Manuel Teixeira Gomes
Encyclopedia
Manuel Teixeira Gomes, GCSE (mɐnuˈɛɫ tɐjˈʃɐjɾɐ ˈɡomɨʃ; Portimão
, May 27, 1860 - Bougie
, October 18, 1941) was a Portuguese
politician
and writer
. He served as the seventh President of Portugal
between 5 October 1923 and 11 December 1925.
Attended the Colégio de São Luís Gonzaga, Portimão, and the Coimbra
seminary; at the age of 16 enrolled at the University of Coimbra to study medicine; abandoned studies one year later and moved to Lisbon
, where he established closed ties with local intellectual circles (namely Fialho de Almeida and João de Deus
). After completing military service, he went to Porto
(1881), where he became friendly with Sampaio Bruno, Basílio Teles, Soares dos Reis and others. Together with Joaquim Coimbra and Queirós Veloso he founded Gil Vicente, a theatrical newspaper. He also wrote for Primeiro de Janeiro
and Folha Nova.
In 1891, his father and other partners had set up a company called "Sindicato de Exportadores de Figos do Algarve" (Algarve Fig Exporters Union), which lasted three years. Manuel was told to find markets in France, Belgium and Holland. He travelled extensively, toured Europe and lingered in Italy. He extended his cultural horizon by wandering through North Africa and Asia Minor.
The company was closed but father and son continued the business on their own. Soon their success meant that they had to enlarge their market to new areas that were familiar to them, North Africa and the Middle East, but meant that Manuel had to travel nine months of the year, returning to Portugal only during the fig picking season.
After 1895 he established new contacts with the literary circles of Lisbon. Through Fialho de Almeida he met Marcelino Mesquita, Gomes Leal and others. Alfredo Mesquita, Luís Osório and António Nobre
encouraged him to publish his first book, O Inventário de Junho, which came out in 1899.
Calmer now, and with more time, as his father’s advanced age forced him to spend longer periods in Portimão, he published Cartas sem Moral Nenhuma and Agosto Azul, in 1904, Sabrina Freire in 1905, Desenhos e Anedotas de João de Deus in 1907 and Gente Singular in 1909.
After he resigned his presidency (11 Dec 1925) on the pretext of poor health, he went into voluntary exile (17 Dec 1925), travelling to Oran
, Algeria
, and never returned to Portugal. In 1931 he moved to Bougie
, where he lived the rest of his life, always opposing the fascist Estado Novo regime.
He had two natural daughters by Belmira das Neves (Portimão, August 5, 1886 - January 26, 1967), daughter of fisherman
João de Deus and wife Quitéria das Dores), named Ana Rosa, who was born in Portimão and married José Calapez, also born in Portimão, and Maria Manuela, who was born on September 7, 1910 and married José Pearce de Azevedo (b. and d. Portimão). He intended to marry her but his parents didn't allow him to do so.
Following the implantation of the republic he was invited to be Portuguese Minister in London. In April 1911 he travelled to England and presented his credentials to King George V on 11 October, serving as plenipotentiary
to the United Kingdom
(1911–1918, 1919-1923).
He managed to ingratiate himself thoroughly with the British Foreign Office, acting as the principal negotiator for all matters relating to Portugal. One should highlight his actions concerning the problems of the Anglo-German negotiations on the division of the Portuguese colonies and his cooperation with the Portuguese governments regarding the portuguese participation on the war
at the formal request of Great Britain.
Returned to Portugal in January 1918 and was put under house arrest during the dictatorship of Sidónio Pais
; returned to diplomacy after the fall of Sidonist regime; became minister to Spain
(1919) and then again to the United Kingdom (1919–1923); a member of the Portuguese Delegation at the Paris Peace Conference
(1919–1920); unsuccessful candidate of the Democratic Party (Partido Democrático) at the presidential elections of 6 Aug 1919 won by António José de Almeida
; delegate to the League of Nations
, serving as Vice-President of the General Assembly (6 Sep 1922 - 30 Sep 1922); was elected in-absentia President of the Republic (6 Aug 1923), arriving at the port of Lisbon on 3 Oct 1923.
