José Maria de Sousa Horta e Costa
Encyclopedia
José Maria de Sousa Horta e Costa, CavA, OA
, OSE (20 October 1858 — 21 September 1927), also known as José Maria de Sousa Horta e Costa (de) Almeida e Vasconcelos, was a Portuguese
soldier, politician
, and diplomat
. He was colonial Governor of Macau
and India
.
He was the second son of Miguel António de Sousa Horta Almeida e Vasconcelos, 2nd Baron of Santa Comba Dão
and his second wife, Maria da Glória da Costa Brandão e Albuquerque, sister of the 1st Viscount
of Ervedal da Beira. He was born in Santa Comba Dão
and died in Porto
, Foz do Douro
.
on 10 January 1883. He belonged to the General Staff of his military branch and was promoted through Lieutenant
, Captain, Major
, and Lieutenant Colonel
, finally reaching the post of Colonel
of Engineers. At the University of Coimbra he took a Bachelor's degree
in Mathematics
. A Lieutenant already in 1886, the Minister of the Navy, Manuel Pinheiro Chagas, appointed him Director of Public Works
of Macau
. Here he distinguished himself, and in 1888 he was elected Deputy
to the Cortes Gerais for the legislature of 1887-1889 in a supplementary election, taking his seat in 1889 already with the post of Captain, in which seat he had interventions on 23 and 30 January, 10 and 21 April, 3 May, 6, 14 and 26 June 1889. He had a seat at the Chamber
in diverse Legislature
s, more specifically in the ones of 1890-1892 and 1893, in which he was part of Commissions twice in 1892, thrice in 1893 and thrice in 1894 and had interventions on 7 June, 11, 15 and 21 July and 21 August 1890, 22 June 1891, 3 February and 19 March 1892, 10 January, 22, 23 and 27 May, 20, 22 and 23 June and 1, 5, 6 and 12 July 1893, always representing the circle of Macau, where he returned in 1893 as 69th Governor
, taking office on 24 March 1894. He resigned on 12 March/May 1897 after a ministerial change and was granted a Letter of Counsel, becoming a Member of His Most Faithful Majesty's Counsel.
He was also an Extraordinary Envoy and a Plenipotenciary Minister in China
, Japan
, and Siam, where he met the Empress Dowager Cixi
and Guangxu Emperor
at the Forbidden City
in Beijing
; Emperor Meiji
in Tokyo
; and Chulalongkorn
in Bangkok
, who decorated him.
In 1900 the Regenerator Party returned to power and the Counsilor Horta e Costa was again appointed on 12 August as the 71st Governor of Macau
, where he conducted a military expedition. The mission was difficult and risky and he received an Portary of Commendation. He then founded the Lyceum and made various improvements. He left office on 17 December 1902.
On 14 February 1907, as Chief of Cabinet of the President of the Ministry of João Franco
, he was appointed 113th Governor-General
of India
, an office he bore until the proclamation of the Portuguese Republic in 1910. In the year he took office he instaured an enquiry. His government was marked by the promulgation of various measures towards developing commerce in the province. One of the most important improvements achieved in his tenure was the building of metal bridges to improve the communication between cities in the province. Among other achievements, he regularised the water supply
in Panaji city by building a special reservoir
at Bainguinim with special imported materials from France
. He also increased the capacity of the port
at Mormugão
and he was responsible for Campal Avenue, where he constructed roads with footpaths and planted trees. According to Goan
historian
Percival Noronha, the fact that he was an engineer by profession made a difference, and the amount of development work carried out by him in the four years of his rule was something "never done in hundreds of years".
He also had other plans which were not fulfilled during his regime. His government was marked by the Revolt of the Ranes, to which the simple arrival of a Company
of Landins was enough to overcome.
With the Proclamation of the Portuguese Republic he ended his term. A public political rally elected Dr. Francisco Manuel Couceiro da Costa as the new governor, as required by the Provisional Government
. Horta e Costa embarked for his homeland without being molested and with the respect of all the population of India.
Avenida Horta e Costa, in Macau, is named after him.
and General
of the Arm of Infantry, Knight and Officer of the Order of Aviz, Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, etc, and wife wife Carolina Xavier Pinheiro. They had three children:
Order of Aviz
The Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1910 Royal Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1789 Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz , previously Knights of St. Benedict of Aviz or Friars of Santa Maria of Évora, is a Portuguese Order of Chivalry...
