Jerônimo de Albuquerque was born in Portugal, at the beginning of the 16th Century, to Lopo de Albuquerque and Joana de Bulhões.
He travelled to Pernambuco along with the first Grantee of the Captaincy, Duarte Coelho, and his wife, Brites de Albuquerque ,of whom he was brother
Soon after arrival, in one of the battles that had to be fought against the Indians, he took an arrow and lost an eye, from then on becoming known by the nickname Torto (Wonky). Wounded, prisoner and condemned to death, he was saved through the intervention of Tindarena orTabira,the daughter of cacique Uirá Ubi (Arco Verde), chief of the Tabajaras Indians, who had fallen in love with him and wanted him as a husband. Granting his daughter’s request, the cacique not only granted freedom to Jerônimo de Albuquerque, but also sealed peace and allied with the Portuguese.
Later baptised, Tindarena orTabira received the name Maria do Espírito Santo Arco Verde, in honour of the Pentecostal festival that was celebrated on the day of her baptism.
From the union of Jerônimo and Maria do Espírito Santo, eight children were born: Jerônimo de Albuquerque, who would become famous as the heroic restorer of Maranhão and one of the founders of the city of Natal, in Rio Grande do Norte; Manuel; André;Catarina, who married the Italian nobleman Felipe Cavalcanti; Isabel; Joana; Antônio; and Brites.
Jerônimo de Albuquerque had another five children with other white and Indian woman, all of whom he recognised.
In 1562, he married Felipa de Mello, daughter of Dom Cristóvão de Mello, in obedience to the Queen of Portugal, Catarina, who in her letter of intimation recommended the legitimate union, to avoid that the nephew of Afonso de Albuquerque, descendant of the king, continuesto follow the law of Moses, maintaining thirty concubines. From the marriage, eleven children were born: João, Afonso, Cristóvão, Duarte, Jerônimo, Cosme, Felipe, Isabel, Maria and two others who died shortly after birth.
In this manner, Jerônimo de Albuquerque had 24 children, both legitimate and illegitimate, which gave him the nickname among Brazilian historians of Adão Pernambucano (the Adam of Pernambuco).
On some lands on his property, he founded the NossaSenhora da Ajuda (Our Lady of Help) sugarcane plantation, later called Forno da Cal (Lime Kiln), the first sugarcane plantation in Pernambuco, located on the outskirts of Olinda.
Being a brave and intelligent man, he contributed greatly to the administration of the captaincy of his brother-in-law Duarte Coelho. He helped his sister, Brites de Albuquerque, to govern Pernambucoin 1540, 1550 and 1553, during the travels of the grantee to Portugal.
With the death of Duarte Coelhoin 1554, Jerônimocontinued to lend relevant services to Pernambuco, helping his sister administer the captaincy until the coming-of-age of the heirs, Duarte and Jorge de Albuquerque Coelho, second and third grantees, who assumed the role in 1561 and 1573, respectively.
In 1576, with the return of the latter to Portugal, Pernambuco returned to being under the direction of Jerônimo de Albuquerque and his sister Brites de Albuquerque.
He lived in and committed himself to the captaincy of Pernambucofor 58 years.
According to historian Borges da Fonseca, based on his will, Jerônimo de Albuquerque, ‘Torto’, died in December 1584, being buried in the chapel at his Nossa Senhora da Ajuda plantation.
Translated by Peter Leamy, February 2012.
sources consulted
COSTA, Francisco Augusto Pereira da. Capitães-móres governadores loco-tenentes dos donatários de Pernambuco. Revista do Instituto Archeológico e Geographico Pernambucano, Recife, n. 50, p. 61-63, 1897.
SILVA, Jorge Fernandes da. Vidas que não morrem. Recife: Secretaria de Educação de Pernambuco, Departamento de Cultura, 1982.
how to quote this text
Source: ANDRADE, Maria do Carmo. Jerônimo de Albuquerque. Pesquisa Escolar Online, Joaquim Nabuco Foudation, Recife. Available at: <https://pesquisaescolar.fundaj.gov.br/en/>. Accessed: day month year. Exemple: 6 Aug. 200