Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira

Dom Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira, Prior of Crato, Portugal, entered very young in the Order of St. John of the Hospitallers. At Rhodes, at the time seat of the Order, he fought the Turks in the galleys of the Hospitallers giving such proofs of value that the Grand Master made him Prior of the Hospitallers in Portugal, where he founded the Castle of Amieira, the palaces of Bonjardim and the Castle of Flor da Rosa, next to Crato, which was the head of the Order in Portugal. He administered with great zeal the businesses of his Order and fought at the brilliant victory of Salado. Eminent figure of his time he was private to Kings Afonso IV of Portugal, Peter I of Portugal and Ferdinand I of Portugal. He died at an advanced age ca 1375. He was the father of the Constable of Portugal Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira and ancestor of the Kings of Portugal of the House of Braganza, of the Emperors of Brazil and almost every Royal House of Europe (currently and for now excepting only Georgia).

His father was Dom Gonçalo (Gonçalves) Pereira, 97th Archbishop of Braga (1326-1349) by Teresa Peres Vilarinho.

Offspring

He never married, since such was prevented from him for being a Professed Knight. He had, however, 32 children:

By Iria Gonçalves do Carvalhal (d. at Camarate), daughter of Pedro Gonçalves do Carvalhal and wife Aldonça Rodrigues da Silva (and sister of Martim Gonçalves do Carvalhal, "Alcaide-Mór" of Tavira (see below)):
* Dom Pedro Álvares Pereira, who was a Prior of Crato and passing to Castile was a Master of Calatrava and died at the Battle of Aljubarrota following the party of King John I of Castile in 1385
* Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira
* Dom Fernão (Álvares) Pereira, married to Catarina Lobo, daughter of Diogo Lopes Lobo, 1st Lord de Alvito (of the Lords of Biscay and a descendant of Charlemagne), and wife Aldonça Martins Toscano, and had issue, an only daughter, married and had issue

By Iria Vicente:
* Dom Rodrigo Álvares Pereira, who was legimitized by King Peter I of Portugal at Torres Vedras on 26 August 1367 and was the 1st Lord de Águas Belas, and of the Villages of Sousel, Vila Nova, and das Azenhas-de-Anha-Loura and Bem-lhe-Quer at the term of Estremoz by donation that made to him Kings Peter I of Portugal, Ferdinand I of Portugal and John I of Portugal, and was one of the most respected Noblemen of his time and one of those King Henry II of Castile asked King Ferdinand I as Hostages of the Peace, as mentioned by Duarte Nunes de Leão at the "Chronicle of King Dom Fernando", accompanied his brother Dom Pedro Álvares Pereira, Prior of Crato when he was Governor at Lisbon, which was besieged by the Castilians, served King John I who made his some grants and later took some of them for passing to Castile, married to Maria Afonso do Casal, daughter of Afonso Rodrigues do Casal (son of Rui Garcia do Casal, who was a good Knight and of great works) and wife Teresa Gonçalves da Fonseca or Coutinho and sister of his half-brother in law Maria Afonso do Casal (see below) and Rui Garcia do Casal, without further notice, and had issue
* Dona Inês (Álvares) Pereira, married to Pedro Afonso do Casal, son of Afonso Rodrigues do Casal (son of Rui Garcia do Casal, who was a good Knight and of great works) and wife Teresa Gonçalves da Fonseca or Coutinho and brother of her half-sister in law Maria Afonso do Casal (see above) and Rui Garcia do Casal, without further notice, and had issue

By Marinha Domingues:
* Dona Violante (Álvares) Pereira, married to (Dom) Martim Gonçalves de Lacerda, a Nobleman at Castile who passed to Portugal at the reign of John I, son of (Dom) Diogo Nunes de Serpa (great-great-grandson of Dom Sancho Fernandes de Serpa, a Prior and bastard son of Infante Fernando, Lord of Serpa) and wife Dona ... de La Cerda (bastard daughter of Don Carlos de La Cerda, Comte d'Angouleme, grandson of Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile), and had issue

By unknown mothers:

