Fr. Duarte, O.C. Borges

Chaplain, Vicar and Governor of S. Jorge da Mina. Friar of the Order of Christ, his arrival in S. Jorge da Mina dates from 1619, the year in which, by royal decree, he is appointed chaplain. We should remember that, according to an edict of 1607, the ecclesiastical personnel of the captaincy had, in addition to the vicar, four chaplains in the castle of S. Jorge and one in the castle of Axém. In May of 1634, following the death of the governor of the fortress, Pedro Mascarenhas, the soldiers elect his successor, the present vicar of the Mina Fr. Duarte Borges. The circumstances of his succession are complicated. The great Dutch threat is eminent and of the 160 men that had accompanied the deceased governor, only 8 had survived until the summer of that year, the rest of which having perished of " diseases of the land". However, Friar Duarte is not physically able to undertake the duties of his office given that he is "crippled and bed-ridden", as is duly noted by Lourenço Pires de Távora in a letter to Filipe III, written in the 24th September of 1634. His government lasts no more than three months. In effect, in the following 5th of January, the same governor informs the monarch that the friar had perished of a sudden death, having been succeeded by André da Rocha Magalhães, who had served as Alcaide Mor and "whose election had placated some disorders that had arisen in the gentile class: […]". Bibliography: BRÁSIO, António, M.M.A, África Ocidental, v.VIII, Lisboa, 1955. Carta de Lourenço Pires de Távora para Filipe III, datada de 24 de Setembro de 1634, A.H.U., S.Tomé, cx.I, doc.nº112. Depoimento de Manoel de Basto in Inquérito à Mina e Ilha de S.Tomé, datado de 17de Março de 1635 A.H.U., S.Tomé, cx.I, doc.nº124. Carta de Luis Galvão de Lemos a D.Filipe IV, datada de 17 de Março de 1635 AHU, S.Tomé, cx.I, doc.109.

Translated by: Ezequiel Motta.