Rebolo's family house
Its History
Manuel Fernandes Rebolo, family archive
Manuel Fernandes Rebolo Júnior was born in Curral das Freiras in 17 December 1894.
During his childhood and the period of his first marriage he lived in Murteira (a place nearby, the first of the "low places" in this valley. It was the most central location before the construction of the church, as it was situated at the point of arrival to this valley from the road coming from Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, to the south; and from Caminho Real [Royal road] 27, between Funchal and Boaventura, in the north of the island of Madeira).
Educated man, born to a family of farmers, he was the only one of the 5 brothers to learn music, often walking a considerable distance on the road to and from Boaventura, where he had lessons with the parish priest. This knowledge would be essential to read the scores of the choral pieces in religious ceremonies in the parish church, where he had to sing the top part.
Score of "Asperges for Three Voices" (Asperges Me, Domine - latin); part sung by Mr. Rebolo (top voice); ACH archive
He started the construction of this house in lands bought in 1928 from José Militão Camacho Júnior, who inherited them from his father, former regedor [local authority] and owner with the same name, deceased in1924.
Before the second marriage of Manuel Fernandes Rebolo, in 1932, the house was already completed. The upper floor was reserved for housing. The ground floor was initially only a grocery store and later also a pastry shop and bar.
For decades it was one of the traditional commercial establishments of the largo das vendas [main commercial area], a “venda” being a mixture of a grocery store where the population supplied themselves with food and other household articles, and a bar where men would meet on Sundays, after mass.
For more than 30 years, Manuel Fernandes Rebolo was the local regedor [civil authority], working hard to improve the living conditions of the population. Back then, the regedor represented the civil authority in the community, a position with social status, but not remunerated. He was also a Juiz de Paz [peace judge], a figure of the local judicial power existing in Portugal since the birth of the country (it was extinguished between 1974 and 2002).
In these two capacities - regedor and juiz de paz - he exercised various functions in Curral das Freiras: judicial, being responsible for resolving small local disputes and minor crimes, without recourse to the courts; administrative, such as supervising the execution of local works; police work, making arrests if necessary; or electoral coordination, presiding over polling stations.
He was also connected to the administration of the Confraria [Brotherhood] of Nossa Senhora do Livramento [Our Lady of Livramento], and was responsible for the local distribution of irrigation water.
His intervention in so many areas of interest to the population made him a respected person and a reference in Curral das Freiras until the date of his death on 19 March 1995.
Mr Rebolo, an outstanding figure of this community during his long life, received in 2000, posthumously, the municipal merit medal.
Maria Teresa Soares Gouveia Fernandes Rebolo, family archive
Maria Teresa Soares Gouveia Fernandes Rebolo was born in 1905, when her family lived in Conde de Carvalhal road, in Funchal, being the youngest of 5 brothers.
When her mother was widowed, she went to live with her daughters in Camacha [a village near Funchal], where Jorge, Maria Teresa's brother, was a teacher. For her,
those were years of conviviality, from (tirar) which she remembered with nostalgia walks, serenades, poetry and friendships that lasted all her life. In 1928, when her brother continued his career in the portuguese mainland, Maria Teresa and her mother did not want to accompany him and they came to live in Curral das Freiras, where her elder sister, Ermelinda, was a teacher in the only local school, in a nearby place called Cruz do Caminho [Road´s Cross].
Here she married Manuel Fernandes Rebolo in 1932.
From this marriage were born Artur, Maria Fernanda, Ermelinda and Arlete, who joined the children of the first marriage of Mr. Rebolo: Manuel, Maria Isabel and José.
“Dona Teresa", as she was known, was an educated lady, very esteemed and distinguished in this community.
At a time when there was no permanent health care in Curral das Freiras, doctor Castro Jorge, who occasionally came on foot from Estreito de Câmara de Lobos to assist the population in Curral das Freiras, taught her how to give injections and perform basic first aid. On the advice and teachings of this doctor, Maria Teresa was an informal nurse for many years, going to the homes of those who
needed her to give injections and assist the sick, as much as possible.
In addition, she helped her husband in his administrative work.
When the position of regedor was extinguished, after the revolution of 25th April 1974, the position of president of the Junta de Freguesia [local authority since then] was created in 1976 with the new Constitution of the Portuguese Republic.
Maria Teresa Soares Gouveia Fernandes Rebolo was the first president of the Junta de Freguesia of Curral das Freiras, elected in the local elections of 12th December 1976 in the lists of the CDS (Social Democratic Centre) Party, fulfilling these functions during a mandate of 4 years.
Celebration of Maria Teresa Rebolo's 100 years, family archive
Her 100th birthday party in 2005 brought together family, friends, local and regional entities. She passed away in November 2008 at the age of 103.
Only Maria Isabel, born from Mr. Rebolo's first marriage, remained in Curral das Freiras, where she died in 2003.
Artur, Maria Fernanda, Ermelinda and Arlete (the couple's children), Manuel and José (children of Mr. Rebolo's first marriage) emigrated: Manuel, Artur, Maria Fernanda and Ermelinda to Venezuela, Arlete to South Africa. To Brazil followed José, deceased in 1990, the only one to settle permanently in the country of destination, having lost contact with the family. The others returned to Curral das Freiras, where they settled. Manuel passed away in 1995.
In the family house lives Maria Fernanda, who spent several years in Venezuela, where her children José, Eusébio, Franklin, Gilberto, Maria Raquel and Jenny were born, having returned to Madeira in 1987.