Oliveira
Entry on the Oliveira surname in Madeira, describing the families descended from the wine merchant Domingos de Oliveira Alvares and from the fifteenth-century settler Pedro de Brito Oliveira Pestana.
At various times several individuals bearing this surname settled on this island, founding a number of families that spread through many parishes of the archipelago. Around the middle of the 18th century Domingos de Oliveira Alvares came to Funchal and set himself up as a wine merchant. He founded a large and distinguished family whose members include Councillor (conselheiro, honorary title of the royal council) João Francisco de Oliveira, Joaquim de Oliveira Alvares and the Count of Tojal, all of whom we deal with in this Elucidário. Domingos de Oliveira had a grandson, Benjamim de Oliveira, born in England in 1806, who held high offices in that country. A biographical notice before us states that he was a member of the British Parliament, of the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries of London, of the Council of the Royal College of Chemistry and of the Botanical, Zoological and Horticultural Societies of the same city, vice-president of the Archaeological Society of England, director of the British Institution for the Fine Arts and of the English Painters, a member of almost all the philanthropic societies of London, etc., etc. Benjamim de Oliveira was several times entrusted by his country’s government with important missions to various European governments. He published several works.
Many of the people surnamed Oliveira in Madeira also descend from Pedro de Brito Oliveira Pestana, who came to Madeira with his brother João Mendes de Brito around 1470. Both held noble rank (foro de fidalgo), according to Dr Azevedo in his notes to the Saudades.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 02Place
Places mentioned · 03
Abroad
- England
United Kingdom. Country where Benjamim de Oliveira was born and held high office.
England appears in the Elucidário as the first main market for Madeira embroidery and the main importer of Madeiran wicker. It was also the source of most butter consumed in Funchal in the early nineteenth century. It was a chief refuge for liberal emigrants fleeing Miguelist persecution, and several Madeirans studied or served as diplomats there.
- Funchal
City where Domingos de Oliveira Alvares settled as a wine merchant.
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.
- London
United Kingdom. City of the learned and philanthropic societies to which Benjamim de Oliveira belonged.
The British capital, the place of publication of many English works on Madeira, including those of the du Canes, Embleton and Bloxam. Mason compared its humidity with Funchal's, and artillery for the Fortress of São Tiago came from there. It hosted the 1909 applied chemistry congress.
People
People mentioned · 08- Álvaro Rodrigues de Azevedo1825–1898
Annotator of the Saudades da Terra, cited as the source for the noble status of the Brito brothers.
- Benjamim de Oliveirab. 1806
English-born grandson of Domingos de Oliveira, member of the British Parliament and of many London learned societies, who undertook diplomatic missions and published several works.
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Wine merchant who settled in Funchal in the mid-18th century and founded a numerous and distinguished Oliveira family.
- Dr. João Francisco de Oliveira1761–1829
Member of the Oliveira family descended from Domingos de Oliveira Alvares, with his own entry in the Elucidário.
- João Gualberto de Oliveira1788–1852
Titled member of the Oliveira family descended from Domingos de Oliveira Alvares, with his own entry in the Elucidário.
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Brother of Pedro de Brito Oliveira Pestana who came with him to Madeira around 1470.
- Joaquim de Oliveira Álvares1776–1835
Member of the Oliveira family descended from Domingos de Oliveira Alvares, with his own entry in the Elucidário.
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Nobleman who came to Madeira around 1470 and from whom many Madeiran Oliveiras descend.