Magellan's Family

Magellan’s father was Rodrigo de Magalhaes with lineage being able to be traced to an 11th century French crusader, de Magalhaes. The crusader was rewarded with a grant of land from the Duke of Burgundy. Rodrigo himself served as sheriff of the port of Aveiro. Not much was known of Magellan’s mother, Alda de Mesquita, who was suspected of Jewish origin but with Magellan considered himself all along as a Catholic. It was known that Magellan had a brother by the name of Diogo who went to the court with him to be trained and educated in their younger days. But little was known about this brother during Magellan’s career.

Magellan”s wife was called Beatriz Barbosa, who was pregnant with their second child when Magellan sailed for his historical journey. However, he did make provisions with a will giving his wife 600,000 manedis as returning to her the dowry which she brought to their marriage. Beatriz was kept in Portugal in a village by King Manuel as a safeguard against Magellan’s being Spanish, showing how much distrust the Portuguese king had in this foreign captain. When the vessel San Antonio returned with malicious reports against Magellan, especially in how he had punished the mutinous crew led by the bishop’s kin, the Archbishop Fonseca arrested Beatriz and forbade her to return to Portugal.

Magellan had an illegimate son named Cristavao Rebelo, who sailed with him for the Spice Islands. During his hazardous journey, Cristavao had stood by his side and had saved him during the mutiny by the Spanish sailors. Since Magellan was killed at Cebu, Philippines, disabling his return to his homeland, his family suffered from disfavors from both the King and the bishop. Beatriz’s father had to surrender his property, and Beatriz thought she could wait for her husband’s return in due time which will never occur.