Sarsfield (Alexandre José)
Biography of Alexandre José Sarsfield (1856–1926), a Funchal-born army officer who served in the 1894–95 Mozambique campaign, was civil governor of Guarda and deputy for Madeira, and wrote on colonial, military and educational subjects.
He was born in the parish (freguesia) of São Pedro (‘St Peter’) in this city on 17 September 1856, the son of Guilherme Henrique Sarsfield and Dona Cândida de Ornelas Sarsfield. He studied at the Funchal lyceum (state secondary school) and at the Army School and followed a military career; for some years he has been a reserve colonel (1921).
As a captain he took part in the expedition sent in 1894 to our East Africa, and was present at the battle of Coolela and the capture of Manjacaze. He was head of the private office of the Ministry of War and military attaché to the Portuguese legation in Paris. In addition to various public-service commissions, both civil and military, he also served as civil governor of Guarda and as deputy for Madeira in the legislatures of 1902–1904, 1904 and 1906.
He has contributed widely to various newspapers and reviews, notably the Revista de Educação e Ensino, Revista de Infantaria, Revista Militar, Revolução de Setembro, Primeiro de Janeiro and Diário de Notícias of Lisbon. In recent years he has written extensively for the Diario da Madeira. He published several pamphlets on colonial and military subjects, and the books Leitura para meus filhos and Educação. He has two volumes ready for the press (1921).
He was prosecutor at the first court martial of the 1st Military Division (Divisão Militar, a territorial army command). He is an officer of the orders of the Tower and Sword, of St James, of St Benedict of Avis and of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Nossa Senhora da Conceição) of Vila Viçosa, and holds, among others, the silver medal for overseas service and the silver medal commemorating the expedition to Mozambique in 1894 and 1895. He also holds the 2nd-class cross of Military Merit of Spain, is a Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic of the same country, and an officer of the Legion of Honour of France (1921). He died in December 1926.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 04Place
Places mentioned · 05
Abroad
- Coolela
Mozambique. Site in Mozambique of a battle in which Sarsfield fought in 1895.
Coolela is a site in Mozambique of an 1895 battle in which Alexandre José Sarsfield fought and Aires de Ornelas de Vasconcelos distinguished himself.
- Guarda
Portugal. Mainland district of which Sarsfield was civil governor.
Guarda is a city and district in mainland Portugal, the birthplace of Frei Pedro da Guarda and Pedro Bogalho. It was a diocese governed by D. Manuel Martins Manso, who died there, and a military command where Manuel Pereira da Silva addressed recruits in 1921; Sarsfield was its civil governor.
- Manjacaze
Mozambique. Mozambican stronghold whose capture Sarsfield took part in.
Mozambican stronghold whose capture Sarsfield took part in.
- Paris
France. Where Sarsfield served as military attaché to the Portuguese legation.
The French capital, where Franco de Sousa settled and painted 'Ar livre', and where Juvenal Honório de Ornelas took his medical doctorate in 1834. Padre Luiz Gonçalves da Câmara studied there and met Loyola, and the Barão de Ornelas graduated, practised and died there.
- São Pedro
Funchal. Funchal parish where Sarsfield was born.
São Pedro is the most populous of Funchal's four urban parishes and the place where Zargo made the first settlement. The parish was created in 1566, suppressed in 1579 and restored in 1587. The Elucidário covers its clergy stipends, church building, chapels, notable institutions and boundaries.
People
People mentioned · 03- Alexandre José Sarsfield1856–1926
Madeiran army officer, deputy for Madeira and author, subject of this entry.
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Mother of Alexandre José Sarsfield.
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Father of Alexandre José Sarsfield.