THE AZORES
See also ROMAN CATHOLIC HIERARCHY ON THE AZORES 1848 - 1945
PORTUGUESE TERRITORY OF THE AZORES
Despite the fact that they seem to appear on an Italian map of 1353, the uninhabited Azores were officially only discovered by Portuguese navigators ca 1430 (1). Although they were immediately proclaimed possessions of Portugal, they were only fully integrated into the Portuguese state some 400 years later : - 1432 : The king of Portugal granted the islands as a fief to the Dukes of Viseu, members of the royal family. The first and best known of these dukes was Infante Henrique o Navegador (1394 - 1460). In the course of the following years the dukes entrusted the exploration and colonization of the islands to settlers from different European areas. The most important of these foreigners were Flemings, who for some time were the actual masters of most islands. Among them were : - Willem van der Haegen (Port. : Guilherme da Silveira), who settled the island of Terceira (ca 1439), later moved to Praia (ca 1450) and still later to São Jorge and Flores (ca 1468), - Jacob van Brugge (Port.: Jácome de Bruges, ancestor of the important de Bruges family - s.b.), who received the island of Terceira in 1450. (2) - Joos van Hurtere (also Josse van Huertere, etc - Port.: Joz de Utra or Dutra), who received Faial in 1468 and Pico in 1482. - 1474 : Reorganization of the administration of the Azores. The archipelago was divided into 7 donatures (donatarias), hereditary and partly selfgoverning feudal estates, which were granted only to Portuguese nationals (3) : - Angra (southern part of Terceira and São Jorge) - Faial (Faial and Pico) - Flores (Flores and Corvo) - Gracioso - Praia (northern part of Terceira) - Santa Maria - São Miguel - 1495 : Manuel, Duque de Beja e Viseu (1469 - 1521) became King (Manuel I) of Portugal. Two years later he formally abolished the system of the ducal lordship over the islands and placed them directly under the crown. The system of donatarias continued under royal supervision. Most of them disappeared however in the 17th and 18th centuries and by 1766 only those of Santa Maria and of São Miguel still existed (although in a very poor condition) - 1766 : The islands came under the direct rule of the Portuguese central government and were united into a government, the Capitancy General of the Azores (Capitania Geral dos Açores). The surviving donatarias gradually lost their last privileges and became no more than landholdings. - 1832 : The last existing donatarias - Santa Maria and Flores (revived in 1815) - were abolished and the Azores were fully integrated into the Portuguese state. At first forming a single province of the kingdom (until 1835), the islands were later divided into 3 districts (distritos), directly subordinated to the Ministry of internal affairs : - Angra de Heroismo : the islands Graciosa, São Jorge and Terceira, - Horta : the islands Corvo, Faial, Flores and Pico, - Ponta Delgada : the islands Santa Maria and São Miguel The district of Ponta Delgada was granted administrative autoonomy in 1895. In 1898 this autonomy was extended to Angra de Heroismo. (See here for the events of 1931) THE AZORES DURING WWI AND WWII WWI In 1917 the Portuguese government - fearing a possible German naval attack on the islands - gave the US navy the permission to establish a naval base - intended as a starting point for antisubmarine patrols in the Atlantic - at Ponta Delgada (on São Miguel). The base was closed in 1919. High Commissioner of the Republic for the Azores and Madeira Alto Comissário da República nos Açores e Madeira (Concerned with the problems resulting from the presence of US military forces in the area) 1918 - 1919 Gen. José Augusto de Simas Machado 1859 – 1927 Commanders of the US Naval Base in Ponta Delgada 1918 ... 