João Maria Ferreira do Amaral
Encyclopedia
João Maria Ferreira do Amaral (Lisbon
, Alcântara
, 4 March 1803 - Macau
, 22 August 1849) was a Portuguese
military
and politician
.
, a Fidalgo
of the Royal Household
and a Sergeant
of the Portuguese Army
and the Portuguese Legion
during the Napoleonic Wars
who died frozen
at the French Invasion of Russia
, where he might have been promoted to Alférez, in the Winter of 1812, and wife, married in Lisbon, Alcântara, on 4 February 1801, Ana Isabel Cirila de Mendonça, and older brother of Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral, born in Lisbon, Alcântara, on 15 October 1804, and Francisca Ferreira do Amaral, born in Lisbon, Alcântara, on 10 May 1805, both without further notice.
of the Portuguese Royal Fleet
, he lived a military career full of peripetias and gallantries. In 1821 he was a Midshipman
and started his brilliant military career at the Fleet which, in Brazil
, defended the rights of Portugal
. In that campaign he lost his right arm in battle. After it was amputated, while he was smoking a cigar
, he threw his limb to the air, threw it and shout Viva Portugal! (Long live Portugal!).
By 1839 he was a Captain of Sea and War
, Knight
Fidalgo
of the Royal Household
, etc.
After serving as a Deputy
for Angola
, he was appointed the 79th Governor of Macau
on 21 April 1846. During his three years as Governor, he implemented a range of policies to entrench Portugal's colonial authority
over Macau. Within a month of taking office, he demanded that all Chinese residents in Macau pay ground rent, poll tax
and property tax
; the Qing authorities
in Macau immediately protested against his action and attempted to negotiate. However, beginning in 1849, he expelled all Qing officials from Macau, destroyed the Qing Customs and stopped paying ground rent to the Qing government.
His actions enraged the Chinese residents further, and he was assassinated on 22 August 1849 by seven Chinese men, who knocked him off his horse and cut his head. This was the trigger for the Baishaling Incident
.
and their daughter Joana Teresa de Albuquerque, Maria Helena de Albuquerque, 1st Baroness of Oliveira Lima
(Funchal
, São Pedro
, 1817 - Lisbon, 6 June 1909), then a widow, married the deceased by proxy
, taking advantage of the fact that, early in that year, her first husband had also died. Her first husband, whom she had married in 1836, António Teixeira Dória, ...th Lord of the Majorat
of ..., son of Francisco Teixeira Dória and wife (m. Funchal, Sé, 1798) Joana Margarida da Câmara, was a First Mate in a Navy corvette
whose Commander
was João Maria Ferreira do Amaral. According to their descendant Augusto Martins Ferreira do Amaral, 3rd Baron of Oliveira Lima, Maria Helena cheated her first husband with her later second husband, and believes that a first son of her, during her first marriage, João Eduardo Teixeira Dória, an Artillery
Officer
, born in Lisbon, São Paulo, on 13 October 1841, who died unmarried and without issue, was already João Maria Ferreira do Amaral's son, for he had similar features. She separated from the First Mate, went on to live in a Nunnery Convent
, and got again pregnant of the ship's Commander, although this baby was already baptized
as son of João Maria Ferreira do Amaral and an unknown mother, in order not to be registered under the name of her first husband.
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Alcântara
Alcântara (Lisbon)
Alcântara is a civil parish of the city and municipality of Lisbon. Its name is derived from the Arabic , meaning the bridge, and refers to an ancient Roman bridge that once existed there, until the reign of John V...
, 4 March 1803 - Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, 22 August 1849) was a Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Background
He was the first son of Francisco Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral, born in Lisbon, Alcântara, on 3 May 1773, whose male line was de MacedoMacedo
Macedo may refer to:* António Macedo , Portuguese film director* Carlos Macedo , member of the professional Portuguese theater company KlássiKus* Edir Macedo , religious leader...
, a Fidalgo
Fidalgo
Fidalgo , from Galician and Portuguese filho de algo—sometimes translated into English as "son of somebody" or "son of some "—is a traditional title used in Portugal to refer to a member of the titled or untitled nobility...
of the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
and a Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
of the Portuguese Army
Portuguese Army
The Portuguese Army is the ground branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in co-operation with other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the defence of Portugal...
and the Portuguese Legion
Portuguese Legion (Napoleonic Wars)
The Portuguese Legion was the 30 000 men strong Portuguese military force integrated in the Napoleon's Imperial Armies, mobilized after the occupation of Portugal by the army of General Junot, in 1807.The Legion was created by direct order of Napoleon from the November 12, 1807...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
who died frozen
Freezing
Freezing or solidification is a phase change in which a liquid turns into a solid when its temperature is lowered below its freezing point. The reverse process is melting....
at the French Invasion of Russia
French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia of 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe...
, where he might have been promoted to Alférez, in the Winter of 1812, and wife, married in Lisbon, Alcântara, on 4 February 1801, Ana Isabel Cirila de Mendonça, and older brother of Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral, born in Lisbon, Alcântara, on 15 October 1804, and Francisca Ferreira do Amaral, born in Lisbon, Alcântara, on 10 May 1805, both without further notice.
