Auxiliary Artillery
Original title: Artilharia Auxiliar
The auxiliary artillery corps of Madeira (1805–1868), which garrisoned the coastal batteries and forts, nicknamed the 'papoilas'.
The auxiliary artillery corps of Madeira, established in 1805, had a staff and fifteen companies under the regulations given to it by Luís da Silva Mousinho de Albuquerque on 12 November 1834. The staff consisted of a lieutenant-colonel or major in command, a captain or subaltern as adjutant, and a sergeant-adjutant. Fourteen of these companies belonged to Madeira and one to Porto Santo (‘holy harbour’), and four of the Madeiran companies had their quarters in Funchal.
The chief duty of the auxiliary artillery was to garrison, guard and watch over the batteries, forts, lookout posts and accessible points of the archipelago's coast.
In the days of absolute government it was customary for young men of the leading families of Funchal to enlist as cadets in the auxiliary artillery corps. Its commander at that time was an officer of the regular army, while the lieutenants and second lieutenants were all militiamen.
The auxiliary artillery corps, or corps of the papoilas (‘poppies’), was abolished by the ministerial order (portaria) of 3 February 1868.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 03Place
Places mentioned · 02
- Funchal
Quarters of four companies.
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.
- Porto Santo
Had one company of the corps.
An island of the archipelago, settled alongside Madeira and forming one of the three captaincies. It has always constituted a single parish, dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Piedade, whose church was repeatedly sacked. The Elucidário records the Moorish pirate raid of 1617, its own Misericórdia and a rainwater channel built on this drought-prone island.
People
People mentioned · 01-
Issued the 1834 regulation organising the auxiliary artillery corps of Madeira.