1918 - 1919 RearAdm. Herbert O. Dunn, Commander of the USS Hancock WWII After the outbreak of WWII a special "Azores Expeditionary Force" was sent to the Azores by the Portuguese government in order to defend Portuguese neutrality by preventing possible foreign - Axis as well as Allied - intrusions into the islands. In this context Portugal at first refused the establishment of allied bases on the islands. It was only after the allied threat of a military invasion of the Azores that the government yielded "in the name of the alliance that had existed for 600 years between Portugal and Great Britain". As a result two bases were established at Lajes (on Terceira) in 1943 : - a British base, mainly concerned with antisubmarine actions - a US base, mainly serving as a transit field for airplanes flying to Europe. In 1944 the US were allowed to operate a second base of Santa Maria, in exchange of their promise to liberate East Timor - then under Japan - for Portugal. After the end of the war in 1945 the US base at Lajes was desactivated. A year later the other bases were transferred to : - the Portuguese civilian authorities (US base on Santa Maria) - the Portuguese military (British base at Lajes) As the US continued however to have the right to use the island for transit flights, they forces remained present, first at Santa Maria and later again in Lajes. Commanders of the Azores Expeditionary Force (also in charge of the relations with the Allies) 1940 - 194. BrigGen. José Garcia Marques Godinho 1881 - 1947 194. - 1944 BrigGen. João Tamagnini de Sousa Barbosa 1883 - 1949 1944 - 1945 BrigGen. Álvaro Teles Ferreira de Passos 1888 - 1967 British Commander Air Officer commanding in the Azores (until the end of 1944 also in overall command of the US forces) 1943 - 1945 Air ViceMarsh. Sir Geoffrey Rhodes Bromet 1891 - 1983 US commanders Commanders of the Azores Reconnaissance Party (subordinated to the British Commander) 1943 - 1944 Col. David A. Morris* 1944 Col. Albert D. Smith Commander of the Azores Air Transport Base(s) (subordinated to the British Commander until the end of 1944) 1944 - 1946 Col. Albert D. Smith (1) Two dates are usually given : 1427 or 1432. This has to do with the date of MCCCCXX?II appearing on a map of 1439. The ? indicates a very poorly written letter which can be read as a - V, in which case it becomes MCCCCXXVII or 1427 - X, in which case it becomes MCCCCXXXII or 1432 However some other indications - the lack of money of Duke Henrique, the Muslim threat against Ceuta, both ca 1427 - seem to plead in favour of the year 1432. (2) He disappeared during a journey from Flanders to the Azores. According to some pseudo-historical theories he and/or some of his crew reached North Carolina where they became the ancestors of the Melungeon ... (3) The Flemish community was quickly absorbed by the