Berenguer
Family entry on the Berenguer lineage of Madeira, descended from Dr Pedro Berenguer de Lemilhana, a Valencian physician who settled at Calheta and founded an entailed estate. It also names later members distinguished in colonial and Restoration wars.
The Berenguer family
‘Above the town,’ says Frutuoso, ‘a quarter of a légua inland, stands the sugar mill (engenho) of the Cabrais; and near it is another belonging to the Doctor of Calheta (‘small cove’), a physician named Pedro Berenguer de Lemilhana, moço fidalgo (junior nobleman of the Royal Household) and knight of the Order of Christ.’ It is from him that the surname Berenguer derives, and even today a considerable part of the sesmaria (royal land grant to settlers on condition of cultivation) lands that Pedro de Berenguer held in Calheta still bears the name Lombo do Doutor (‘the doctor’s ridge’). He was a native of Valencia, in Spain, a doctor of medicine and a nobleman of the Royal Household (fidalgo da Casa Real). He came to Madeira in the last quarter of the 16th century and settled in the parish (freguesia) of Calheta, where he founded an entailed estate (morgadio), which he passed on to his descendants. A grant of a coat of arms was issued to him or to one of his successors by royal decree (alvará régio) of 5 November 1524. The arms are: on a field gules, a bend azure edged or, charged with three fleurs-de-lis argent; an open helm argent; mantling argent and gules; and for crest an arm vested gules holding one of the fleurs-de-lis in the hand.
Dr Pedro de Berenguer Lemilhana died in Calheta and was buried at the crossing before the chancel of the parish church of this parish.
One of the administrators of this entailed estate was Gaspar Berenguer de Andrade, who distinguished himself in the war in Brazil and was therefore granted the habit of Christ and noble rank (foro de fidalgo). With his wife, Dona Isabel de França, he founded the Convent of Our Lady of Ransom (see that entry), of which they were patrons and where they were buried. Gaspar Berenguer was born in 1603 and died in 1691.
Members of this family included Francisco Berenguer de Lemilhana, who took part in the wars of Pernambuco for 22 years and was awarded the habit of Christ; António de Andrade Berenguer, who distinguished himself in the wars of the Restoration; and Bartolomeu de Melo Berenguer, who served with valour and courage in the campaigns of Maranhão.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 04Place
Places mentioned · 08
Abroad
- Brazil
Where Gaspar Berenguer fought.
Brazil is recorded in the Elucidário as a chief destination of Madeiran emigrants, including several clergy and writers. It was also a market for Madeira wine and brandy and a maker of wickerwork from Madeiran osiers. It was linked to Madeira by the 1874 telegraph cable and is the native country of the araçá.
- Calheta
Parish where Pedro Berenguer settled, held land and was buried.
Calheta is a town, parish and municipality on Madeira's south-west coast and one of the island's oldest settlements. The Elucidário covers its name, early settlers such as Pedro Berenguer, its church and many chapels, including one of a former Franciscan convent, and the 1834 riot.
- Convent of Our Lady of Ransom
Funchal. Convent founded by Gaspar Berenguer de Andrade and his wife.
The Convento de Nossa Senhora das Mercês was a Franciscan nunnery in Funchal, founded by Gaspar Berenguer de Andrade and his wife, which no longer exists.
- Lombo do Doutor
Calheta. Locality named after Dr Pedro Berenguer's sesmaria lands.
Lombo do Doutor is an inhabited locality in the parish of Calheta, named after Dr Pedro Berenguer de Lemilhana, a Spanish settler who held sesmaria lands and founded an entail there. The entailed estate was charged with an annual endowment for the Convento das Mercês, and the locality had chapels of 1505 and 1708.
- Maranhão
Brazil. Scene of campaigns of Bartolomeu de Melo Berenguer.
Maranhão is a Brazilian province. Francisco Pedro de Meneses Gorjão went there to govern, and it was the scene of campaigns of Bartolomeu de Melo Berenguer.
- Parish church of Calheta
Calheta. Church where Pedro Berenguer was buried.
Church where Pedro Berenguer was buried.
- Pernambuco
Brazil. Scene of wars in which Francisco Berenguer fought.
A Brazilian captaincy invaded by the Dutch and restored by the Madeiran João Fernandes Vieira, with other Madeirans fighting there. From 1637 Madeira paid a war levy for its recovery. It was also a diocese whose first bishop was D. Estevão Brioso.
- Valencia
Spain. Spanish birthplace of Pedro Berenguer.
Valência is a Spanish city, the birthplace of Pedro Berenguer. Fr. João Pinto da Vitória published his works and died there.
People
People mentioned · 07-
Family member distinguished in the wars of the Restoration.
-
Family member who served bravely in the Maranhão campaigns.
-
Family member who fought 22 years in the Pernambuco wars and received the habit of Christ.
- Gaspar Berenguer de Andrade1603–1691
Administrator of the Berenguer entail who fought in Brazil and co-founded the convent of Nossa Senhora das Mercês.
- Gaspar Frutuoso1522–1591
Azorean chronicler quoted on the sugar mills near Calheta.
-
Wife of Gaspar Berenguer de Andrade and co-founder and patron of the Mercês convent, where she was buried.
-
Physician from Valencia who settled in Calheta, owned a sugar mill, founded an entailed estate and began the Berenguer family in Madeira.