Francisco da Silveira Pinto da Fonseca Teixeira, 1st Count of Amarante

Francisco da Silveira Pinto da Fonseca Teixeira (1 September 1763 – 27 May 1821), was the 1st Count of Amarante, who joined the Portuguese army and fought in the War of Oranges and other campaigns of the Peninsular War, as an off-shoot of the Napoleonic Wars.

Biography

Francisco da Silveira was born in the town of Canelas, the son of Manuel da Silveira Pinto da Fonseca and D. Antónia Silveira.

Career

He became a cadet in the Almeida Cavalry Regiment on 25 April 1780, from which his career developed in subsequent years: he was promoted to ensign by 27 February 1790; then lieutenant in the 6th Cavalry Regiment, then called the Light Regiment of Chaves, on 17 December 1792, before becoming a captain and adjunct-aide to the Field Marshall of the Province of Beira, João Brun da Silveira, on 17 December 1799. He succeeded his father as the Majorat of Espírito Santo on 22 February 1785.

During the war between France and Spain (in 1801), Francisco da Silveira, along with other important people in the province, raised a voluntary corp, and as sergeant figured in the Monterei company, commanded by Gomes Freire de Andrade. He was rewarded by being assigned to the 6th Cavalry Regiment, first as sargent, then as Lieutenant Commander on 14 March 1803.