Portuguese one : as early as 1507 the use of Dutch had become very exceptional in Faial, the principal Flemish settlement area. All that later remained of the Flemish presence were the mention "Ilhas Flamengas" on some maps, some geographical names [village of Flamengos, Ribeira (river) dos Flamengos], some family names (s.a.) and some elements of traditional dressing, building (windmills) and art. __________________________________________________________________________________CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
CIVIL GOVERNORS Governadores Civis Civil Governors of Angra do Heroismo 1846 - 1848 Nicolau Anastácio de Betencourt 1848 - 1849 António José Vieira Santa Rita 1849 - 1851 Nicolau Anastácio de Bettencourt (2x) 1851 António de Oliveira Marreca 1805 - 1889 1851 - 1852 António Marcelino da Victoria 1852 - 1857 Nicolau Anastácio de Bettencourt (3x) 1857 - 1858 António Maria Cordeiro 1858 - 1859 Cassiano Sepúlveda Teixeira 1859 - 1861 José Maria da Silva Leal 1861 - 1865 Jácome de Ornelas Bruges de Ávila Paim da Camara 1833 - 188. 1865 Albino de Abranches Freire de Figueiredo 1804 - 1876 1865 - 1866 José Guillerme Pacheco 1867 - 1868 António de Gouveia Osório 1868 - 1869 Teotónio de Ornelas Bruges Paim da Camara, Conde da Praia da Vitória, Visconde de Bruges 1807 - 1870 1869 Miguel Vaz Guedes de Atayde 1869 - 18.. Félix Borges de Medeiros 1873 - 1876 Francisco de Albuquerque Mesquita e Castro 1876 - 1877 António da Fonseca Carvão Paim da Câmara, Barão do Ramalho 1836 - 1907 1877 - 1878 Jácome de Ornelas Bruges de Ávila Paim da Camara, Conde da Vila da Praia da Vitória, Visconde de Bruges s.a. 1878 - 1879 António da Fonseca Carvão Paim da Câmara, Barão do Ramalho (2x) 1879 - 1881 Jácome de Ornelas Bruges de Ávila Paim da Camara, Conde da Vila da Praia da Vitória, Visconde de Bruges (2x) 1881 - 1883 Afonso de Castro 1883 - 1884 João António Pereira Neves 1884 - 1885 Augusto Maria da Fonseca Coutinho 1886 - 188. Jácome de Ornelas Bruges de Ávila Paim da Camara, Conde da Vila da Praia da Vitória, Visconde de Bruges (3x) 1889 - 1890 Cândido Pacheco de Melo Menezes Forjaz de Lacerda, Visconde de Nossa Senhora das Mercês 1837 - 1900 1890 - 1891 António da Fonseca Carvão Paim da Câmara, Barão do Ramalho (3x) 1891 - 1893 Henrique de Sá Nogeira de Vasconcelos 1893 Henrique de Castro 1893 - 1895 José Pimentel Homem de Noronha 1895 - 1896 Manuel Homem de Noronha 1896 - 1897 Emidio Lino da Silva 1897 - 1900 Cândido Pacheco de Melo Menezes Forjaz de Lacerda, Visconde de Nossa Senhora das Mercês (2x) 1900 - 1902 Emidio Lono da Silva Júnior 1902 - 1904 Raimundo Sieuve de Menezes, Conde de Sieuve de Menezes 1854 - 1937 1904 - 1906 Teotónio Simão Paim de Ornelas Bruges 1841 - 1906 António da Fonseca Carvão Paim da Camara 1864 - 1934 1906 - 1907 José Pereira da Cunha da Silveira e Sousa Júnior 1907 - 1908 Aristides Moreira da Mota 1855 - 1942 1908 - 1910 Lt. João Carlos da Silva Nogueira 1910 Teotónio Simão Paim de Ornelas Bruges (2x) 1910 Jacinto Carlos da Silva, Visconde de Agualva 1872 - 1938 1910 - 1912 Henrique Ferreira de Oliveira Braz 1912 - 1913 Lt. António Afonso de Carvalho 1913 Francisco de Mendonça Pacheco e Melo 1913 João de Mendonça Pacheco 1913 - 1914 João Baptista da Silva 1914 - 1915 Lt. Adolfo da Trinidade 1915 Capt. António Silveira Lopes 1915 - 1917 Joaquim