He was the son of Fernão Soares de Albergaria and Teresa Velho Cabral, one of the sisters of Gonçalo Velho Cabral. He married Brites Godins, yet had no heirs. In 1474, due to his wife's illness, Albergaria moved to the island of Madeira, in order to "find remedies and medics" to treat his wife's condition, as well as a milder climate for her to convalesce. They lodged with the family of the Captain of Funchal, João Gonçalves Zarco and his brother, Rui Gonçalves da Câmara. As Father Gaspar Frutuoso would later relate, due to the unproductivity of the island, the many costs he developed during his move and treatments for his wife, Soares de Albergaria would decide to sell the Captaincy of São Miguel for 2,000 cruzados and 60,000 kilograms of sugar to Rui Gonçalves for his hospitality; this contract was approved by Beatrice of Burgundy, Diogo, Duke of Viseu and, ultimately, ratified by the King Afonso V on 10 March 1474.
Captaincy
João Soares de Albergaria settled the island, and restructured the population, founding the principal village, Vila do Porto, and becoming the base for future Captains-Generals in the islands of the Azores. His maternal uncle was the "Commander of Santa Maria and Captain of the Azores", within a structural framework that was not properly defined. His position as Captain of Santa Maria was confirmed in a similar edict from King Afonso V of Portugal, months later: During his Captaincy, Albergaria was responsible for promoting the settlement of the island, a charge that he was successful in initiating, attracting settlers from both Portugal. He was also responsible for the defense of the island; yet, during one such attack, a Castilian corsair attacked Vila do Porto in 1480, during the War of the Castilian Succession, and sacked the town. Albergaria did not escape the battle and was captured, and taken prisoner to Castile, where he was ransomed. He paid his own ransom eight days before peace were declared by Afonso V of Portugal and Ferdinand of Castile.
Later life
Albergaria was later to marry Branca de Sousa Falcão by order of the KingJoão II on 20 June 1492, with whom they had many descendants:
João Soares de Sousa, who would inherit his father's title as 3rd Dontary-Captain of Santa Maria;
D. Violante, who married a Castilian in Santa Maria.
He would finally return to island to Santa Maria late in life, and died in 1499 at the age of 80 years. The captaincy of Santa Maria would be passed on to his descendants until its extinction in 1667.
