[6] Having followed a successful army career, becoming colonel of the Cascais Regiment and rising to the rank of Brigadier during the war of 1762, he was given the governorship of the province of Bahia and was soon after promoted to Governor General of Rio de Janeiro and Viceroy of Brasil.

[6] He had 12 children by his wife, D. Maria Ana da Cunha, daughter of the 5th Counts of São Vicente.The 3rd Marquess of Lavradio, as well as inheriting the assets that were not confiscated by the Crown from his great-uncle,[7] the 8th Duke of Aveiro, was granted the hereditary distinction of Honras de Parente d'El Rei[c] by Letters Patent of 1 June 1810, upon his becoming head of the two extant Lancastre lineages: one a legitimate bloodline of the Royal House of Aviz,[8] who were Comendadores-mores[d] of the Order of Christ; the other of the Dukes of Aveiro,[3][9] descended from the illegitimate and only surviving son of King João II, D. Jorge, Duke of Coimbra.

In fact, in addition to the successive honours and positions earned by the House of Lavradio through continuous service of the family to the Crown, its patrimony would extend to all regions of Portugal, except the Algarve, covering a significant part of Portuguese territory by way of marriage alliances.

[19] Given the family's antiquity, its elevated status and influence on Portugal's history, and the scarcity of reliable documentary proof until the late 14th century, genealogists have traced a number of possible ascendencies for the Almeidas.

[20] Manuel Abranches Soveral picks up on the similarities described by Braamcamp Freire[20] of the Almeida coat of arms to that of the Mello family, whose ascendency is well documented, and suggests a likely alliance by marriage early in the 13th century.

[25] His son, Diogo Fernandes de Almeida, was King Duarte's Vedor da Fazenda and as Reposteiro-mor,[h] one of the most senior Court officials.

[25] Their son, D. Lopo de Almeida, fourth cousin to King Afonso V, was created Count of Abrantes by Royal Decree of 13 June 1476.

One of the family's morgadios was instituted by D. Ana Henriques on 21 July 1587 for her nephew, D. Luis de Almeida, grandfather to the future 1st Count of Avintes.

This morgadio encompassed a number of assets, including buildings and land in the Campo de Santa Clara adjacent, or formerly belonging to the Infanta D. Maria, daughter of King Manuel I.