Governors General / Governadores Gerais

With the end of the Philippine dominion, the rule of the Captain-Donataries (see Donataries) came to an end, and this archipelago came to be administered by Governors General, directly appointed by the Spanish government. The administration of the Governors General lasted throughout the period of Castilian administration. They were:

• João Leitão (1581),
• D. Agostinho Herrera (1582),
• João Leitão (1583),
• Tristão Vaz da Veiga (1585),
• Antonio Pereira de Barredo (1590),
• Diogo de Azambuja e Melo (1594),
• Cristovão Falcão de Sousa (1600),
• João Fogaça de Eça (1603),
• D. Manuel Pereira Coutinho (1609),
• Jorge da Câmara (1614),
• Pedro da Silva (1618),
• D. Francisco Henriques (1622),
• Fernão de Saldanha (1625),
• D. Francisco de Sousa (1627),
• D. João de Meneses (1632), and
• Luiz de Miranda Henriques Pinto (1635).

See each of these names and the article Superior Authorities of the Archipelago.

The governors and captains-general, and later the first civil governors, took office in the session hall of the Funchal City Council, in the presence of the assembled municipality. The ancient lieutenant captains inspired such respect that when they passed by, all men would stop and take off their hats, and the gentlemen had to dismount as they approached. On September 3, 1803, a certain Henrique Correia from noble families was imprisoned on the islet for not dismounting when Governor D. José Manuel da Câmara passed by and for responding somewhat rudely to this authority when admonished for his inattention. The late morgado Antonio João da Silva Betencourt Favila was also imprisoned on one occasion for not greeting a governor and captain-general!

Quantum matatus ab illo!

Dr. Damião Peres, an illustrious professor at the University of Coimbra and former rector of the Funchal lyceum, who is known for valuable works on the history of our country, published two interesting pamphlets in 1974 and 1975 entitled The Governor General of Madeira, João Leitão and The Problem of the Governors General of Madeira, in which he sought to demonstrate that the generic designation of Governors General given by Dr. Alvaro Rodrigues de Azevedo, a learned commentator of the Saudades da Terra, to the superior authorities of this archipelago during Castilian domination, lacked foundation, and that they were only properly called captains general, as stated in some official documents of the time. The co-author of this Elucidário C. A. de Meneses, in a series of articles published in the Diário da Madeira in September 1925, explains and justifies the designation used by Dr. A. R. de Azevedo, presenting compelling arguments that invalidate Dr. Damião Peres' assertion. It is worth noting that this is a matter of secondary importance, which is not of great interest to the history of this island.

Military Governors. See

Military Commanders.