Hermano José Braamcamp de Almeida Castelo-Branco, 5th Lord, 2nd Baron, 1st Viscount and 1st Count of Sobral, 5th Lord of the Majorat of Sobral, 3rd Lord of the Majorat of Luz, ComC (16 September 1775 – 2 February 1846), Chief of the Name and Arms of da Cruz Sobral, was a Portuguese

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

and politician.

Family

He was the first of six children and son of Geraldo Venceslau Braamcamp de Almeida Castelo-Branco and Joana Maria da Cruz Sobral. Geraldo was the 4th

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

''jure uxoris'' and 1st

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

of Sobral, 2nd Lord and

Administrator Administrator or admin may refer to: Job roles Computing and internet * Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database * Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum * N ...

of the

Majorat ''Majorat'' () is a French term for an arrangement giving the right of succession to a specific parcel of property associated with a title of nobility to a single heir, based on male primogeniture. A majorat ( fideicommis) would be inherited by ...

of a Luz (28 September 1752 – 6 July 1828), of the Counsel of Queen

Maria I ''Dom (title), Dona'' Maria I (Maria Francisca Isabel Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana; 17 December 1734 – 20 March 1816) also known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and Maria the Mad in Brazil, was Queen of Portugal from 24 February 1777 ...

and King Peter III, Deputy of the Board of Commerce (''Junta do Comércio''),

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

of the Order of Christ and 1st Baron of Sobral by Decree of 14 May 1813 of Prince Regent John, who succeeded his mother in the Majorat of Luz. Joana Maria da Cruz Sobral was the 4th Lady of the Village of Sobral de Monte Agraço, 4th Lady and Administrator of the Majorat of Sobral and

Chief of the Name and Arms The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard ci ...

of da Cruz Sobral (born or bap. 9 June 1760 – 21 October 1812), of Italian maternal descent, who succeeded her brother Sebastião António da Cruz Sobral, 3rd Lord of Sobral and 3rd Lord of the Majorat of Sobral, Chief of the Name and Arms of da Cruz Sobral, Alcaide-Major of Freixo de Numão, Nobleman of the Royal Household, of the Counsel of Queen Maria I,

of the Order of Christ,

Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...

of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

of the Chamber of Lisbon, Counselor of the Royal Treasury, Fiscal of Public Works (born 22 September 1757 or bap. 23 December 1758 and brother of Leonor Clara da Cruz Sobral, born 6 August 1781). Hermano's parents married on 20 February 1773.

Life and political career

Bachelor A bachelor is a man who is not and never has been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". (). Etymo ...

in Law from

University of Coimbra The University of Coimbra (UC; , ) is a Public university, public research university in Coimbra, Portugal. First established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a number of relocations until moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537. The university ...

, he was 5th Lord of Sobral de Monte Agraço and 5th Lord of the Majorat of Sobral, succeeding his mother, who ceded them to him in 1806, and 3rd Lord of the Majorat of a Luz, succeeding his father on 6 July 1828. He enlisted as

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the

Cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

Regiment of the

Pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...

of Lisbon on 30 September 1796, for having presented a Cavalry

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

at his own expense, which became adstricted to the same Regiment, and had leave from the service on 3 March 1803. He took an active part in the liberal politics and was appointed, after the

Liberal Revolution of 1820 The Liberal Revolution of 1820 () was a Portuguese political revolution that erupted in 1820. It began with a military insurrection in the city of Porto, in northern Portugal, that quickly and peacefully spread to the rest of the country. The Rev ...

Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...

as a Member of the Provisional Regency of the Government of the Realm, then instituted (merged later with the one of Porto). Withdrawn in 1823 from the public businesses, after the Vilafrancada he returned to the political activity when, in 1826, the Constitutional Charter was sworn, under the

Regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

of Infanta Isabel Maria of Portugal, becoming part, as 24th Secretary of State of the Treasury Affairs or Minister of the Treasury, of a constitutional government, in which Saldanha was

Minister of War A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

. Miguel's coup, proclaiming himself King, withdrew him again from politics. In 1833, after the victory of the liberal forces, he was appointed Member of the Commission created to take knowledge in charge of the study of the state of the consolidated external debt, etc., on 18 July 1838. He also became a

Peer of the Realm A peer of the realm is a member of the highest aristocratic social order outside the ruling dynasty of the kingdom. Notable examples are: * a member of the peerages in the United Kingdom, who is a hereditary peer or a life peer * a member of the ...

in 1835, Honorary Minister and Counselor of State and Commander of the Order of Christ. The title of Baron was renewed to him by Decree of 3 March 1824 of John VI during his father's lifetime, and was raised to

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty. In the case of French viscounts, the title is ...