Teixeira da Silva 1917 - 1919 Francisco Vicente Ramos 1919 Constantino José Cardoso 1919 - 1920 Joaquim Teixeira da Silva (2x) 1920 Álvaro de Castro Meneres 1920 - 1921 Constantino José Cardoso (2x) 1921 Col. António Verissimo de Sousa 1921 Virgílio da Rocha Dinis 1922 Francisco de Paula Homem da Costa Noronha 1922 - 1923 António Amorim Pires Forte 1923 Maj. Antonio José Teixeira 1923 Sebastião Ávila de Vasconcelos 1923 - 1924 Maj. Manuel Mesquita 1924 Maj. António José Teixeira (2x) 1924 - 1925 Álvaro de Castro Meneres (2x) 1925 Alexandre Martins Pamplona Ramos 1865 - 1933 1925 - 1926 Francisco de Mendonça Pacheco e Melo 1926 - 1927 Maj. Jaime Pereira da Silva 1927 - 1928 Capt. Gonçalo Lobo Pereira Caldas de Barros 1850 - 1950 1928 - 1931 Maj. Manuel Mesquita (2x) 1931 - 1932 Capt. Luís Augusto de Sousa Rodrigues 1932 - 193. Capt. Domingues Augusto Borges 1933 - 1936 Joaquim Moniz de Sá Corte Real e Amaral 1936 - 1940 Carlos Alberto de Oliveira 1940 - 194. Abilio Garcia de Carvalho 1941 - 1944 António Francisco de Sales de Guimarães Pestana da Silva 1944 - 1952 Cândido de Pamplona Forjaz Civil Governors of Horta 1847 - 1848 António José Vieira Santa Rita (2x) 1848 - 1849 Nicolau Anastácio de Bettencourt s.a. 1849 Francisco Maria de Freitas Jacome 1849 - 1851 Joaquim José Pereira da Silveira 1851 - 1852 Nicolau Anastácio de Bettencourt (2x) 1852 - 1857 Luís Teixeira de Sampaio 1857 - 1877 António José Vieira Santa Rita (3x) 1877 - 1878 Júlio de Castilho, Visconde de Castilho 1840 - 1919 1878 - 1879 António Maria de Oliveira 1879 - 1881 Manuel Francisco de Medeiros 1881 Manuel Maria de Melo e Simas 1881 - 1886 António Patricio da Terra Pinheiro 1886 - 1890 Manuel Francisco de Medeiros (2x) 1890 - 1893 Manuel de Arriaga Nunes 1840 - 1917 1893 - 1894 Guilherme Read Cabral 1894 - 1895 José de Almeida d'Ávila 1843 - 1901 1895 - 1896 Amâncio Rodolfo da Costa Pinheiro 1896 - 1897 António Emilio Severino de Avelar 1897 - 1899 Miguel António da Silveira 1866 - 1899 - 1900 Diogo de Barcelos Machado Bettencourt 1900 - 1904 José Bressane Leite Perry, Visconde de Leite Perry 1862 - 1930 1904 - 1905 António Joaquim Durães 1905 - 1906 Francisco de Andrade Albuquerque de Bettencourt 1906 José Bressane Leite Perry, Visconde de Leite Perry (2x) 1906 Manuel Antonio Lino 1906 - 1908 Augusto da Silva Carvalho Osório 1878 - 1940 1908 - 1909 João Joaquim André de Freitas 1909 - 1910 José Bressane Leite Perry, Visconde de Leite Perry (3x) 1910 Capt. João António Cochado Martins 1910 António Emilio Severino de Avelar (2x) 1910 - 1911 José Machado de Serpa 1911 - 1914 Edniges Goulart Prieto 1914 - 1915 José Charters Azevedo Lopez Vieira 1915 António Emilio Severino de Avelar (3x) 1915 Caetano Moniz de Vasconcelos 1915 António Birne Pereira 1915 - 1916 António Luis Serrão de Carvalho 1916 - 1917 Fernando Joaquim Armas 1917 - 1918 Manuel Francisco Neves Júnior 1918 - 1919 Manuel Câmara Velho Melo Cabral 1919 Manuel Francisco das Neves 1919 - 1920 António Mesquita 1920 Luís Caldeira Mendes Saraiva 1920 - 1921 Manuel Francisco Neves Júnior (2x) 1921 Gabriel Baptista de Sines 1921 Manuel Francisco das Neves (2x) 1921 - 1922 Gabriel Baptista de Sines (2x) 1922 - 1923 Carlos Alberto da Silva Pinheiro 1923 Manuel Francisco Neves Júnior (3x) 1924 Álvaro Soares de Melo 1924 - 1926 Joaquim Guilhermo da Cunha Melo 1926 