Marquis of Penalva

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Arms of the Count of Valença, in the Livro do Armeiro-Mor (1509). These arms are identical to those of the Meneses, also Counts of Tarouca (1499) and later Marquises of Penalva (1750)

Marquess of Penalva (Portuguese: Marquês de Penalva) was a Portuguese title of nobility, granted by a decree issued in 1750 by King John V in favor of Estêvão de Meneses, 5th Count of Tarouca.

History

Although it was granted during the lifetime of the first holder, the title of Marquis of Penalva was renewed for the 6th, 7th and 10th counts of Tarouca. The title of Count of Tarouca, which the House of Penalva absorbed, was in turn created on April 24, 1499 by King Manuel I in favor of João de Meneses, the fourth son of Duarte de Meneses, Count of Viana. On February 7, 1750 when the 5th Count of Tarouca was elevated to Marquis of Penalva by King João V, the first-born sons of this House were called Counts of Tarouca during the lifetime of their fathers.

Both these titles were described by, among others, António Caetano de Sousa in his Historical and Genealogical Memoirs of the Greats of Portugal.[1] In Vol. I of Coats of Arms of the Sintra Hall, Anselmo Braamcamp Freire dedicates chapter VI to the Meneses, in which the origins of the various branches are explained, including that of the House of Tarouca.[2]

The Counts of Tarouca descended from João Afonso Teles de Meneses, Count of Ourém and brother of Martim Afonso Telo de Meneses, the father of Queen Leonor Teles and the Count of Neiva; from the latter descended the Counts of Cantanhede and Marquises of Marialva, as well as the Counts of Ericeira and Marquises of Louriçal, relatives of the Counts of Tarouca and Marquises of Penalva.

It should be noted that the first Count of Tarouca was the brother of Henrique de Meneses, Count of Valença, etc., both grandsons of the famous Pedro de Meneses, the first captain of Ceuta after the conquest of the city in 1415 by John I and the infantes Duarte, Pedro and Henrique, and the first Count of Vila Real in 1424.

Counts of Tarouca (1499)

Title of Count of Tarouca in the Historical and Genealogical Memoirs of the Greats of Portugal (1755)
Genealogical lineage of the Counts of Tarouca and Marquises of Penalva
Don João Gomes da Silva, 4th Count of Tarouca, captain of the Royal Guard, ambassador to London and Vienna. Engraving by Godfrey Kneller (after 1709)

The House of Tarouca, later Penalva, had one of the least regular lines of succession of the Portuguese high nobility of the era during the 16th and 17th centuries. The family of the Counts of Tarouca in the 16th century is notable for three main reasons:

  1. Firstly, because of the very strong presence of the family's men in North Africa, in the government of various Moroccan squares, especially in the first half of the century. This was due to the inheritance of Pedro de Meneses, the grandfather of the first Count of Tarouca, who made the government of Ceuta from the conquest of the city in 1415 until his death in 1437 the basis for the construction of the House of Vila Real.[3] As a result, the eldest brother of the future 1st Count, the Count of Valença, was for example present at the conquest of Asilah in 1471, staying on as governor of the square until he died in 1480. The government of the square then passed to the future 1st Count until 1486, after which he went on to govern Tangier. And it was mainly in this square that the Count of Tarouca's relatives would be present in the 1500s, almost turning the position into a hereditary dignity.
  2. Secondly, and similarly to other cases in the high nobility, because of the very high number of men with the same names ― Pedro, Duarte, Henrique and João ― at this time, which makes identities easily confused, a great deal of caution is needed when investigating this lineage in this century.[lower-alpha 1]
  3. Lastly, from a nobiliary point of view, because of the very long gap between the 1st and 2nd counts, since the title was not renewed either in the son, grandson or great-grandson of the first count; only the great-great-grandson saw the title renewed in his person.

To illustrate all three factors, and to give just a few examples, we can see:

  • Henrique de Meneses, Count of Valença, elder brother of the 1st Count: Captain of Asilah (1471–1480)
  • João de Meneses, 1st Count of Tarouca, captain of Asilah (1480-86) and Tangier (1486–1489 & 1501–1508)
  • Duarte de Meneses, son of the previous one, Captain of Tangier (1508–1521 & 1536–1539) and Governor of India (1522–1524)
  • João de Meneses, son of the previous one, Captain of Tangier (1539–1546)
  • Duarte de Meneses, son of the previous one, Captain of Tangier (1574–1577) and Viceroy of India (1584–1588)
  • Luis de Meneses, son of the previous one, Captain of Tangier (1614–1615), 2nd Count of Tarouca

From these half-dozen examples you can see how the title skipped three generations; how frequent the family's men were in Moroccan squares (and in the East); and how certain names are seen with great frequency.

In the 17th century we again see an interrupted succession in the Counts of Tarouca, which is the origin of the title of Penalva later on. During the Restoration War, the 3rd Count of Tarouca shifted his allegiance, joined the Spanish, taking two sons with him. There he was made Marquis of Penalva by the Spanish monarch as a reward for his loyalty to the Crown of Castile, a title never recognized in Portugal, but still used by his first-born son in Spain. His youngest son, however, who was taken to Castile when he was still a child, defected to the side of Portugal during the war and pledged his allegiance to King John IV. He inherited the lordship of the House of Tarouca, but not the title, which after his death in 1677 was inherited by his daughter. His son, of the male line named Silva, was then made Marquis of Penalva in 1750.

