João Afonso Telo de Meneses, Count of Barcelos, 1st Count of Ourém

  1. (c. 1310-1381) João Afonso Telo de Meneses, 4th Count of Barcelos and 1st Count of Ourém, known as 'o Conde Velho', the Old Count.
  2. Son of Afonso Martins Teles Raposo and Berengária Lourenço de Valadares; brother to Martim Afonso Telo de Meneses.
  3. Mordomo-mor to King Pedro of Portugal.
  4. Uncle of Leonor Teles de Meneses, future wife of King Fernando I of Portugal.
  5. João Afonso Telo was then the only count in Portugal and not yet ‘old’ (a possible date for this event is 1360). Under King Fernando, in 1370, he received the title of Count of Ourém and his son inherited his previous title.  From then on he was called the ‘old count’, to distinguish him from his son, the young one, and because of his age, after the latter died. Fernão Lopes is taking the expression from later sources. [Pedro, ch. 7: note 1]
  6. When he died, and at the request of Queen Leonor Teles, his estate and title of Count of Ourém were passed on to Juan Fernández de Andeiro, who from then on became known as João Fernandes, Count of Ourém. [Fernando, ch. 134]
  7. Met Pedro of Castile in Coruche, presenting excuses on behalf of King Pedro of Portugal and Prince Fernando on why they could not meet him. In reality, the Portuguese monarch did not wish to be involved in his nephew's affairs and hostilities against his half-brother, Enrique of Trastámara, who already controlled most of the kingdom of Castile. [Pedro, ch. 38: 54-77; ch. 39: 6-12]
  8. King Pedro of Portugal commanded João Afonso Telo to accompany Pedro of Castile while he traveled with a Portuguese safe conduct from Alburquerque, Castile, across Portuguese territory, on his way to Galicia. When they reached Lamego, however, the count refused to accompany  the king any further. The count also managed to free a 14-year old daughter of Enrique of Trastámara, who had been a hostage of Pedro of Castile since her childhood. See: Leonor of Castile "of the Lions". [Pedro, ch. 39:  31-64]
  9. King Fernando of Portugal's envoy to Pero IV of Aragon to negotiate terms for a join war on Enrique II of Castile (1370).Witnessed King Fernando swearing his pledge to the Treaty of Alcoutim (May 1371) in the presence of the Castilian envoys sent to Portugal by Enrique II.
  10. Witnessed King Fernando swearing his pledge on the Treaty of Alcoutim (May 1371) in the presence of the Castilian envoys sent to Portugal by Enrique II. The Treaty of Alcoutim put an abrupt end to the previous hostilities against Castile planned in conjunction with Pero IV of Aragon. 
Joham Affonsso
Joham Affonso Tello

Chronicle entries in which João Afonso Telo de Meneses, Count of Barcelos, 1st Count of Ourém appears:

Events associated with João Afonso Telo de Meneses, Count of Barcelos, 1st Count of Ourém

Main Menu

Main menu