House of the Twenty-Four
Original title: Casa dos Vinte e Quatro
Funchal's guild body of delegates of the mechanical trades, presided over by the juiz do povo, which elected him and the four mesteres on the council; abolished in 1834.
This was the name of an association made up of delegates of the mechanical trades and presided over by the people's judge (juiz do povo, elected representative of the craft guilds).
On 21 January 1812 a royal letter (carta régia) was addressed to the judge, councillors (vereadores) and other officers of the Council of the City of Funchal, ordering ‘that, until a new building with the necessary accommodation is constructed, the Council shall allow the corporation of the board of the Twenty-Four the use of the council sessions chamber’.
The House of the Twenty-Four (Casa dos Vinte e Quatro, assembly of the craft guilds) elected the people's judge and also the four guild representatives (mesteres) who sat in the Senate (senado, the municipal council). It was abolished by the decree of 7 May 1834.