CABRAL, Pedro Álvares (born Pedro Álvares de Gouveia). Belmonte, Central Portugal 1467/68 — Santarém? 1520. Portuguese Sailor. Son of a minor nobleman, Fernão Álvares Cabral and Isabel Gouveia, himself in high positions at the court of king Manuel. In 1500 he was given the command of the second Portuguese Indian expedition, a navy of 13 ships. Starting from Lisbon 9.3.1500, they were driven to Brazil, which was seen on 22.4., thus being the first Europeans there. After ten days in Brazil they continued to India and, after losing several ships in a storm in the Southern Atlantic, arrived on 13.9.1500 at Calicut, where a fortified trading-post was founded. Later the Portuguese quarreled and fought with the Raja (Zamorin) and moved to Cochin, where a new factory was founded. The expedition left India on 16.1.1501 and the two remaining ships arrived in Portugal in summer. Though first planned to be the head of the next expedition, too, of unknown reason Cabral fell from the royal favour, retired in 1509 to his estate in Santarém, Beira Baixa Province and spent the rest of his life there.
Father’s name (Cabral) went only to the eldest son and Pedro took it in 1503 after his brother’s death. In 1503 he also married Isabel de Castro, the niece of Afonso Albuquerque, at least four children (two sons and two or four daughters).
Publications: Nothing, he is only included (unlike Vasco da Gama et al.) because of J. Cabral.
Sources: Enc. Brit.; detailed account with portrait and references in Wikipedia (another portrait in Spanish version), also separate articles about “2nd Portuguese Indian Armada” and “Discovery of Brazil”.
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