António de Mendonça Monteiro 1926 Alberto Goulart de Medeiros 1927 Capt. José Soares de Mesquita 1927 - 1931 Fernando da Costa 1931 - 1933 Augusto Pais de Almeida e Silva 1933 Lt. Alfredo Sampaio* 1933 - 1935 José Malheiro Cardoso da Silva 1935 - 1936 Luciano Machado Soares 1936 - 1937 José Rodrigues de Matos 1937 - 1939 Capt. José Rodrigues de Silva Mendes 1893 - 1988 1939 - 19.. Capt. António Inocêncio Moreira de Carvalho 1944 - 1946 Pedro Gonçalves Guimarães Civil Governors of Ponta Delgada 1847 - 1849 António Borges da Câmara Medeiros 1812 - 1879 1849 Pedro da Costa de Sousa de Macedo 1849 - 1851 Eusébio Dias Poças Falcão* 1851 - 1868 Félix Borges de Medeiros s.a. 1868 - 1869 Eusébio Dias Poças Falcão (2x) 1869 - 1877 Jácome de Ornelas Bruges de Ávila Paim da Camara, Conde da Vila da Praia da Vitória (1870) s.a. 1877 - 1878 António da Fonseca Carvão Paim da Câmara, Barão do Ramalho s.a. 1878 Júlio de Castilho, Visconde de Castilho s.a. 1878 - 1879 Gualdino Alfredo Lobo de Gouveia Valadares 1879 - 1881 Verissimo Aguiar Cabral 1825 - 1891 1881 - 1886 Gualdino Alfredo Lobo de Gouveia Valadares (2x) 1886 - 1890 Narciso Maximiliano Alvares de Carvalho 1890 - 1892 Carlos Maria Gomes Machado 1828 - 1892 - 1893 Bento José Pinto da Mota 1893 - 1896 António Moreira da Câmara Coutinho Gusmão 1896 - 1897 Alfredo Vieira Coelho Peixoto Pinto de Vilas-Boas, Conde de Paçô Vieira 1860 - 1926 1897 - 1900 Francisco de Andrade Albuquerque de Bettencourt s.a. 1900 - 1901 José Coelho da Mota Prego 1901 - 190. Amadeu Augusto Pinto da Silva 1904 - 1905 José Coelho da Mota Prego (2x) 1905 - 1906 Luís de Bettencourt de Medeiros e Câmara 1873 - 1939 1906 Francisco de Melo Manuel Leite de Arruda 1906 - 1910 Luís de Bettencourt de Medeiros e Câmara (2x) 1910 Francisco de Melo Manuel Leite de Arruda (2x) 1910 - 1911 Francisco Luís Tavares 1911 - 1913 Caetano Moniz de Vasconcelos s.a. 1913 Francisco de Melo Manuel Leite de Arruda (3x) 1913 - 1914 Capt. João Francisco de Sousa 1914 - 1915 Jacinto Gago Machado de Faria e Maia 1874 - 1925 1915 Adelino de Oliveira Pinto Furtado 1915 Col. Virgílio Soares de Albergaria 1858 - 1927 1915 António Martins Ferreira Júnior 1915 António Cabral de Melo 1915 Francisco Manuel de Medeiros Correia 1915 - 1917 António Rodrigues Salgado 1883 - 1933 1917 António de Medeiros Franco 1917 - 1918 Col. Virgílio Soares de Albergaria (2x) 1918 LtCol. Mário Augusto Teixeira 1918 - 1919 João Correia da Silva Júnior 1919 Francisco Luís Tavares (2x) 1919 - 1920 Virgílio Saque 1920 José Borges Medeiros da Horta 1920 - 1921 Francisco Luís Tavares (3x) 1921 Duarte Amigo de Azevedo Feio 1921 Francisco Luís Tavares (4x) 1921 - 1923 Horácio de Medeiros Franco 1923 - 1924 Francisco Luis Tavares (5x) 1924 Alfredo Adelino de Sá 1924 - 1925 Jeremias da Costa 1925 Col. Álvaro Pais de Ataíde 1925 - 1926 Jaime Hintze 1879 - 1945 1926 - 1928 Maj. Abel de Abreu Sorro Maior 1928 - 1931 Capt. Gonçalo Lobo Pereira Caldas de Barros s.a. 1931 - 1932 LtCol. António Júlio Belo de Almeida 1932 - 1933 Jaime Resende do Couto 1933 - 1934 Capt. António Augusto de Sousa 1935 Agosthino de Mesquita 1936 - 1937 Augusto Leite Mendes Moreira 1937 - 1940 Alberto de Campos Vieira Neves 1940 - 1944 Capt. Rafael Sérgio Vieira 1944 - 1946 Augusto Leite Mendes Moreira (2x)
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