Lopo de Brito

This nobleman of the Royal House was the son of João de Brito and Dona Beatriz da Silva. Pedro de Mendonça, son of João de Brito from his first marriage to Dona Maria de Mendonça, was his oldest brother. All of his brothers, including the oldest, looked to the Orient as the place for royal service, namely: Pero de Mendonça, captain of the 1504 fleet; Jorge de Brito, captain of the 1511 fleet and Admiral of the 1520 fleet; António de Brito captain of the Moluccas (1522), and Cristovão de Brito, captain of the 1511 fleet and Admiral of the 1514 fleet. The grandfather of these Britos was Mem de Brito Nogueira who inherited the majorat of São Estevão de Beja and Santa Cruz de Lisboa. By virtue of the marriages of their aunts, Dona Violante de Brito and Dona Inês de Brites, they were nephews of João Lopes, member of the Supreme Court, Casa do Cível, and of Gonçalo Vaz de Melo, who was King Afonso V´s master of ceremonies. One of his cousins, Dona Joana de Melo, married Duarte de Lemos, captain of the 1508 India fleet. On the mother´s side they were the great-grandsons of Dom Leonel de Lima, 1st Viscount of Vila Nova de Cerveira and Chief Alcaide of Ponte de Lima. Therefore, they were first and second cousins to many of the Limas and Coutinhos who cruised the Indian Ocean during the reign of King Manuel I. He received the habit of the Order of Christ in 1519 and departed for India as captain of the fleet. Between 1519 and 1521, he fulfilled the role of Captain of Ceylon. In a charter dated July 13, 1524, it was ordained that he be awarded an annual pension (tença) of 30 thousand reis along with the habit.

Bibliography:
LACERDA, Teresa, Os Capitães das Armadas da Índia no Reinado de Manuel I - uma avaliação social, Cascais, Câmara de Cascais, 2009, no prelo.

Translated by: Maria João Pimentel