Portuguese naval officer, traveler, and colonial administrator (1710–1789)
Francisco Xavier de Mendonça Corte-Real (c. 1710 – July 16, 1789) was a Portuguese naval officer, traveler, and colonial administrator, serving as the Governor of Macau from 1788 to 1789.[1][2] Born into nobility in Goa, he joined the Portuguese Navy in his youth, eventually holding prominent positions in colonial leadership towards the latter part of his life.
Background
Corte-Real was born in Goa, Portuguese India (present-day India), around 1710 into a noble family. His father's name was António; Antònio, a Catholic priest as well as a military officer, was the son of Diogo de Mendonça Corte-Real, who was once Portugal’s Secretary of State. His mother was said to have been part Portuguese and part native Goan.[3][2]
Colonial affairs
Goa
In about 1787, Corte-Real was ordered to arrest Father José Antonio Gonçalves or José Felippe Gonçalves, residents of the parish of Piedade, for the crime of lesa-majestade (treason). The accused were believed to be the leaders of a planned insurrection.[3]
Macau
On July 21, 1788, he was appointed Governor of Macau. At this point in time, Corte-Real was familiar with the place, having previously served as Infantry Captain in the Guia Fortress. His passage there was rough, and he, alongside his family, survived a shipwreck, boarding a nearby English vessel.[2]
During his term, he lost all of his possessions, incurring a debt to the Senate. Consequently, his wife and children returned to Goa in 1789, although Corte-Real himself would stay.[2]
Personal life
He was married and had children, as mentioned earlier.[2]
He died on July 16, 1789, in Macau—a surgeon had confirmed his death, determining that the cause of it was from a long-standing ailment he had been suffering from for quite some time.[4]
References