In 1811, Prince Dom João VI granted titles to the nobles who financed the court and the army.
- Handwritten letter from Prince Dom João VI to Manoel Marquês da Silva Brandão, from Bahia.
- 4 pages.
- In Portuguese.
- 24.5 cm x 38.3 cm.
- Rio de Janeiro, in 1811.
- Average state of conservation.
- Unique piece.
I The Prince Regent of Portugal, and of the Algarves, and of=
Master's Degree, Knighthood, and Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I do
know, that Friar Francisco de Souza Paraizo Junior Novice Knight
of the same Order; He sent me to say that having true devotion
live, and remain in the Order, he wished to make his Profession, for the-
that I asked that you would be so kind as to admit him into it, and being
I am exempt from collecting criminal records, and seeing his devotion, to be him
person, that the Order, and Me can serve: Hey for good Admittilo á-
Profession, and by this Command, I give power, and Commission to the same person
constituted in Ecclesiastical Dignity that gives it the Habit of
Novices, so that in the same Church in which I ordered you to be launched and Receive
the Profession in the form of the Definitions, a copy of which will be delivered to you herewith
and how the Receiver will issue you a Certificate in the accounts of this Warrant
that the Professed within three months, will send to My Royal Chapel=
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which serves as the Head of the =
Order in this Court, to be recorded in the Registration Book; and in
his title will be put to the account, and will be collected in the Professions Treasury, and the Prior
Mor, or whoever takes his place will give you the Certificate, which will serve you
of custody. This will be fulfilled by being passed by the Chancellery of the Or=
dem. Rio de Janeiro eight of January of one thousand eight centers, and eleven.
Prince
Excerpts from the book "A History of Brazil in Manuscripts" by José Augusto Bezerra
Dom João VI (1767 - 1826) was predestined. He was not born to be King, according to the order of succession to the throne, but he ended up being one. He became Prince Regent seventeen years before the death of his mother, D. Maria I. He was the only one to disorient Napoleon, maintaining the kingdom of Portugal and the Braganza dynasty, which had been erased from the map of Europe by the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau, signed between France and Spain in 1807.
Although misunderstood by some historians, who describe him as fearful, he was a winner in his endeavors and truly loved Brazil from the moment he arrived here. He made difficult decisions and became immortal as a skillful and progressive sovereign.
In 1808, when he arrived in Brazil, Prince Regent D. João had the firm intention of preparing himself militarily to fight Napoleon, as he believed that the conflict between Portugal and France would inevitably reach the Americas. He sought to quickly organize the land forces, which were few and lacked unity of command: this was the origin of a future Brazilian army.
D. João was a skilled politician. To minimize conflicts between the members of the nobility, who accompanied him on the Atlantic crossing, and the elite of the land, made up mainly of wealthy merchants, he adopted the strategy of ennobling those who could financially support the court's permanence in Rio de Janeiro.
As King, after the death of his mother, D. Maria I, on March 20, 1816, he was generous in distributing titles of Knights, Commanders and Grand Crosses of the Orders of Christ, of Saint Benedict of Avis and of Santiago. His successors, his son Dom Pedro I and his grandson Dom Pedro II, would do the same, granting titles of Baron, Viscount, Marquis and Count to the Brazilian aristocracy.
This document constitutes a testimony of the procedure described above. The habit of novices of the Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ, under whose aegis Brazil was discovered, was granted to Manoel Marquês da Silva Brandão, an honor duly confirmed by the document presented here. As for the recipient, it is known that he was from Bahia.
This document was written in 1811, just 3 years after the arrival of Dom João VI in Brazil. The Prince signed many documents, but those written entirely by hand by him are rare.
