Manuel da Câmara III
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Manuel da Câmara 1st Count of Ribeira Grande |
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|---|---|
| Manuel Luís Baltazar da Câmara | |
| 8th Captain-Donatário of São Miguel | |
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In office 1662–1673 |
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| Monarch | John IV of Portugal |
| Preceded by | Rodrigo da Câmara |
| Succeeded by | José Rodrigo da Câmara |
| Constituency | São Miguel |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Manuel Baltasar Luís da Câmara 5 January 1630 |
| Died | December 29, 1673 (aged 43) Lisbon |
| Citizenship | Kingdom of Portugal |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Residence | Ponta Delgada |
Manuel Luís Baltazar da Câmara (5 January 1630 – 29 December 1673 in Lisbon), member of the Gonçalves da Câmara, was son of Rodrigo da Câmara, succeeded him as the 8th Donatary Captain of the island of São Miguel, 4th Count of Vila Franca and first Count of Ribeira Grande.
Manuel was the son of Rodrigo da Câmara and D. Maria Coutinho, dame in the court of Queen Elizabeth of Bourbon.
He was 21 years old when he testified against his father in front of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, for alleged practices of sodomy and for supposed incestuous relations. These crimes, at the time, resulted in the forfeiture of family possessions and loss of honour at Corte: his father eventually died miserable conditions in the convent of Cape St. Vicent. The remainder of the family, consequently, suffered a period of financial chaos and became social outcasts at court. Manuel Luís married late, and remained with his mother at the convent where his father was incarcerated, until his father's death.
Following the death of the 3rd Count of Vila Franca, the Countess used her family's connections (the Counts of Vidigueira were descendents of Vasco da Gama) with the Royal family, to attempt to recover the possessions confiscated following the scandal of her ex-husband, and rehabilitate family honour. She, therefore, sought from King Afonso VI to resuscitate the Captaincy and the incomes associated with this patronage. By royal letter, dated 15 September 1662, the monarch named D. Manuel Luís Baltazar da Câmara, the first Count of Ribeira Grande, returning his familial interests and providing an inheritance for him and his descendents. Shortly later, on 28 September, the King re-instituted all the possessions confiscated from his father, including the Captaincy of São Miguel.
Manuel served in the Restoration Wars in the province of Alentejo, as master-of-camp in Setubal.
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