A Man from Almeida Who Rose to the Rank of Lieutenant Governor

To the northwest of Almeida Fortress, at the Revelim Doble, an impressive Vauban-style fortification, several memorial plaques can be found along the covered defensive wall of the redoubt. Among them, the tomb of Manoel Ferreira da Cunha stands out. He was a decorated military officer who received the General Campaign Cross and the Military Order of Saint Benedict of Avis.

Born in Almeida in 1786, Manoel Cunha pursued a military career, beginning as a volunteer soldier in Cavalry Regiment No. 11 in 1803. By 1807, he had become an ensign, being promoted to second lieutenant in March 1810 and to lieutenant in December of the same year. He attained the rank of captain by decree on 15 December 1814, was appointed brevet major by decree on 9 July 1827 in his Cavalry Regiment No. 11, and became a substantive major on 6 August 1832. On 30 November 1832, he was appointed brevet lieutenant colonel and, from 25 July 1833, became a substantive lieutenant colonel. On 5 September 1837, he was promoted to brevet colonel, later becoming a substantive colonel and, finally, Lieutenant Governor of Almeida Fortress on 20 March 1838.

He served in the Peninsular War and refused to serve under the government of Dom Miguel. Together with his regiment, he rebelled on 26 May 1828 and emigrated to Galicia, eventually making his way to England. On 16 February 1829, he landed on Terceira Island, where he served before returning to mainland Portugal with the “Liberating” Army of Dom Pedro IV, taking part in all the engagements during the Siege of Porto. On 21 February 1841, he died in Almeida, aged 56, after 37 years of military service.

Bibliographical reference:

CARVALHO, J. V. (1988) — Almeida: Contributions to Its History. 2 vols. Almeida: Almeida Municipal Council.