Consulta do Conselho Ultramarino sobre o pedido de António de Sousa de Meneses, para se reformar o alvará em que fora provido de uma viagem da China
This is a transcription of a 17th-century Portuguese colonial document from the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (AHU), dated 11 May 1665, originating from Lisbon and associated with the Overseas Council (Conselho Ultramarino). The document records a petition submitted by António de Sousa de Meneses, n...
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| Summary: | This is a transcription of a 17th-century Portuguese colonial document from the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (AHU), dated 11 May 1665, originating from Lisbon and associated with the Overseas Council (Conselho Ultramarino). The document records a petition submitted by António de Sousa de Meneses, nobleman of the royal household, requesting confirmation of a royal warrant (alvará) originally issued on 24 January 1598 under the authority of the King of Castile during the Iberian Union. The alvará granted him rights to a voyage to China, a claim he asserts through inheritance via his uncle, Dom Diogo Lobo, who was provisionally appointed captain of the China voyage prior to 1598 and formally designated it in his last will of 10 June 1612. The petitioner cites prolonged military and administrative service to the Crown on the Alentejo frontier and in Portuguese India as grounds for confirmation, despite having failed to seek validation earlier due to active duty. The Council recommends approval based on his meritorious conduct and extenuating circumstances. The text exhibits orthographic variations typical of 17th-century Portuguese bureaucratic writing, including terms such as “chancelaria” (warrant office) and “vagaante” (voyage). Marginal annotations include procedural notes, archival references (AHU_CU_Índia, Cx. 14, D. 84), and later cataloguing entries, while official seals and signatures of Council officials authenticate the record. This document provides critical insight into the administration of colonial appointments, succession claims, and maritime governance within the Portuguese Empire during the post-Union period. Obs.: Resolução régia a pedir as ordens que dera em contrário. No mesmo documento, outra consulta, de 1665-09-24, sobre as ordens dadas pelo rei para que se não consultassem mais pedidos de reformas de alvarás e provisões do tempo do rei de Castela Anexos: 1637-09-17 - Alvará de [D. Filipe III], rei de Portugal e de Espanha, em que concede uma viagem da China a António de Sousa de Meneses. 1646-04-21 e 1649-11-24 - Decreto (cópia de dois) de [D. João IV], rei de Portugal, sobre os alvarás assinados pelo rei de Castela. 1668-03-20 - Consulta do Conselho Ultramarino a D. Afonso VI, rei de Portugal, sobre a nova petição de António de Sousa de Meneses, para se reformar o alvará que lhe concede uma viagem da China. Resolução favorável do rei. |
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