Câmara (Dom José Manuel da)
Original title: Câmara (D. José Manuel da)
Governor and captain-general of Madeira (1800–1803), whose rule saw the British occupation and the 1803 flood, and who was dismissed after quarrelling with Bishop Vilares.
On 8 May 1800 he was appointed governor and captain-general of this archipelago, taking up office on 4 December of the same year. Two important events occurred during his rule: the occupation of this island by British troops (see Occupation of Madeira by British troops) and the terrible flood of 9 October 1803 (see Floods).
He quarrelled with the prelate Dom Luís Rodrigues de Vilares and banished him to the parish (freguesia) of Santo da Serra (see the article on this prelate). Among the accusations made against the bishop, the most notable was that he was a freemason and held frequent secret meetings with various members of the secret societies. The prelate and the governor were both summoned to Lisbon: Dom José Manuel da Câmara was dismissed, while Dom Luís Rodrigues de Vilares continued in the exercise of his ministry. The high court judge (desembargador) Dr Joaquim António de Araújo came to Madeira to investigate the governor’s actions.
He left Madeira on 10 December 1803, his successor Ascenso de Sequeira Freire having already arrived on the island.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 02-
D. José Manuel da Câmara was appointed governor and captain-general of Madeira.
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D. José Manuel da Câmara took office as governor of Madeira.
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The great flood of 9 October 1803, considered Madeira's greatest calamity, devastated Funchal and other parts of the island, killing about 600 people and destroying the Calhau church, stream walls, bridges and chapels in Machico, Santa Cruz and elsewhere. It prompted Oudinot's mission and the city's spread outwards.
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Bishop D. Luís Rodrigues de Vilares and the dismissed governor sailed separately from Madeira to Lisbon under government orders.
Place
Places mentioned · 02
Abroad
- Lisbon
Portugal. Where governor and bishop were summoned.
The Portuguese capital, seat of the Relação court and of the Misericórdia whose privileges and statutes were extended to Funchal. Henrique Franco de Sousa studied at its Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and Luiz José Baiardo moved there in 1821.
- Santo António da Serra
Machico. Parish to which the governor banished the bishop.
An upland parish on a plateau above Santa Cruz and Machico, divided between those two municipalities. The Elucidário covers its settlement, church and Protestant troubles, and the short-lived Aldeia da Rainha colony of Porto Santo settlers. It also records its quintas, its lagoon, Burnay's dairy factory and the exile of a bishop there.
People
People mentioned · 04-
Governor and captain-general of Madeira 1800–1803, dismissed after his conflict with the bishop.
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Successor as governor of Madeira.
- D. Luís Rodrigues de Vilaresd. 1810
Bishop of Funchal exiled by the governor to Santo da Serra and accused of freemasonry, later kept in office.
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High-court judge sent to investigate the governor's acts.