Pero Anes do Canto

Pero Anes do Canto (1480–1556) was a Portuguese nobleman, who was born at Guimarães, Portugal and died at Angra do Heroísmo, on the island of Terceira in the Azores. He was the superintendent of fortifications on Terceira, and, for his competency in that role and other services to the Portuguese crown, he was rewarded with the title moço fidalgo (knight-gentleman) of the royal house, and the high office of "Purveyor to the Armada of the Islands and the merchant vessels of the East India trade in all of the islands of the Azores", a title that devolved upon successive members of the Canto family for about three hundred years.

Biography
The family of Pero Anes do Canto descended from Sir John Chandos, a noble Englishman who accompanied Edward, the Black Prince to Castile in support of Pedro I of Portugal. The Englishman later moved to Portugal and established himself at Guimarães during the reign of John I of Portugal.

<!-- Pedro Anes's Corner, Wood went to the end of the fifteenth century or beginning of the sixteenth century, the king's service, following Vasco Afonso, its parent, vicar of Machico, Madeira Island and visit the islands of the Azores, which became the universal heir. Madeira, it is now the third during the first decade of five hundred.

Person of established asset for business, invested their surplus in the real estate market. Expected rapid growth of the town of Angra acquired the nominal price, the land that extended to the sides of the Good News (the east) and the Corpo Santo (the West), which would bring annual income equivalent to the capital invested. Later, also the low price, bought the place in the Porto da Cruz of biscuit, on the opposite side of the island, worthless land for growing grain, which started the cultivation of vineyards and orchards. Then set the fifth, making building a chapel under the invocation of Our Lady of Loreto, and a large residence in which he called "The Galeao. It also added large areas lavradias, to ensure large income, to ensure its widespread abundance.

In 1509, armed with their expense people with a ship of war, and from the third to the north of Africa in aid of the stronghold Arzila then under harassment by the king of Fez. Upon arrival, was instructed by D. Vasco, Portuguese governor of the place, the recovery of the port of Tonbelalon, taken by the Moors, as well desincumbiu is the mission that soon regained its position, holding her courage to the enemy to withdraw, eight days later. In reward for these services, John III of Portugal said it, by charter, the former shell of its weapons, a stronghold.

As a provider of fortifications, is Pedro Anes that should be the first defensive structures of the Bay of Angra. Directed the starch of a squad to combat the pirates and corsairs who then infested the seas of the Azores.

At the time, demanding the port of biscuits some ships of the Career in India, Pedro Anes generously did refuel the craft of meat, poultry and fruit, the same is repeated in subsequent years. For these services, was distinguished by the sovereign with the title "Moço Fidalgo" of the Royal House, and the Royal Charter on July 27 of 1532, made it through the "Office of the Armed and Naus of India in all the islands of the Azores "not only for themselves but for their children and descendants.

He made five provisions testamentary, which were approved, the 1st and 2nd respectively, on April 18th of 1504, and June 1 of 1543 on the note of the notary Diogo Leitão, the city of Lisbon, and the other on April 23 of 1547, May 15 that, in 1549 and 3 October 1553 in the purchase of John Cea, the city of Angra do Heroísmo.

These provisions established to perpetuate their memory and strain, three major Morgados, which committed the following property, which had the third: •	 the first, the houses of the Holy Body, San Pedro and Ribeira da Lapa, as well as Thursdays and forums, and the Chapel of Our Lady of Nazareth, which had built into the Quinta de San Pedro. •	 the second, the Houses of Lajes, Agualva, Porto Martins and Given in Brazil, with their forums and Thursdays. •	 the third, the farms located in the Three, Five and Six Ribeiras of Santa Barbara, where the annual rent at the time 60 moios wheat (3,600 acres), and were in part purchased with money inherited from the settlor said their relative Vasco Afonso.

These Morgado, which were set up with certain obligations and certain, particularly with the use of their administrators, their children: Anthony, John and Francis, the surname Song, said that the settlor owned by her parents and grandparents were then added of other goods, including the following: •	 the first, the House and Chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios; •	 the second, a few noble houses in the parish of biscuits, and a chapel under the invocation of Our Lady of Loreto; •	 the third, a few noble houses and Chapel of Our Lady of the Nativity in the city of Angra.

In one of those provisions said testator has made in Lisbon, in the year 1544, the note then in charge of Diogo Leitão, which gave a deed in favor of his brother Anthony legitimate their paternal and maternal, with the obligation to chapel of Masses, in Guimarães, for souls of their parents, and administrators are of the same chapel his brother and his generation.

Died in 18 August 1556, having determined the will of 1543, that his body was buried in the Chapel of Our Lady of Nazareth, the Quinta de San Pedro, or the Chapel of St. Peter's Church of San Salvador (Angra do Heroísmo), where were to die in this city, and more determined that their heirs to bring about a memory Moimenta with the following words:

"The grave of Peter Annes Corner, knight of the Royal House of the king of Portugal D. João III d 'this name, which was the 1st man who was helping with a ship full of people the villa of the 2nd siege Arzila that was the era of 1509, and is surrounded d 'the king of ... ... He was in making Azamor and villas of ... ... and equipped house in the province of ... .... .. and master-Mor seven times of that of the armed guard of the king in Naus of India".

He was married twice: first on September 8 of 1510, in Angra do Heroísmo with Joanna Abarca, daughter of Pedro Abarca Fidalgo of Tuy, the second with D. Violante Galvão da Silva, daughter of Duarte Galvão, Secretary of King John II of Portugal, Ambassador to Rome to Pope Alexander VI, and the emperor of Germany, Maximilian I, and the king of France, Louis XII and chronicler-Mor the kingdom, and his second wife Catherine de Menezes and Vasconcelos.

The trunk of this family in Terceira island is Pedro Anes's Corner was born in Guimarães, in the fifteenth century, brother of Francisco's Corner, died in Rome, and Anthony's Song, who was priest and arcipreste of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, the said city, which then had only the town of forums. Were children of John Anes's Corner, also born in Guimarães, and his wife D. Francisca da Silva.

The first marriage was the only child, Anthony Smith's Corner, who married D. Catarina de Castro. The second marriage was also an only child, Joao da Silva's corner, married Isabel Correia. Outside of these marriages had: 1.	 Francisco da Silva's corner, married Francisca Soares, according to some historians, Luísa Vasconcelos of the House, according to others. 2.	 Pedro's Corner. 3.	 Manuel's Corner, died in India, we do not know the name of the wife, but had at least one son by name: Francisco's Corner. [Edit] See also •	 Song (surname) [Edit] Bibliography •	 Eduardo Campos de Azevedo Soares de Castro, the island nobiliary Third (Volume I). Livraria Fernando Machado & Comp. 1944. •	 FARIA, Manuel. Terceira Island - Atlantic Fortress: Fort of San Pedro. Diário Insular, s / d. [Edit] See also •	 Fort of San Pedro (Biscuits) •	 Fort Street Long (Biscuits) •	 List of surnames of the first families that populated the Azores Retrieved from "http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pero_Anes_do_Canto" -->