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

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

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 people, Koli word Kolwar. The Kolis of this village were converted to Christianity by the Portugal, P ...

, Bombay (present-day

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

), now known as Barretto High School, where originally education was free and the school taught Portuguese, Latin and English. Fernandes had 8 children: John (who became a

Reverend The Reverend is an style (manner of address), honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and Minister of religion, ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and c ...

), Euphrasia, Antonio Lourenco, Quiteria Angelica, Matilda (

Sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

Philomena), Gabriel, Anna Maria and Braz. The eminent historian Braz Anthony Fernandes was his grandson, from Gabriel.

Career

Fernandes was the first ever

Vice-Consul A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

for Portugal in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

. 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 the government of one Sovereign state, state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship be ...

Order of Christ

Fernandes's tombstone states he was a Commander of the

Order of Christ (Portugal) The Military Order of Christ 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 Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It was ...

. 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 statues of the order, the knights were obliged to prove at least four degrees of hereditary nobility, but which could be dispensed with by the sovereign; and the knights were under the same regulations, and enjoyed the same privileges, as those of the

Order of Calatrava The Order of Calatrava ( es, Orden de Calatrava, pt, Ordem de Calatrava) was one of the four Spanish military orders and the first military order founded in Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Orde ...

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 of Chorão (Island) Portuguese diplomats Portuguese philanthropists 1791 births 1865 deaths 19th-century philanthropists