Several members of this lineage cultivated letters, notably several of the Marquises of Penalva, the 4th Count of Tarouca, and the first count of the title, who in addition to commanding armies in Morocco wrote several compositions in Garcia de Resende's Cancioneiro Geral.

Title holders

  • João de Meneses, 1st Count of Tarouca
  • Luís de Meneses, 2nd Count of Tarouca; great-great-grandson of the previous one
  • Duarte Luís de Meneses, 3rd Count of Tarouca; son of the previous one. He joined Castile during the Restoration in 1641
    • Estêvão de Meneses, Lord of the House of Tarouca; son of the previous one. He joined Portugal during the Restoration in 1664
  • Joana Rosa de Meneses, 4th Countess of Tarouca; daughter of the previous one. She married João Gomes da Silva, brother of the 2nd Marquis of Alegrete and 3rd Count of Vilar Maior, and 4th Count of Tarouca by marriage
  • Estêvão de Meneses (1695–1758), 5th Count of Tarouca; son of the previous ones, made 1st Marquis of Penalva
  • Eugénia de Meneses da Silva (1731–1788), 6th Countess of Tarouca and 2nd Marchioness of Penalva; daughter of the previous one. She married Manuel Teles da Silva, 6th Count of Vilar Maior (1727–1789), 2nd Marquis of Penalva by marriage
  • Fernando Teles da Silva (1754–1818), 7th Count of Tarouca and 3rd Marquis of Penalva; son of the previous
  • Luís Teles da Silva Caminha e Meneses (1775–1828), 8th Count of Tarouca and 5th Marquis of Alegrete; son of the previous
  • Fernando Teles da Silva Caminha e Meneses (1810–1812), 9th Count of Tarouca; son of the previous
  • Fernando Teles da Silva Caminha e Meneses (1813–1893), 10th Count of Tarouca and 4th Marquis of Penalva; brother of the previous one
  • Luís Teles da Silva Caminha e Meneses (1837–1863), 11th Count of Tarouca; son of the previous one
  • Eugénia Teles da Silva (1860–1946), 12th Countess of Tarouca; daughter of the previous one

Marquises of Penalva (1750)

The title of Marquis of Penalva, created in 1750 for the 5th Count of Tarouca, was renewed in the daughter and grandson of the first marquis, the 6th Countess and the 7th Count of Tarouca, respectively; but not in the latter's son, because he, the 8th Count of Tarouca, grandson of the 4th Marquis of Alegrete, was awarded the title of 5th Marquis of Alegrete.

Title of Marquis of Penalva in the work of António Caetano de Sousa

Thus, the title of Marquis of Penalva was renewed in the second-born son of the 8th Count of Tarouca, after the premature death of the first-born. This 4th Marquis of Penalva reached the age of eighty before passing away in 1893, and saw his son and heir, the 11th Count of Tarouca, die in 1863. The title of marquis was not renewed in his granddaughter , the 12th and last Countess of Tarouca.

  • Estêvão de Meneses (1695–1758), 1st Marquis of Penalva and 5th Count of Tarouca; son of the previous ones
  • Eugénia de Meneses da Silva (1731–1788), 2nd Marchioness of Penalva and 6th Countess of Tarouca; daughter of the previous one. Married the 6th Count of Vilar Maior, Manuel Teles da Silva e Meneses e Castro, 2nd Marquis of Penalva by marriage
  • Fernando Teles da Silva Caminha e Meneses (1754–1818), 3rd Marquis of Penalva and 7th Count of Tarouca; son of the previous
  • Fernando Teles da Silva Caminha e Meneses (1813–1893), 4th Marquis of Penalva and 10th Count of Tarouca; brother of the previous
    • Luís Teles da Silva Caminha e Meneses (1837–1863), 11th Count of Tarouca; son of the previous one
    • Eugénia Teles da Silva (1860–1946), 12th Countess of Tarouca; daughter of the previous one

With the fall of the Monarchy in 1910, holders at the time of the establishment of the Portuguese Republic were authorized to maintain and use their titles until their death. With the death of the last Countess of Tarouca in 1946, the various titles of the House of Penalva are now extinct.

Coat of arms

The arms of the Marquises of Penalva were initially the same as those of the Counts of Tarouca. Later, with the breakdown of the male line, its arms were those of the Marquises of Alegrete and the Counts Vilar Maior.

See also

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ↑ To give just one example, the 1st count, himself the son of a Duarte de Meneses, had, in addition to the son and great-grandson mentioned below also called Duarte de Meneses ― both captains of Tangier and governors of India ― a grandson and nephew of the same name ― both also captains of Tangier at the same time.

Citations

  1. ↑ Caetano de Sousa (1755), pp. 189–90 (Marquises of Penalva); pp. 567–82 (Counts of Tarouca).
  2. ↑ Braamcamp Freire (1996), pp. 101–38.
  3. ↑ Campos (2004)

References

  • Livro do Armeiro-Mor (2007; with preface by Joaquim Veríssimo Serrão; presentation by Vasco Graça Moura; introduction and analysis by José Calvão Borges. Academia Portuguesa da História/Edições Inapa.
  • Braamcamp Freire, Anselmo (1996). Brasões da Sala de Sintra. Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda.
  • Caetano de Sousa, António (1755). Memorias Historicas e Genealogicas dos Grandes de Portugal. Lisboa: Silviana.
  • Campos, Nuno Silva (2004). D. Pedro de Meneses e a Construção da Casa de Vila Real (1415-1437). Lisboa: Edições Colibri.
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