Almeida (Januário Correia de)

This civil governor of Madeira was appointed to the post by decree of 15 January 1862 and took up office on the 19th of the same month and year.

He later played an important part in the country’s politics, serving as deputy, peer of the realm and minister of state. He was granted the title of viscount and later of Count of São Januário, the name by which he came to be known in Portuguese politics.

João de Sant’Ana e Vasconcelos was appointed civil governor of this district and took up office in mid-January 1862. On the very day he took office, the 1st Viscount of Nogueiras, the new governor’s brother-in-law, gave a splendid ball in his honour, attended by the most distinguished people of Funchal. When the party was at its liveliest and merriest, word was brought to the Viscount of Nogueiras that a warship had just anchored in our harbour carrying a new governor for Madeira, and that Governor Sant’Ana e Vasconcelos was therefore dismissed. Care was prudently and discreetly taken to hide the news of the new governor’s arrival from the guests – the new governor was Januário Correia de Almeida – and the party continued to the end with the same enthusiasm and gaiety. The political opponents of Governor Sant’Ana, who was then municipal administrator (administrador do concelho, the government’s representative) of the municipality (concelho) of Porto Santo (‘holy harbour’), made mocking comments on the affair, one newspaper saying that he had been so absorbed in the administration of the district that he had not even had time to sleep while it lasted, since he was governor for only a few hours.