Aragão (Dr João José de Freitas)

He was born in Funchal on 5 February 1777, and we believe that he belonged to the old and distinguished Aragão family of this island. We know little of his life. In 1821 he was practising law with skill in Lisbon when he was elected substitute deputy for Madeira to the Constituent Cortes (Portuguese parliament), which sat from 1821 to 1822. As the elected deputy, Dr António João Rodrigues Garcez, died before his credentials were verified, Freitas Aragão was called to fill the vacancy. He spoke several times in the Cortes, both on matters of general concern and on some relating to Madeira. The Galeria dos Deputados das Cortes Constituintes. . . de 1821 says that João José de Freitas Aragão ‘spoke little, voted well, has constantly shown the best intentions and has given ample proof of wishing to fulfil the duties entrusted to him’. He died in Lisbon on 20 September 1842. An obituary of Freitas Aragão appears in no. 197 of the Gazeta dos Tribunaes.