During his term Teixeira Gomes made unsuccessful attempts to combat terrorism; suppressed at least four major revolts (1924–1925) organized by radicals and the military; being constantly harassed by the Nationalist Party and unable to manage political crises, he resigned (11 Dec 1925) on the pretext of poor health; and went into voluntary exile (17 Dec 1925).
Correspondence:
Chronicle / memoirs:
Portimão
Portimão is a Portuguese town located in the District of Faro in the Region of Algarve, the southern coast of Portugal. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão . In 1924, it was incorporated as a cidade and became known merely as Portimão. The town has 41,000 inhabitants and the Portimão...
, May 27, 1860 - Bougie
Béjaïa
Béjaïa, Vgaiet or Bejaya is a Mediterranean port city on the Gulf of Béjaïa in Algeria; it is the capital of Béjaïa Province, Kabylia. Under French rule, it was formerly known under various European names, such as Budschaja in German, Bugia in Italian, and Bougie...
, October 18, 1941) was a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He served as the seventh President of Portugal
President of Portugal
Portugal has been a republic since 1910, and since that time the head of state has been the president, whose official title is President of the Portuguese Republic ....
between 5 October 1923 and 11 December 1925.
Personal life
Manuel Teixeira Gomes was born in Vila Nova de Portimão, son of José Líbano Gomes, (from Mortágua) and wife ) Maria da Glória Teixeira, born in Lagoa, Ferragudo. A wealthy landowner, his father was also an important dried fruit trader, a much travelled man, who had been educated in France and witnessed the 1848 revolution, had republican leanings and had been Belgian Consul in the Algarve.Attended the Colégio de São Luís Gonzaga, Portimão, and the Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
seminary; at the age of 16 enrolled at the University of Coimbra to study medicine; abandoned studies one year later and moved to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon 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...
, where he established closed ties with local intellectual circles (namely Fialho de Almeida and João de Deus
João de Deus
João de Deus Ramos , better known as João de Deus, the greatest Portuguese poet of his generation, was born in Silves, São Bartolomeu de Messines, in the province of Algarve, son of Pedro José Ramos and wife Isabel Gertrudes Martins...
). After completing military service, he went to 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...
(1881), where he became friendly with Sampaio Bruno, Basílio Teles, Soares dos Reis and others. Together with Joaquim Coimbra and Queirós Veloso he founded Gil Vicente, a theatrical newspaper. He also wrote for Primeiro de Janeiro
Primeiro de Janeiro
O Primeiro de Janeiro is a Portuguese daily newspaper, published in Oporto, where it was founded in 1868.-External links:...
and Folha Nova.
In 1891, his father and other partners had set up a company called "Sindicato de Exportadores de Figos do Algarve" (Algarve Fig Exporters Union), which lasted three years. Manuel was told to find markets in France, Belgium and Holland. He travelled extensively, toured Europe and lingered in Italy. He extended his cultural horizon by wandering through North Africa and Asia Minor.
The company was closed but father and son continued the business on their own. Soon their success meant that they had to enlarge their market to new areas that were familiar to them, North Africa and the Middle East, but meant that Manuel had to travel nine months of the year, returning to Portugal only during the fig picking season.
After 1895 he established new contacts with the literary circles of Lisbon. Through Fialho de Almeida he met Marcelino Mesquita, Gomes Leal and others. Alfredo Mesquita, Luís Osório and António Nobre
António Nobre
António Pereira Nobre was a Portuguese poet. He died of tuberculosis in Foz do Douro, Porto, in 1900, after trying to recover in a number of places. His masterpiece Só , was the only book he published.-Northern Portugal:Nobre was a member of a wealthy family...
encouraged him to publish his first book, O Inventário de Junho, which came out in 1899.
