This nobleman was the son of Afonso Pereira, Chief-Alcaide of Santarém, and of Dona Catarina Coutinho, who was the illegitimate daughter of Dom Gonçalo Coutinho, second Count of Marialva. He was the brother of Francisco Pereira Coutinho, who was a passenger in Dom Francisco de Almeida´s fleet (1505) and, in 1514, was captain of Cristovão de Brito´s fleet. In 1506, Rui Pereira Coutinho went to India as captain of Tristão da Cunha´s fleet, having discovered Saint Lawrence Island (Madagascar) where, after the reconnaissance trip, he died in a shipwreck.

Bibliography:
LACERDA, Teresa, Os Capitães das Armadas da Índia no Reinado de Manuel I – uma avaliação social, Cascais, Câmara de Cascais, 2098, no prelo.

Author: Teresa Lacerda
Translated by: Maria João Pimentel