Judge of the customs house
Original title: Juiz da Alfândega
The judge of the customs house was the chief office of the Funchal customs, later called provedor, responsible for its direction and for collecting various revenues and taxes. The office lasted from at least 1494 until the 19th century.
This was the most important office of this revenue house, and its holder later came to be called superintendent (provedor). Besides directing the customs house, he was responsible for collecting other revenues and various taxes, as we mentioned in the article Customs Houses (see vol. I, p. 36).
On 20 February 1494 Manuel I appointed Francisco Alvares judge of the Funchal customs house, because he had married a daughter of the previous judge. The office survived until the 19th century.