Ataíde , António de , 1567-1647 , 1st Count of Castro-Daire

Born 1567; participated in the expedition of the Marquês de Santa Cruz to the island of Terceira, 1587; served under Don Martinho de Rivera, General of the Galleys of Spain; served as Captain of Horse; Frontier Commander of Alcobaça; General of the Armada of the Coast; Colonel of Infantry; Captain Major of the Indian Fleets, 1611-1612, undertook round voyage from Lisbon to Goa; Captain General of the Portuguese Home Fleet, 1618-1621; removed from command due to the loss of the ship NOSSA SENHORA DA CONCEIÇÃO to Algerine warships in 1621, subsequently absolved of blame; Gentleman of the Chamber of Philip IV, King of Spain, and Steward to Queen Isabella; Councillor of the State Council of Portugal; President of the Council of Aragon; Ambassador Extraordinary to Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, 1629; appointed with the Conde de Vale de Reis as joint Governor of Portugal under the Spanish Crown, 1631-1633; President of the Board of Conscience and Military Orders; imprisoned in 1641 on suspicion of involvement in pro-Spanish activities, subsequently acquitted and released; died 1647; buried in the Church of San Francisco, Lisbon.

Publications: Cargos que resultaram da devassa que os governadores de Portugal mandaram tirar a D Antonio de Ataide da nau da India `Nossa Senhora da Conceição' que os inimigos queimaram no ano de 1621, e reposta de D Antonio nos argos (Lisbon, 1622); Sentenças dadas sobre a devassa que se tirou de Dom A. de Atayde Capitão General da armada de Portugal (P Crasbeek, Lisbon, 1624); Viagens do Reino para a Índia e da Índia para o Reino, 1608-1612. Diários de navegação coligidos por D. António de Ataíde no século XVII. With introduction and notes by Comandante Humberto Leitão (3 vols, Lisbon, 1957).