| Authorised form of name | Cunha; António Álvares da (1626 - 1690); Lord of Tábua; nobleman |
| Other forms of name | Alvares da Cunha, Antonio |
| Surname | Cunha |
| Forenames | António Álvares da |
| Dates | 1626 - 1690 |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Dates and places | Birth:
Goa, India, Asia (1 May 1626)
Death:
26 May 1690 |
| Activity | Occupation:
Politician
Research Field:
History
Education:
Went to Portugal to study (1637)
Career:
Served in the Portuguese Restoration War; Grand Carver to the King of Portugal; Colonel of the City Guard of Lisbon; Founder and Secretary, of the Academia dos Generosos, Lisbon; Governor of Évora; Deputy of the Junta of the Three States; Guard-Mor of Torre do Tombo, Castelo de São Jorge (1668-1690)
Honours:
Commander of the Order of Christ |
| Royal Society activity | Membership:
Fellow
Election Date:
9/04/1668
Proposers:
Sir Richard Southwell
Other RSActivity:
Was invited to act as a correspondent to the Society about natural history in Portugal (1668) |
| Relationships | Parents: D. Lourenço da Cunha, 16th Lord of Tábua, and Isabel de Aragão
Married: Maria Manoel de Vilhena
Additional relatives: uncle Rodrigro da Cunha, Archbishop of Lisbon |
| General context | Da Cunha's family played a vital role in the restoration of Portugese independence and his uncle was a member of 'Os Conjurados', a Portugese nationalist group during the Iberian Union that revolted against Spanish rule. Da Cunha himself authored part of the 'Ecclesiastical History of Lisbon' and wrote about the history and geography of Portugal in other works. He was the first Portugese member of the Royal Society. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; Hunter; Oldenburg, IV, p. 314-6; Wikipedia; Biography of D. Luís da Cunha, by Isabel Cluny |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/71732507 |
| Royal Society code | NA2405 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| EL/O1/63 | Henry Oldenburg to Antonio Alvares da Cunha, Prince of Tabua, Grand Carver to the King of Portugal | 13 April 1668 |
| DM/5/54 | Draft of a diploma for Antonio Alvarez da Cunha, marking his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society | 9 April 1668 |
| LBO/2/58 | Copy of a letter from Antonio de Cunha to Robert Southwell | 11 February 1668 |