Calmer now, and with more time, as his father’s advanced age forced him to spend longer periods in Portimão, he published Cartas sem Moral Nenhuma and Agosto Azul, in 1904, Sabrina Freire in 1905, Desenhos e Anedotas de João de Deus in 1907 and Gente Singular in 1909.
After he resigned his presidency (11 Dec 1925) on the pretext of poor health, he went into voluntary exile (17 Dec 1925), travelling to Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, and never returned to Portugal. In 1931 he moved to Bougie
Bougie
Bougie, Bougis or Bougy as a place name or surname may refer to:- Places :*Bougy , village, Département Calvados, Normandy, France*Bougy-lez-Neuville, village, Département Loiret, France...
, where he lived the rest of his life, always opposing the fascist Estado Novo regime.
He had two natural daughters by Belmira das Neves (Portimão, August 5, 1886 - January 26, 1967), daughter of fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
João de Deus and wife Quitéria das Dores), named Ana Rosa, who was born in Portimão and married José Calapez, also born in Portimão, and Maria Manuela, who was born on September 7, 1910 and married José Pearce de Azevedo (b. and d. Portimão). He intended to marry her but his parents didn't allow him to do so.
Politics
A devout republican, he collaborated with the daily newspaper A Lucta, edited by Brito Camacho.Following the implantation of the republic he was invited to be Portuguese Minister in London. In April 1911 he travelled to England and presented his credentials to King George V on 11 October, serving as plenipotentiary
Plenipotentiary
The word plenipotentiary has two meanings. As a noun, it refers to a person who has "full powers." In particular, the term commonly refers to a diplomat fully authorized to represent his government as a prerogative...
to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(1911–1918, 1919-1923).
He managed to ingratiate himself thoroughly with the British Foreign Office, acting as the principal negotiator for all matters relating to Portugal. One should highlight his actions concerning the problems of the Anglo-German negotiations on the division of the Portuguese colonies and his cooperation with the Portuguese governments regarding the portuguese participation on the war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
at the formal request of Great Britain.
Returned to Portugal in January 1918 and was put under house arrest during the dictatorship of Sidónio Pais
Sidónio Pais
Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais was a Portuguese politician and diplomat, the fourth President in 1918. He was known as the President-King.-Family:...
; returned to diplomacy after the fall of Sidonist regime; became minister to Spain
Spain
Spain , 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...
(1919) and then again to the United Kingdom (1919–1923); a member of the Portuguese Delegation at the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
(1919–1920); unsuccessful candidate of the Democratic Party (Partido Democrático) at the presidential elections of 6 Aug 1919 won by António José de Almeida
António José de Almeida
António José de Almeida, GCTE, GCA, GCC, GCSE, , son of José António de Almeida and wife Maria Rita das Neves, was a Portuguese political figure...
; delegate to the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, serving as Vice-President of the General Assembly (6 Sep 1922 - 30 Sep 1922); was elected in-absentia President of the Republic (6 Aug 1923), arriving at the port of Lisbon on 3 Oct 1923.
During his term Teixeira Gomes made unsuccessful attempts to combat terrorism; suppressed at least four major revolts (1924–1925) organized by radicals and the military; being constantly harassed by the Nationalist Party and unable to manage political crises, he resigned (11 Dec 1925) on the pretext of poor health; and went into voluntary exile (17 Dec 1925).
Literary works
Fiction:- Sabina Freire (1905)
- Gente Singular (1909)
- Novelas Eróticas (1934)
- Regressos (1935)
- Miscelânea (1937)
- Maria Adelaide (1938)
- Carnaval Literário (1939)
Correspondence:
- Correspondência I e II (1960)
Chronicle / memoirs:
- Inventário de Junho (1899)
- Cartas sem Moral Nenhuma (1903)
- Agosto Azul (1904)
- Cartas a Columbano (1932)
- Londres Maravilhosa (1942)
External links
- http://www.archontology.org/nations/portugal/port010/teixeira.php
- http://www.leme.pt/biografias/portugal/presidentes/gomes.html (Portuguese)
- http://www.presidencia.pt/?id_categoria=13&id_item=31