, OSE (20 October 1858 — 21 September 1927), also known as José Maria de Sousa Horta e Costa (de) Almeida e Vasconcelos, was a Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
soldier, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. He was colonial Governor of Macau
Governor of Macau
The Governor of Macau was a Portuguese colonial official who headed the colony of Macau, before 1623 called Captain-major . The post was replaced on December 20, 1999 upon the transfer of administration to the People's Republic of China by the office of the Chief Executive of the Macau Special...
and India
Portuguese India
The Portuguese Viceroyalty of India , later the Portuguese State of India , was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de...
.
He was the second son of Miguel António de Sousa Horta Almeida e Vasconcelos, 2nd Baron of Santa Comba Dão
Miguel António de Sousa Horta Almeida e Vasconcelos, 2nd Baron of Santa Comba Dão
Miguel António de Sousa Horta Almeida e Vasconcelos', 2nd Baron of Santa Comba Dão was a Portuguese nobleman....
and his second wife, Maria da Glória da Costa Brandão e Albuquerque, sister of the 1st Viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
of Ervedal da Beira. He was born in Santa Comba Dão
Santa Comba Dão
Santa Comba Dão is a city and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 112.0 km² and a total municipal population of 12,393 inhabitants...
and died in Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
, Foz do Douro
Foz do Douro
Foz do Douro is a Portuguese parish of the city and of Porto municipality. It has 12,235 inhabitants and is 3.00 km² in area. It became a parish in 1836...
.
Career
Horta e Costa studied at the Escola do Exército and started his military career as an Alférez of engineersSapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
on 10 January 1883. He belonged to the General Staff of his military branch and was promoted through Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, Captain, Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, and Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
, finally reaching the post of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of Engineers. At the University of Coimbra he took a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. A Lieutenant already in 1886, the Minister of the Navy, Manuel Pinheiro Chagas, appointed him Director of Public Works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
of Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. Here he distinguished himself, and in 1888 he was elected Deputy
Deputy (legislator)
A deputy is a legislator in many countries, particularly those with legislatures styled as a 'Chamber of Deputies' or 'National Assembly'.-List of countries:This is an list of countries using the term 'deputy' or one of its cognates....
to the Cortes Gerais for the legislature of 1887-1889 in a supplementary election, taking his seat in 1889 already with the post of Captain, in which seat he had interventions on 23 and 30 January, 10 and 21 April, 3 May, 6, 14 and 26 June 1889. He had a seat at the Chamber
Chambers of parliament
Many parliaments or other legislatures consist of two chambers : an elected lower house, and an upper house or Senate which may be appointed or elected by a different mechanism from the lower house. This style of two houses is called bicameral...
in diverse Legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
s, more specifically in the ones of 1890-1892 and 1893, in which he was part of Commissions twice in 1892, thrice in 1893 and thrice in 1894 and had interventions on 7 June, 11, 15 and 21 July and 21 August 1890, 22 June 1891, 3 February and 19 March 1892, 10 January, 22, 23 and 27 May, 20, 22 and 23 June and 1, 5, 6 and 12 July 1893, always representing the circle of Macau, where he returned in 1893 as 69th Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
, taking office on 24 March 1894. He resigned on 12 March/May 1897 after a ministerial change and was granted a Letter of Counsel, becoming a Member of His Most Faithful Majesty's Counsel.
He was also an Extraordinary Envoy and a Plenipotenciary Minister in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and Siam, where he met the Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
and Guangxu Emperor
Guangxu Emperor
The Guangxu Emperor , born Zaitian of the Aisin-Gioro clan, was the eleventh emperor of the Manchurian Qing Dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi's influence, only from 1889 to 1898...
at the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
; Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
; and Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, who decorated him.
In 1900 the Regenerator Party returned to power and the Counsilor Horta e Costa was again appointed on 12 August as the 71st Governor of Macau
Governor of Macau
The Governor of Macau was a Portuguese colonial official who headed the colony of Macau, before 1623 called Captain-major . The post was replaced on December 20, 1999 upon the transfer of administration to the People's Republic of China by the office of the Chief Executive of the Macau Special...
, where he conducted a military expedition. The mission was difficult and risky and he received an Portary of Commendation. He then founded the Lyceum and made various improvements. He left office on 17 December 1902.
On 14 February 1907, as Chief of Cabinet of the President of the Ministry of João Franco
João Franco
João Franco Ferreira Pinto Castelo-Branco, GCTE was a Portuguese politician, Minister, 43rd Minister for Treasury Affairs and 73rd Prime Minister in the last years of the Portuguese monarchy...
, he was appointed 113th Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
of India
Portuguese India
The Portuguese Viceroyalty of India , later the Portuguese State of India , was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de...
