The commanding officers of the fleet who transported the royal Portuguese family towards Brazil in 1807

Ron van Maanen

In my note titled “Portuguese naval movements in 1807” published on this weblog I referred to the departure of the royal Portuguese family towards Brazil. In this note the names of the ships are mentioned, but not of their commanding officers.

In her diary Mrs. Maria Graham (p. 44-45) does give the names of those officers, including some notes dealing with individual ships.

“Ships-of-the-line

Principe Real, 84 guns, admiral Manoel da Cunha, captain Manoel da Canto

Rainha de Portugal, 74 guns, captain Francisco Manoel Soetamayor

Conde Henrique, 74 guns, captain Jose Maria de Almeida

Medusa, 74 guns, captain Henrique de Souza Prego

Affonso d’Abuquerque, 64 guns, captain Ignacio da Costa Quintella, on board of this ship the queen with family

D. Joam de Castro, 64 guns, captain Don Manoel juan Souca

Principe do Brazil, 74 guns, captain Garcao

Martim de Freitas, 64 guns, captain Don Manoel Menezes

Frigates

Minerva, 44 guns, captain Rodrigo Lobo

Golfonho, 36 guns, captain Luiz d’Acunha

Urania, 32 guns, captain Tancos, Conde de Viana

cherua Princesa S.S., 20 guns, name of lieutenant not given

Brigs

Voador, 22 guns, lieutenant Fs. Maximilian

Vinganca, 20 guns, captain Nicolas Kytten

Gaivota, 22 guns

Schooner

Curiosa, 12 guns, hoisted French colours and deserted

Of these vessels, the Martin Freitas is now the Pedro Primero. The Principe Real is the receiving ship at Rio. The Rainha de Portugal is at Lisbon, as well as the Conde Henrique. The Medusa is the sheer hulk at Rio. The three other line-of-the-battle ships either broke up or sold to be so. Of the frigates, the Minerva was taken by the French in India. The Golfinho is broken up. And the Urania was wrecked on the Cape de Verde Islands. The Voador is now a corvette. The Vinganca is broken up, and the Gaivoto is now the Liberal.

List of the Ships that remained at Lisbon

S. Sebastao, 64 guns, unserviceable without through repair

Maria Prima, 74 guns, ordered for floating battery-not fitted

Vasco de Gama, 74 guns, under repair, nearly ready. According to a footnote hulk at Rio

Princesa de Beira, 64 guns, ordered for floating battery

Frigates

Fenix, 48 guns, in need of thorough repair (broken up at Bahia)

Aamazona, 44 guns, in need of thorough repair (broken up at Lisbon)

Perola, 44 guns, in need of thorough repair (broken up at Lisbon)

Firtao, 40 guns, past repair

Veney, 30 guns, past repair"

Source

Maria Graham. Journal of a voyage to Brazil and residence there, during part of the years 1821, 1822, 1823. London, 1824.