Alcaides
Describes the municipal office of alcaide in Funchal and other localities, its appointment and duties, until the last holder in 1832.
The alcaide (town officer with police and jail duties) of Funchal was appointed by the Council, but while the captaincies existed the appointment could only fall on one of three individuals proposed by the donatary. For many years the donatary was the alcaide-mor (royal governor of a castle and town), and for this reason the officer appointed by the Senate (senado, the municipal council) was often called the alcaide-menor (lesser alcaide, an officer appointed by the council). This officer combined functions that are today divided between the municipal administrator (administrador do concelho, the government's representative) and the Police Commissioner. There were alcaides in Câmara de Lobos, Ribeira Brava and Caniço at the time when these localities belonged to the municipality of Funchal, but the powers of these officers, who were also appointed by the Council, must have been similar to those of the present-day parish officers (regedores de paróquia). The last alcaide of Funchal was José Luís Brandão, appointed in 1832.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 01Place
Places mentioned · 04
- Câmara de Lobos
Had its own alcaide while part of Funchal municipality.
Câmara de Lobos is a municipality of Madeira whose seat was historically a 'lugar' rather than a vila. The Elucidário quotes Gaspar Frutuoso's description of it and outlines the creation of the concelho in 1835 and later changes to its parishes.
- Caniço
Santa Cruz. Had its own alcaide while part of Funchal municipality.
Caniço is a parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz, lying on the boundary between the captaincies of Funchal and Machico. Its early settlers included Gaspar Rego, Vasco Fernandes Rego and Álvaro de Ornelas, whose family founded morgados there; its alcaide and judge were appointed by the Funchal senate. The parish includes the Garajau statue, the Jesuits' Socorro residence and the Quinta do Barão da Conceição.
- Funchal
Municipality whose council appointed the alcaide.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Ribeira Brava
Had its own alcaide while part of Funchal municipality.
Municipality of Madeira created in 1914 from parishes of Ponta do Sol and Câmara de Lobos. Its seat, the sítio of Lugar, was raised to the status of vila in 1928.
People
People mentioned · 01-
Last alcaide of Funchal, appointed in 1832.