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The Viscount of Estremoz | |
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| Born | 29 July 1723 Lisbon, Portugal |
| Died | 27 October 1812 (aged 89) Lisbon, Portugal |
| Allegiance |   Kingdom of Portugal |
| Service/ | Portuguese Navy |
| Years of service | 1744–1810 |
| Rank | Almirante |
| Commands | Nossa Senhora da Penha de França Nossa Senhora da Arrábida Nossa Senhora da Estrela Nossa Senhora da Natividade São José e Nossa Senhora da Conceição Nossa Senhora de Belém e São José |
| Battles/wars | |
D. Bernardo Ramires Esquível, 1st Viscount of Estremoz and 1st Baron of Arruda (29 July 1723 – 27 October 1812) was a Portuguese nobleman and naval officer. Having a long naval career, he is mainly known for commanding the Portuguese squadron which evacuated the population of the city of Mazagan during the siege in 1769, and by commanding another Portuguese squadron which bombarded the city of Algiers in 1784.
Early life
Esquível was born on 29 July 1723 to Manuel Ramires Esquível and D. Clara Antónia de Sousa. His place of birth is unknown, although all of his family lived in Lisbon at that time. However, his father served the Crown during thirty years in the region of Beira, which makes it difficult to know his exact place of birth. He was named after his paternal great-grandfather Bernardo Ramires Esquível, a famous naval officer of the Portuguese Navy, who defeated a Dutch squadron single-handedly twice while commanding the galleon Santa Luzia in 1648.
In 1726, at age 3 to 4, he lost his mother, starting to live with his father and in the company of his four brothers: António José Ramires Esquível, Maurício Caetano Ramires Esquível, Francisco Ramires Esquível and D. Joaquina Isabel de Oliveira. In 1738 he lost his father. Following this, he stayed together with his siblings under the protection of the Bocarro and Oliveira families.
Portuguese Navy
It is said that he joined the Portuguese Navy at age 12, as grumete. However, he only enlisted in the Portuguese Navy on 27 July 1744, as soldado, in the Regimento da Armada, at age 21. On 31 March 1751, he was nominated alferes of the same regiment. On 15 July 1752, he gained another nomination, capitão-tenente.
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On 24 January 1762, he was nominated capitão de mar e guerra, and in July, he was nominated commander of the frigate Nossa Senhora da Penha de França. In the same month, this frigate integrated a coast guard squadron, composed by two ships of the line and one frigate, commanded by coronel do mar António de Brito Freire. On 11 November he integrated the squadron commanded by coronel do mar João da Costa de Brito, to sail along the coast as a privateer against the French. On 16 May 1763, he was chosen to command the frigate Nossa Senhora da Arrábida. On 9 July, under the command of capitão de mar e guerra José Sanches de Brito, departed from the Tagus to sail to the southern coast of the country and then go towards Rio de Janeiro. On 2 September he took over the command of the frigate Nossa Senhora da Estrela.
On 29 January 1764 he went to Cape Verde, in order to bring the governor, the ouvidor and one infantry company. He returned on 28 April. On 11 June he was again nominated commander of the same frigate. On 26 October he took command of the frigate Nossa Senhora da Natividade, and in the same year he took command of the ship of the line São José e Nossa Senhora da Conceição. On 28 February 1765 he sailed to Rio de Janeiro. On 25 March, the fleet of thirty ships, commanded by himself, left Rio de Janeiro towards Lisbon, where it arrived on 25 February 1766.
On 28 March 1768 he was convoked to embark the ship of the line Nossa Senhora de Belém e São José, being elected commander of the same ship on 23 March. Almost two months after embarking on the ship Nossa Senhora de Belém e São José, on 14 May, the capitão de mar e guerra Bernardo Ramires Esquível left the Tagus at around 5:45 p.m., giving convoy to the ship of the line Nossa Senhora da Ajuda e São Pedro de Alcântara, heading towards India, the charrua Nossa Senhora das Mercês, heading to Angola, and to other ships moving to different ports in Brazil and Africa. The mission was of such magnitude that the Monarch watched the departure of the squadron from Paço de Arcos. Next to the King were the Captain-General of the Navy, the Secretary of the Repartition and two aides-de-camp, the Count of São Vicente and Gonçalo Lourenço Botelho. When the Monarch left, each ship made a gun salute: Nossa Senhora de Belém e São José made a 21-gun salute, Nossa Senhora da Ajuda e São Pedro de Alcântara a 15-gun salute, and the charrua Nossa Senhora das Mercês a 5-gun salute.
Family and later life
His wife was D. Antónia Teresa de Azevedo Abraldes de Mendonça, who was born on 30 May 1760 and died on 23 September 1800. They had eleven to thirteen children.