, with Grandee status, by Decree of 14 September 1838 and then to

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

by Decree of 13 December 1844, both of Maria II. He owned a

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

at the Largo do Calhariz and a farm on a Luz. His

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

was quartered, on the first de Narbonne, on the second de Almeida, on the third Castelo-Branco and on the fourth patterned of da Cruz Sobral and Braamcamp, with a crest of de Narbonne and a

coronet In British heraldry, a coronet is a type of crown that is a mark of rank of non-reigning members of the royal family and peers. In other languages, this distinction is not made, and usually the same word for ''crown'' is used irrespective of ra ...

of Duke (allusive to the representation of the ducat de Narbonne-Lara and, more accurately, to the Grandeeship of Spain 1st Class).

Motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

: ''Labor vincit aerumnas''.

Marriage and issue

He married at

Agen Agen (, , ) is the prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Southwestern France. It lies on the river Garonne, southeast of Bordeaux. In 2021, the commune had a population of 32,485. Geography The city of Agen l ...

on 17 February 1806 Louise Amable Rion Françoise de Narbonne-Lara (

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, 28 March 1849),

Dame ''Dame'' is a traditionally British honorific title given to women who have been admitted to certain orders of chivalry. It is the female equivalent of ''Sir'', the title used by knights. Baronet, Baronetesses Suo jure, in their own right also u ...

of Honour of Her Majesty Queen Maria II (with right to the Grandeeship of Spain 1st Class for being representative of her paternal uncle the 2e duc de Narbonne-Lara, of whom she was the heiress for him not having posterity), first-born daughter of Louis Marie Jacques Amalric, comte de Narbonne-Lara and Adélaïde Marie de Montholon, and had issue, two daughters: * Adelaide Braamcamp Sobral de Almeida Castelo-Branco de Narbonne-Lara, 6th Lady, 3rd Baroness, 2nd Viscountess and 2nd Countess of Sobral, 6th and last Lady of the Majorat of Sobral, 4th and last Lady of the Majorat of a Luz (Paris, 3 June 1808 –

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, 15 June 1886), Dame of Her Majesty Queen Maria II, married in Lisbon,

Carnide Carnide () is a (civil parish) and typical Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter of Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal. Located in northern Lisbon, Carnide is north of São Domingos de Benfica and Benfica (Lisbon), Benfica, east of Lumiar, and di ...

, on 2 or 6 October 1834 to Luís Maria de Melo Breyner Teles da Silva (Lisbon, Mercês, 26 October 1807 – Lisbon, Mercês, 1 December 1876), Moço Fidalgo of the Royal Household,

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

of the

Order of the Tower and Sword The Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit (), before 1917 the ancient and most noble order of the Tower and of the Sword, of valour, loyalty and merit (), is one of the four former ancient Portuguese milita ...

and the

Order of Aviz The Military Order of Aviz (), known previously to 1910 as the Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz (), and before 1789 as the Knights of Saint Benedict of Aviz () or ''Friars of Santa Maria of Évora'', is one of the four former ancien ...

, Lieutenant of Cavalry who was an

Attaché In diplomacy, an attaché () is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified ac ...

to the Chiefs of Staff of His Imperial Majesty the

Duke of Braganza The title Duke of Braganza () in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Starting in 1640, when the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown were ...

and His Royal Highness Prince Auguste, Aide-de-Camp of His Royal Majesty King

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...

, second son of the 5th Lord and 2nd Count and the 1st Marchioness and 1st

Duchess Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they a ...

of Ficalho and brother of his sister in law's husband, and had five children (he also had a natural son, born before wedlock) * Maria Luísa Braamcamp Sobral de Almeida Castelo-Branco de Narbonne-Lara (Paris, 2 October 1812 – Lisbon, Mercês, 19 August 1890), married in Lisbon, Carnide, 14 September 1834 to António José de Melo Breyner Teles da Silva, 3rd Count and 2nd

Marquess A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or wid ...

of Ficalho (Lisbon, Mercês, 22 August 1806 – Lisbon, Mercês, 27 April 1893), 160th

Grand Cross Grand Cross is the highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia. Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, there may exist a rank even higher than Grand Cross, e.g. Gran ...

of the Order of the Tower and Sword, son of the 5th Lord and 2nd Count and the 1st Marchioness and 1st Duchess of Ficalho and brother of his sister in law's husband, and had two sons Two of his descendants are Salvador and Luísa Sobral, the winner and winning songwriter of the

Eurovision Song Contest 2017 The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 was the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, following the country's victory at the with the song " 1944" by Jamala. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) an ...

. They also share the family name of Braamcamp Sobral.

References

* Various, ''Resenha das Famílias Titulares do Reino de Portugal'', Lisbon, 1838, pp. 225–227 * Afonso Eduardo Martins Zúquete, ''Nobreza de Portugal e do Brasil'', Volume Terceiro, pp. 392–394 {{DEFAULTSORT:Braamcamp de Almeida Castelo-Branco, Hermano Jose 1775 births 1846 deaths Portuguese politicians Portuguese nobility University of Coimbra alumni Portuguese people of Italian descent Portuguese people of Dutch descent