Accumulation and patrimonial maintenance of the Albuquerque Maranhão family in the captaincy of Rio Grande: sugar cane mills and sesmarias (from the 17th to the 19th century)

Abstract

The Albuquerque Maranhão family settled in the captaincy of Rio Grande at the beginning of the 17th century, where they were active in the sugar economy, the main economic activity developed in the State of Brazil, and in livestock. This family achieved high social status through the continuous association between different royal favors, such as the forum of fidalgos cavaleiros and habits in religious orders, and also through the exercise of military posts and administrative offices. This article presents research that seeks to analyze how the accumulation and maintenance of the family's heritage throughout the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries was important for its perpetuation. The family accumulated vast patrimony, such as mills, lands and sesmarias even in other captaincies, such as in Paraíba. The research demonstrates that the perpetuation of this ancient strain, throughout the colonial period, occurred in a complex and multifaceted way, with the dynamization of economic and heritage activities being a key issue. The present text is the result of a postdoctoral research, in which several sources from different backgrounds were crossed, such as those existing at Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo (ANTT), Arquivo Ultramarino (AHU) and Instituto Histórico e Geográfico do Rio Grande do Norte (IHGRN).