(Sons)
* Dom Diogo Álvares Pereira, Prior of the Order of St. John, who also died at the Battle of Aljubarrota, for the party of Castile, without issue
* Dom Diogo Álvares Pereira (another), married to Isabel Sarmento, and had issue
* Dom Lopo Álvares Pereira, without further notice
* Dom Fernando Álvares Pereira, had issue and had issue in Entre Douro e Minho and died at the taking of Vila Viçosa
* Dom Vasco Álvares Pereira, died young and without issue
* Dom Paio (Álvares) Pereira, died young and without issue
* Dom Afonso (Álvares) Pereira, without further notice
* Dom João (Álvares) Rodrigues Pereira, "of the creation of Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira", married to Genebra Valente and had issue.
* Dom Henrique (Álvares) Pereira, Commander de Poiares, unmarried, had a natural daughter who married and had issue
* Dom Gonçalo (Álvares) Pereira, who died young
* Dom Álvaro (Álvares) Pereira (found at the Nobiliary of Fernão Martins Freire), married to Catarina de Abreu and / or Leonor Rodrigues, widow of Rui Vasques de Castelo-Branco, from Refóios, apparently without issue(Daughters)
* Dona Aldonça Álvares Pereira, married to Pedro Esteves, a Nobleman of the Royal Household, son of Estêvão Esteves, "Porteiro-Mór" (Major Porter), and wife and brother of João Esteves, the sons of Estêvão Esteves, "Porteiro-Mór" (Major Doorman), and wife, who was a brother of Pedro Esteves, a descendant of Charlemagne and Ferdinand I of Castile and a relative of the "Pinheiro" family, and had issue
* Dona Isabel (Álvares) Pereira, married to Gil Vasques da Cunha, 1st Lord de Basto (today Cabeceiras de Basto, Celorico de Basto and Mondim de Basto) and "Alferes-Mór" (Major Standard Bearer) of the Realm, and had issue
* Dona Estefânia (Álvares) Pereira, married as his first wife to Álvaro Gonçalves de Carvalho, Lord of the Majorat de Carvalho, natural son of Gil Fernandes de Carvalho, Lord of the Majorat de Carvalho and a Master of the Order of St. James, by Maria do Bairro, and had issue
* Dona Violante (another) or Guiomar (Álvares) Pereira, married to Martim Gonçalves do Carvalhal, "Alcaide-Mór" of Tavira, son of Pedro Gonçalves do Carvalhal and wife Aldonça Rodrigues da Silva and brother of Iria Gonçalves do Carvalhal (see above), and had issue; she might be her sister Dona Guiomar (below) or her husband might have remarried her sister, which seems more likely since Violante's issue did not extinguish
* Dona Teresa (Álvares) Pereira, married to Gonçalo Rodrigues de Abreu, "Alcaide-Mór" of Elvas, son of Nuno Gonçalves de Abreu, Lord de Melgaço, and wife Joana or Maria Rodrigues de Vasconcelos, a descendant of Charlemagne and Ferdinand I of Castile, and had issue
* Dona Mécia (Álvares) Pereira, married to Vasco Martins de Altero, natural son of Martim Anes de Altero (a descendant of Charlemagne, Hugh Capet and Ferdinand I of Castile) by Mariana ..., and had issue
* Dona Joana (Álvares) Pereira, married to Carlos Pessanha, 6th Admiral of Portugal, and had issue
* Dona ... (Álvares) Pereira, married to João Fernandes de Arca, son of Fernão Gonçalves de Arca and wife, apparently without issue
* Dona Leonor (Álvares) Pereira, married to João Mendes de Vasconcelos, Lord de Penela, Lord da Lousã and Lord of the Majorat de Soalhães, son of Gonçalo Mendes de Vasconcelos, "Alcaide-Mór" of Coimbra (descendant of Charlemagne and Ferdinand I of Castile), and second wife Teresa Rodrigues Ribeiro of the Lords of the Majorat de Soalhães (descendant among others of Afonso III of Portugal and Madragana), and had female issue
* Dona Brites (Álvares) Pereira, married to Lourenço Mendes de Vasconcelos, Lord of the Honour de Nomães and Lord of the Honour de Ruivães, bastard son of the above mentioned João Mendes de Vasconcelos, Lord de Penela, Lord da Lousã and Lord of the Majorat de Soalhães, and had issue
* Dona Maria (Álvares) Pereira, married to Rui Lopes de Cerveira, and had issue
* Dona Guiomar (Álvares) Pereira (found at the Nobiliary of Fernão Martins Freire), married to Martim Gonçalves do Carvalhal, and had issue now extinct; she might be her sister Dona Violante (above) or her brother in law might have remarried her sister, which seems more likely since Violante's issue did not extinguish

* Four (or three) more children

References

* António da Costa de Albuquerque de Sousa Lara, 2nd Count de Guedes, Vasco de Bettencourt de Faria Machado e Sampaio and Marcelo Olavo Correia de Azevedo, "Ascendências Reais de Sua Alteza Real a Senhora Dona Isabel de Herédia Duquesa de Bragança", I, "pelos Costados Herédia, Bettencourt e Meneses da Ilha da Madeira" (Universitária Editora, 1999)
* Manuel José da Costa Felgueiras Gaio, Nobiliário das Famílias de Portugal, Título Pereiras
* Cristóvão Alão de Morais, Pedatura Lusitana, Pereiras