roads and established settlements in different points of the western part of the island, until by 1478, most of Angra was built, meriting its elevation to the category of vila (town).