João Afonso (de Pimentel) “das Grotas FundasDied 2 Sept 1512 NB:this is the work of several people including Rodrigo Rodrigues, Andrew Rapoza,George Pacheco, Diana cestodio Silva, in addition to those cited. NAME:He became known in St. Michael, Açores as "João Afonso das Grotas Fundas" [Frutuoso]. Frutuoso nevergives him the family name Pimentel nor does he ever make reference to arelationship to the Spanish Counts of Benevente. This claim is made by his grandson JoãoAfonso, o Moço, of Faial da Terra, where he died on 16.4.1577. On the cover of his will, in an old script, itsays that the said João Afonso, o Moço descendesfrom the Condes de Benavente of Castile. BIOGRAPHY:"The Pimentels and the Resendes families of the island of São Migueldescended from João Afonso de Pimentel who came with these names in the lastquarter of the 15th century" [FamiliasAntigas da Povoação].(It was also suggested that he arrive in the middle of the 15th century [James Guill]."He settled in the place of Grotas Fundas, on the island of São Miguel, wherehe had a large family and house, by which he became well-known on the island asJoão Afonso das Grotas Fundas [Frutuoso]." "The origin of this JoãoAfonso is wrapped in some mystery; nevertheless, his 5th grandson [through adaughter of João Afonso], Padre Pedro Furtado Leite, outlined hisancestry in a letter in which he wrote that his mother was descended from JoãoAfonso who, in turn, was the descendant of the Counts of Benavente, of Spain.In truth, there are some nobiliaries that refer to a son of the third Count ofBenavente (there is a perfect coincidence of dates), of the name João Afonso,who left Spain, anddisappears from history. The third Count of Benavente, Alonso dePimentel, also known as the Count of Mayorga, was married to Dona Maria deQuinones y Toledo. The subsequent nobiliaries referred totheir son João Afonso de Pimentel [Familias]."No further details are given in Genealogiade los Condes y Duques de Benavente (at the Madrid Library), however. [J. Guill] Thisson would have been 60 to 70 years old when João Afonso das Grotas Fundas madehis will, His great-grea-greatr grandson,Father Belchior Manuel de Resendes, in a letter, says that his 4th grandfather,João Afonso das Grotas Fundas was the son of a Count and exiled himself to S.Miguel for having committed a crime in Portugal. "The Pimentels belong to one of the mostillustrious families of the Iberian peninsula and originate in Benavente, wherethey had a castle at the juncture of a gigantic triangular territory formed bythe lands of Leon, Asturias, and Galicia and bordered by the rivers Esla and Orbigo[Familias]." One Count built a hospital by the name ofNossa Senhora do Piedade to benefit the pilgrims traveling the Silver Route onthe way to Santiago de Compostela. The church in Ponta Garça that serves theGrotas Fundas area where João Afonso was the first settler, was also calledNossa Senhora do Piedade, thus further suggesting the connection between JoãoAfonso das Grotas Fundas and the Counts of Benavente. [Familias.] It may be this same João Afonso that ismentioned to have contributed 80 moios of wheat toward a program to directfresh water from the land of Gaspar de Bettancurt to Ponta Delgada becausebefore this time the residents of that town had to rely on well water (perhapsthe town's population was growing too large to sustain itself on the number ofwells then available) [Alverne]. João Afonso das Grotas Fundas was againcredited as being the earliest settler of Grotas Fundas at the very beginningof Ponta Garça's settlement. (It was also suggested that, given the isolationand difficult access to Grotas Fundas, it could be assumed that João Afonso dePimentel had a motive to flee to so remote a spot [J.Guill].) He made his willon 26 May 1511. In it he made his oldest son, João Afonso, and his son's wife,Catarina Manuel, the executors and ordered that a third of his lands be setaside to produce a benefit of 10,000 reis [system of money later replaced bycruzeiros] for the purpose of having three masses said one week a year inperpetuity; the first on Monday for his faith in God to be a blessing on hissoul; the second on Saturday in honor of the Peace of Christ and the last oneon Saturday in honor of "Nossa Senhora" with all her prayers [Vida]. [Alverne] Chronicas da Provincia de São JoãoEvangelista das Ilhas dos Açores[Familias] Familias Anitgas de Povoação[Frutuoso] Doutor Gaspar Frutuoso, Livro Quatro: Saudades da Terra[J. Guill] Letter from Dr. James H. Guill, FEB 98[Vida] A Vida de Nossos Avós See also Miguel Figueiredo Corte-Real: Os Descendentes dos Condes de BenaventeRadicados in Açores Desde o Século XV. John Miranda Raposo
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