Career
A distinguished and valliant OfficerOfficer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
of the Portuguese Royal Fleet
Portuguese Navy
The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....
, he lived a military career full of peripetias and gallantries. In 1821 he was a Midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
and started his brilliant military career at the Fleet which, in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, defended the rights of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. In that campaign he lost his right arm in battle. After it was amputated, while he was smoking a cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
, he threw his limb to the air, threw it and shout Viva Portugal! (Long live Portugal!).
By 1839 he was a Captain of Sea and War
Captain of Sea and War
Captain of Sea and War is a rank in a small number of navies, notably those of Portugal and Brazil, which corresponds to the rank of Ship-of-the-line Captain, or the US and Commonwealth rank of full Captain....
, Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
Fidalgo
Fidalgo
Fidalgo , from Galician and Portuguese filho de algo—sometimes translated into English as "son of somebody" or "son of some "—is a traditional title used in Portugal to refer to a member of the titled or untitled nobility...
of the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
, etc.
After serving as a Deputy
Deputy (legislator)
A deputy is a legislator in many countries, particularly those with legislatures styled as a 'Chamber of Deputies' or 'National Assembly'.-List of countries:This is an list of countries using the term 'deputy' or one of its cognates....
for Angola
Angola (Portugal)
Angola is the common name by which the Portuguese colony in southwestern Africa was known across different periods of time...
, he was appointed the 79th Governor of Macau
Governor of Macau
The Governor of Macau was a Portuguese colonial official who headed the colony of Macau, before 1623 called Captain-major . The post was replaced on December 20, 1999 upon the transfer of administration to the People's Republic of China by the office of the Chief Executive of the Macau Special...
on 21 April 1846. During his three years as Governor, he implemented a range of policies to entrench Portugal's colonial authority
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
over Macau. Within a month of taking office, he demanded that all Chinese residents in Macau pay ground rent, poll tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
and property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
; the Qing authorities
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
in Macau immediately protested against his action and attempted to negotiate. However, beginning in 1849, he expelled all Qing officials from Macau, destroyed the Qing Customs and stopped paying ground rent to the Qing government.
His actions enraged the Chinese residents further, and he was assassinated on 22 August 1849 by seven Chinese men, who knocked him off his horse and cut his head. This was the trigger for the Baishaling Incident
Baishaling Incident
The Baishaling Incident took place in August, 1849. Immediately after a Chinese mob assassinated Governor Ferreira do Amaral on August 22, Chinese Imperial troops mobilized on the Guangdong Province-Macau frontier. The Portuguese population of Macau viewed as an overtly threatening move by the...
.
Marriage and issue
In Lisbon, Santa Catarina, on 20 October 1849, almost two months after the incident in which he was killed and without knowing those news, in order to legitimize their son Francisco Joaquim Ferreira do AmaralFrancisco Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral
Francisco Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral, GCTS, KCVO was a Portuguese naval commander and politician.-Ancestry:...
and their daughter Joana Teresa de Albuquerque, Maria Helena de Albuquerque, 1st Baroness of Oliveira Lima
Maria Helena de Albuquerque, 1st Baroness of Oliveira Lima
Maria Helena de Albuquerque, 1st Baroness of Oliveira Lima was a Portuguese noblewoman.-Ancestry:...
(Funchal
Funchal
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.-Etymology:...
, São Pedro
São Pedro (Funchal)
São Pedro is a civil parish in the municipality of Funchal in the islands of Madeira. In 2001, the parish had approximately 7681 inhabitants located to the north of the coastal centre of Funchal, in an area of the area is 1.49 km² : it is one of the smallest parishes on the island.São Pedro...
, 1817 - Lisbon, 6 June 1909), then a widow, married the deceased by proxy
Proxy marriage
A proxy wedding or is a wedding in which the bride or groom is not physically present, usually being represented instead by another person...
, taking advantage of the fact that, early in that year, her first husband had also died. Her first husband, whom she had married in 1836, António Teixeira Dória, ...th Lord of the Majorat
Majorat
Majorat is the right of succession to property according to age . A majorat would be inherited by the oldest son, or if there was no son, the nearest relative. This law existed in some of the European countries and was designed to prevent the distribution of wealthy estates between many members of...
of ..., son of Francisco Teixeira Dória and wife (m. Funchal, Sé, 1798) Joana Margarida da Câmara, was a First Mate in a Navy corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
whose Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
was João Maria Ferreira do Amaral. According to their descendant Augusto Martins Ferreira do Amaral, 3rd Baron of Oliveira Lima, Maria Helena cheated her first husband with her later second husband, and believes that a first son of her, during her first marriage, João Eduardo Teixeira Dória, an Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
Officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, born in Lisbon, São Paulo, on 13 October 1841, who died unmarried and without issue, was already João Maria Ferreira do Amaral's son, for he had similar features. She separated from the First Mate, went on to live in a Nunnery Convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
, and got again pregnant of the ship's Commander, although this baby was already baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
as son of João Maria Ferreira do Amaral and an unknown mother, in order not to be registered under the name of her first husband.
Sources
- Anuário da Nobreza de Portugal, III, 1985, Tomo II, p. 758 to 761
- GeneAll.net - João Maria Ferreira do Amaral at www.geneall.net João Maria Ferreira do Amaral