José António de Melo da Silva César e Meneses

José António de Melo da Silva César e Meneses
5th Captain-General of the Azores
In office
1804–1806
Monarch John VI
Preceded by Lourenço José Maria de Almada Cirne Peixoto
Succeeded by Miguel António de Melo
Constituency Azores
Personal details
Born José António de Melo da Silva César e Meneses
19 November 1763
Lisbon
Died 10 December 1839
Lisbon
Citizenship Kingdom of Portugal
Nationality Portuguese
Residence Angra do Heroísmo
Occupation Governor General
Religion Roman Catholic

José António de Melo da Silva César e Meneses (Lisbon, 19 November 1763 — Lisbon, 10 December 1839), the 8th Count of São Lourenço, 2nd Count of Sabugosa, alcaide-mor of Elvas, ensign-chief of Portugal, gentleman of Royal Household, holder of the Grand-Cross in the Order of Christ and Commander in the Order of the Tower and Sword, was high noble and general in the Portuguese Army, who between 1804 and 1806 was the 4th Captain General of the Azores.

Biography

Born in Ajuda, in the recently constructed Palace of Sabugosa, son of D. António Maria de Melo da Silva César de Meneses, the 1st Marquis and 5th Count of Sabugosa, and his wife Joaquina José Benta de Meneses.

Captaincy-General

Member of the Portuguese aristocracy, he carried on the family tradition and began his career as a cadet in 1780, and became a colonel within a few years. Because of this dispatch he was given the title of Governor and Captain-General of the Azores on 29 August 1804, disembarking in Angra on the 12 September and taking-up his post on 17 October. One of his earliest tasks was to report on the state of the Captaincy-General for the Regency.[1]

With his eldest son, António José de Melo Silva César e Meneses, as aide-de-camp, he remained in the Azores for less than a year-and-a-half, before returning to Lisbon, after the death of his father, the 1st Marquess of Sabugosa (on 4 June 1805).

Only remaining in his position for a short time, the Count of São Lourenço did not receive any appreciation from the local population. There is also few records of his administrative style. The most important was an officio from 13 January 1805, transcribed in the tenth volume of the Arquivo dos Açores; José António concentrated on agriculture, and in particular the question of using uncultivated lands and the problem with emigration, which made it difficult to continue the agricultural tradition.[1] He was also involved in public education and abandoned children at convents, which risked high child mortality rates, in addition to the need to concede the island of Graciosa emigration privileges to Brazil. His work during his short tenure included the construction of a new pier in Praia, the establishment of the Seminary in Angra and the military reorganization of the Azores (which had already been planned by his predecessors).[2] Problems with agriculture would come to affect the island of São Miguel; the lack of cereals in the largest island in the archipelago, meant that there was a famine, forcing the captain to distribute free corn.[2]

Owing to the trauma on São Miguel, the Micaelense initiated a movement for emancipation from the Captains-General, by dealing directly with Lisbon, rather through the Kings' representatives in the archipelago. This was both an issue of individual islands' autonomy as much as a question of economic power, since most wealth created in the other islands were sent to Angra.

Later life

With the death of his father, José António inherited the immense wealth of the House of Sabugosa, and upon his request, was replaced as the Captain-General of the Azores.[2] Having terminated his post in the government of the Azores, years later he returned to service in his regiment, promoted to the post of brigadier in 1808 and later, successively, field Marshall in 1810, and lieutenant general in 1815. In the last days of his military career he was a member of the Council of War.

Defendor the legitimist pretender Miguel I of Portugal, he was a deputy in the Junta dos Três Estados and president of the Overseas Council. In 1826 he was made peer of the realm, and exercised this role until the dissolution of the Cortes that preceded the beginning of the Portuguese Liberal Wars.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Carlos Melo Bento (2008), p.77
  2. 1 2 3 Carlos Melo Bento (2008), p.78

Sources

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