Foundlings
Original title: Enjeitados
History of the care of foundlings in Madeira, whose administration passed from the bishop to the governor and then to the Funchal council, with recurring funding problems.
In 1583 the care of foundlings was entrusted to the Bishop, but a royal warrant (provisão) of 1685 transferred it to the Governor-General. Since 1693 the supervision of foundlings has been the responsibility of the Council. For many years, however, the wet nurses were paid by a treasurer elected annually by the House of the Twenty-Four (Casa dos Vinte e Quatro, assembly of the craft guilds). For this purpose, and for the maintenance of the lepers, he collected a third of the revenue from the wine levy (imposição do vinho). On 7 May 1761 the Funchal Council resolved to consult the Government on whether it should continue to allow this treasurer to collect the third of the municipal levy (imposição), since the collection of municipal revenues fell to the treasurer of the municipality (concelho).
A royal decree (alvará régio) of 1752 granted the wet nurses of foundlings in this archipelago the same privileges enjoyed by those of Lisbon.
Old documents show that in 1811 the Funchal Council was struggling with a lack of funds to support the foundlings. Even in the third quarter of the 19th century the wet nurses were not paid their wages on time, which led many of them to sell their claims cheaply to certain speculators, who made considerable sums from these transactions.
The old foundling wheel (revolving hatch where infants could be left anonymously) was in the building of the Holy House of Mercy (Santa Casa da Misericórdia). It was there that many mothers abandoned their children when, through lack of means or for any other reason, they could not raise them.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 06-
Administration of foundlings was entrusted to the bishop.
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Royal provisions transferred the administration of the lepers and of foundlings to the governor-general of Madeira.
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The Funchal municipal council took over superintendence of foundlings.
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A royal charter gave Madeiran foundling wet-nurses the privileges of those in Lisbon.
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Funchal council consulted the government on the treasurer's collection of the wine levy for foundlings.
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The Funchal council lacked funds to support foundlings.
Place
Places mentioned · 03
Abroad
- Funchal
Its council was responsible for foundlings from 1693.
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.
- Holy House of Mercy of Funchal
Funchal. Housed the old foundling wheel.
Charitable hospital in Funchal that housed the old foundling wheel and keeps a life-size portrait of D. Diogo Pereira Forjaz Coutinho, with a plaque commemorating a new entrance he built. Works to house a projected oceanographic museum began there but were abandoned, and Carlos Elói Mota Freitas's War Cross insignia were exhibited there in 1921.
- Lisbon
Portugal. Madeiran wet-nurses received the same privileges as those of Lisbon.
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.