Braz Fernandes ComC (3 February 1791 – 9 November 1865) was a Portuguese

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

and philanthropist. He was the scion of an ancient and wealthy family.

Personal life

Braz Fernandes was born to Manuel Salvador Fernandes and Ana Maria Fernandes. He was married to Quiteira de Mello. Quiteira's grandfather, John Barretto, was known for founding the Barretto Charity School in

Cavel Cavel is a neighbourhood in South Mumbai. It is located to the northeast of Dhobitalao near the Chira Bazaar area. It got its name from the Koli word Kolwar. The Kolis of this village were converted to Christianity Christianity is an ...

Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...

(present-day Mumbai), now known as Barretto High School, where originally education was free, and the school taught Portuguese, Latin, and English. Fernandes had eight children: John (who became a

Reverend The Reverend (abbreviated as The Revd, The Rev'd or The Rev) is an honorific style (form of address), style given to certain (primarily Western Christian, Western) Christian clergy and Christian minister, ministers. There are sometimes differen ...

), Euphrasia, Antonio Lourenco, Quiteria Angelica, Matilda (Sister Philomena), Gabriel, Anna Maria, and Braz. The eminent historian

Braz Anthony Fernandes Braz Anthony Fernandes (1 August 1881 – 9 June 1951) was a Portuguese historian and the founder of the Bombay Historical Society. Personal life Braz Anthony Fernandes was born in Goa on 1 August 1881 and came to Bombay at the age of eight. ...

was his grandson, from Gabriel.

Career

Fernandes was the first ever

Vice-Consul A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

for Portugal in

. Prior to the establishment of the Vice-Consulate in Bombay, the Portuguese representative was known as the

Consular Agent A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

Order of Christ

Fernandes's tombstone states he was a Commander of the

Order of Christ (Portugal) The Military Order of Christ is a Portuguese honorific order. It is the former order of Knights Templar as it was reconstituted in Portugal. Before 1910, it was known as the Royal Military Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Order of the Kni ...

. It is not known whether he was appointed directly to Commander or whether he was promoted to there from the rank of Knight. Knights in the Order of Christ were not advanced to a commandery until they had given proofs of their military prowess and valour, in those fortresses which Portugal retained on the African coast. According to the then statutes of the order, the knights were obliged to prove at least four degrees of hereditary nobility, but this requirement could be dispensed with by the sovereign. The knights were under the same regulations and enjoyed the same privileges as those of the

Order of Calatrava The Order of Calatrava (, ) was one of the Spanish military orders, four Spanish military orders and the first Military order (society), military order founded in Kingdom of Castile, Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bu ...

in Spain.

Philanthropy

Amador Viegas founded the Maria Viegas Girls School in March 1874, but his untimely death shortly thereafter put the school in jeopardy as he died before he could make a provision that would have guaranteed the permanence of the school. Deprived of the founder's support, the school would have closed down prematurely but for the intervention of Braz Fernandes who spared no sacrifices to give a new lease of life to the school. The Convent School is today the School of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.''In the mission field : the Diocese of Damaun'', Catholic Church Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, Bombay 1925, page 153

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandes, Braz People from Chorão (island) Portuguese diplomats Portuguese philanthropists 1791 births 1865 deaths 19th-century philanthropists