, an office he bore until the proclamation of the Portuguese Republic in 1910. In the year he took office he instaured an enquiry. His government was marked by the promulgation of various measures towards developing commerce in the province. One of the most important improvements achieved in his tenure was the building of metal bridges to improve the communication between cities in the province. Among other achievements, he regularised the water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
in Panaji city by building a special reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
at Bainguinim with special imported materials from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He also increased the capacity of the port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
at Mormugão
Mormugao
Mormugao or Marmagao is a city and a municipal council in South Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It is Goa’s main port. It was featured in the 1980 film The Sea Wolves and the Bollywood film Bhootnath....
and he was responsible for Campal Avenue, where he constructed roads with footpaths and planted trees. According to Goan
Goans
Goan is the demonym used to describe the people of the Indian state of Goa who form an ethno-linguistic group which is a result of assimilation of Indo-Portuguese, Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Proto-Australoid, Indo-Scythian, Indo-Greeks and Indo-Iranians ethnic and/or linguistic ancestries.They speak...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
Percival Noronha, the fact that he was an engineer by profession made a difference, and the amount of development work carried out by him in the four years of his rule was something "never done in hundreds of years".
He also had other plans which were not fulfilled during his regime. His government was marked by the Revolt of the Ranes, to which the simple arrival of a Company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of Landins was enough to overcome.
With the Proclamation of the Portuguese Republic he ended his term. A public political rally elected Dr. Francisco Manuel Couceiro da Costa as the new governor, as required by the Provisional Government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
. Horta e Costa embarked for his homeland without being molested and with the respect of all the population of India.
Avenida Horta e Costa, in Macau, is named after him.
Decorations
- Knight Grand CrossKnight Grand CrossKnight Grand Cross is the most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are obsolete. The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name...
of the Order of the Crown of Siam - Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic of SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- KnightKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
and Officer of the Order of AvizOrder of AvizThe Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1910 Royal Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1789 Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz , previously Knights of St. Benedict of Aviz or Friars of Santa Maria of Évora, is a Portuguese Order of Chivalry... - Officer of the Order of Saint James of the Sword
- Silver Medal of Exemplary Behaviour
- Many others
Family
He married Carolina Adelaide Pinheiro de Vasconcelos Silvano (18 April 1869 - Porto) on 12 April 1886, shortly before embarking to Macau, daughter of António Maria Silvano, then a Lieutenant Colonel of the Infantry Regiment of the Overseas, later Brigadier GeneralBrigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
of the Arm of Infantry, Knight and Officer of the Order of Aviz, Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, etc, and wife wife Carolina Xavier Pinheiro. They had three children:
- Miguel Silvano Horta e Costa (LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Encarnação, 21 August 1898 - PortoPortoPorto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
, Foz do DouroFoz do DouroFoz do Douro is a Portuguese parish of the city and of Porto municipality. It has 12,235 inhabitants and is 3.00 km² in area. It became a parish in 1836...
, 31 March 1953) - Vera Maria Silvano Horta e Costa (Lisbon, 7 August 1904 - ?), unmarried and without issue; she lived with her brother Vasco
- Vasco Silvano Horta e Costa (Lisbon, 18 March 1905 or 20 March 1906 - Porto, 11 April 2006)
Sources
- Afonso Eduardo Martins Zúquete, Tratado de Todos os Vice-Reis e Governadores da Índia, Editorial Enciclopédia, Lisboa, 1962, p. 247
- Afonso Eduardo Martins Zúquete, Nobreza de Portugal e do Brasil, Volume Terceiro, p. 289
- Albano da Silveira Pinto and Dom Augusto Romano Sanches de Baena Farinha de Almeida Portugal Silva e Sousa, 1st Viscount of Sanches de Baena, Resenha das Famílias Titulares e Grandes de Portugal, Fernando Santos e Rodrigo Faria de Castro, 2.ª Edição, Braga, 1991, p. 517
- Domingos de Araújo Afonso and Rui Dique Travassos Valdez, Livro de Oiro da Nobreza, J.A. Telles da Sylva, 2.ª Edição, Lisboa, 1988, Volume III, p. 235
- António de Vasconcelos, Brás Garcia Mascarenhas, Imprensa da Universidade, Coimbra, 1921, p. 157
- Various, Anuário da Nobreza de Portugal, III, 1985, Tomo I, p. 854 and Tomo II, p. 1,048
- José Maria de Sousa Horta e Costa in a Portuguese Genealogical site