Nationality Portuguese Religion Catholicism | Name Amador de Role Trader | |
 | ||
Spouse(s) Margarita Cabral de Melo Occupation Trader, cattle breeder, owner of vineyard Died 1617, Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||
Amador Vaz de Alpoim (1568–1617) was a Portuguese nobleman, officer of the royal armies, colonizer and explorer of South America. He was the founder of the Cabral de Melo Alpoim family in the Río de la Plata, descendants of the first settlers of the Azores islands.
Contents
Biography
Amador was born in 1568, in Azores (Portugal) son of Estevan Alpoim and Isabel Velha, a family belonging to the Portuguese nobility. In 1599, he and his wife, Margarida, and their children arrived in Buenos Aires from their home in Rio de Janeiro, city where the family had lived for some years. He and his wife were natives of Santa Maria Island, place where they had lived their parents and grandparents.
In 1604 the Captain Alpoim was part of the expedition organized by Hernando Arias de Saavedra in City of the Caesars. That same year he participated in the exploration of the islas del Paraná. A failed expedition where Alpoim saved the life of Hernandarias, when this fell from his horse, and was about to be killed by tribes Charruas.
In the early 1600s, Alpoim renounce their activities as slave-trader, to devote himself exclusively to his ranch, where he was engaged in raising cattle and wine production.
Family and Ancestors
Amador belonged to the Portuguese nobility, being grandson of Estêvão Pires de Alpoim, a known notary of the Azores and Grimanesa Pires, daughter of Pedro Vaz Marinheiro, a rich and powerful sailor.
According to some sources, the Alpoim family were descendants of Kings of England, other versions indicated who were descendant of Henry II of Castile. And the older source indicated that this family belonged to Godofredo de Puy, son bastard of William I. The fact is that Amador Báez de Alpoim was descendant of Portuguese and French nobles, as Luís de Alpoim and Guilherme du Pui, born in Bordeaux.
Amador Vaz de Alpoim was descendant of Lopo de Alpoim and N Pinheiro, daughter of Álvaro Pires Pinheiro Lobo and Joana Pereira de Lacerda. He was married in the Island of Azores to Margarita Cabral de Melo, daughter of Matias Nunes Cabral and Maria Simões de Melo, belonging to a noble family, among whose numerous ancestors are found Martim Afonso de Melo and Briolanja de Sousa, a direct descendant of Afonso III of Portugal.
Alpoim and his wife had several children, Matías Cabral de Melo (priets), Amador Báez de Alpoim, Lieutenant governor of Corrientes, Manuel Cabral de Melo, Alcalde of Buenos Aires, and Cristóbal Cabral de Melo, who served as Captain of horses and Regidor of Buenos Aires.
The Alpoim family had a farm in Monte Grande, were good traders, had vineyard and bred of cattle.