Família Gomes da Mata e Correios-Mor
Item
Country
PT
Name of institution (English)
Elvas City Historic Archive
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
por
Contact information: postal address
Estrada da Calçadinha, 7350-466 Elvas
Contact information: phone number
00351 268009660
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
arquivo.historico@cm-elvas.pt
Reference number
Ms 420
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Gomes da Mata Family and Chief Postal Office
Title (official language of the state)
Família Gomes da Mata e Correios-Mor
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Gomes da Mata family
Date(s)
1583/1802
Language(s)
por
Extent
14 bundles
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Família Gomes da Mata e Correios-mor fonds comprises documentation of several types related to the Gomes da Mata, a New Christian family that held the Correio-Mor office generation after generation. The collection is composed of documents pertaining to António Gomes da Mata, Correio-mor (Chief Postal Officer) of the kingdom from 1607 to 1641, as well as other documents concerning other elements of this family. It includes deeds, correspondence, wills, processes, accounts, certificates, sentences, among other kinds of records.
We would like to thank Dr Nuno Costa (Arquivo Histórico Municipal de Elvas) for the information given on this fonds.
We would like to thank Dr Nuno Costa (Arquivo Histórico Municipal de Elvas) for the information given on this fonds.
Archival history
This fonds was incorporated in the Arquivo Municipal de Elvas in the late 19th century or early 20th century by donation of António Tomás Pires (1850-1913), an ethnographer from Elvas who dedicated his career to the study of this region.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Correio-mor (Chief Postal Office) was created by King Manuel I in 1520. The office was granted through royal appointment until 1606 when King Filipe II of Portugal (Filipe III of Spain) sold it to New Christian merchant Luís Gomes for 70,000 cruzados (currency). Luís Gomes da Mata, previously Luís Gomes Elvas Coronel, was a New Christian merchant and banker from Elvas who lived in Lisbon. He was a descendant of Don Abraham Senior, alias Fernão Perez Coronel. In 1606, Luís Gomes received a letter from King Filipe II recognising him as a "fidalgo da Casa Real" (a nobleman) with a manor, the Quinta da Mata das Flores, a villa in Loures, near Lisbon. Then, he adopted the "da Mata" surname and left the Converso-related Coronel family name. In the same year of 1606, Luís Gomes da Mata was also awarded the exemption from the payment of the "finta" (tax) charged to New Christians.
After Luís Gomes da Mata died in the following year, his son António Gomes da Mata inherited the office. The office remained in the family until 1797, creating an authentic dynasty of "correios-mor". In 1797, the crown reclaimed the ownership and management of the postal office and extinguished the Correio-mor position.
After Luís Gomes da Mata died in the following year, his son António Gomes da Mata inherited the office. The office remained in the family until 1797, creating an authentic dynasty of "correios-mor". In 1797, the crown reclaimed the ownership and management of the postal office and extinguished the Correio-mor position.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2021
Bibliography
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Arquivo Histórico Municipal de Elvas | Collections (official language of the state) |