Diogo Gonçalves

He was groom in the Privy Chamber of Prince Henry the Navigator. In 1445, he travelled in the fleet under the command of Lançarote de Lagos, serving as clerk in one of the ships. He participated in the assault to the Island of Tidra, and he returned there later for a new assault and took some Moor prisoners. In 1446, he sailed again to Guinea in a fleet that left Lagos with destination to Madeira, where two other ships joined the armada. The captains sailed until La Gomera Island, in Canary, and continued until 60 leagues (192 nautical miles) beyond Cape Verde, where Diogo Gonçalves explored the backlands. The fleet sailed to the Island of Arguin and then to the Cape of Ransom, where 48 slaves were taken. Captain Estêvão Afonso, in whose ship Diogo Gonçalves was travelling, went until Gorée Island, where Diogo Gonçalves participated once more in the backlands exploration. Zurara wrote that when he met him he was already a "noble squire". In 1459, a man named Diogo Gonçalves, servant of Prince Henry, was clerk of property transfer taxes in Correlhã. However, it is not certain that this refers to the same person.

Bibliography:
ZURARA, Gomes Eanes de, Crónica dos feitos notáveis que se passaram na conquista de Guiné por mandado do infante D. Henrique, 2 vols., Lisboa, Academia Portuguesa de História, 1973-1981. SOUSA, João Silva de, A Casa Senhorial do Infante D. Henrique, Livros Horizonte, Lisboa, 1991.

Translated by: Ana Pereira