Câmara (José Bettencourt da)
José Bettencourt da Câmara (1844–1875) was a Madeiran journalist and genealogist who contributed genealogical notes to the Saudades da Terra.
He was born on 19 April 1844 at the Quinta do Descanso (‘estate of rest’), in the parish (freguesia) of Santa Luzia, which belonged to his paternal grandfather, the holder of the entail (morgado) Tristão Joaquim Bettencourt da Câmara. He died in the parish of Câmara de Lobos on 19 October 1875, while travelling from Estreito da Calheta (‘the narrows of Calheta’) to this city, aged only 31. He contributed valuably to several newspapers and showed a remarkable talent for letters. He devoted himself above all to genealogical and heraldic studies and had a wide knowledge of the lineages of the old Madeiran families. Some of the notes in the ‘Longing for the Homeland’ (Saudades da Terra) dealing with genealogical subjects are his. He was preparing a valuable work on this subject, which he never completed.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 02Place
Places mentioned · 04
- Câmara de Lobos
Parish where he died while travelling.
Parish west of Funchal. The Elucidário traces its name to Zarco's discovery voyage and describes its churches, chapels and collegiate chapter, early settlers, fishing community and renowned vineyards. It also records the parish's localities, boundaries, levadas and population.
- Estreito da Calheta
Calheta. Starting point of his final journey.
Estreito da Calheta is a parish of Calheta municipality in western Madeira, bounded by the Ribeira de São Bartolomeu and the Ribeira Funda. Its parish church of Nossa Senhora da Graça was founded by the França family, and the entry covers its landholding settlers, chapels, localities, schools and irrigation by the Levada Nova do Rabaçal; Prazeres was separated from it in 1733.
- Quinta do Descanso
Funchal. Birthplace of the subject.
Quinta do Descanso is an estate in the parish of Santa Luzia, Funchal, still known by this name. The chapel of Nossa Senhora do Descanso stood on it, and it was the birthplace of José Bettencourt da Câmara.
- Santa Luzia
Funchal. Parish of his birthplace.
Santa Luzia is one of the four urban parishes of Funchal, in the upper, northern part of the city. It was created in 1676 from parts of the Sé and Monte parishes; its present church was completed around 1741, and it became a julgado of the Funchal comarca in 1927. It is noted as the dampest district of Funchal, and the council archive was stored there from 1807.
People
People mentioned · 02- José Bettencourt da Câmara1844–1875
Madeiran genealogist and newspaper contributor who wrote notes to the Saudades da Terra.
-
Paternal grandfather of the subject and owner of the Quinta do Descanso.