Soares (Father Caetano Alberto)
Original title: Soares (Padre Caetano Alberto)
Biography of Padre Caetano Alberto Soares (1790–1867), a priest and lawyer from Porto da Cruz who was elected deputy for Madeira in 1826 and later became a distinguished advocate in Rio de Janeiro.
Life and career
He was the son of António Soares Felgueiras and Dona Ana de Oliveira, and was born in the parish (freguesia) of Porto da Cruz (‘harbour of the cross’) on 23 May 1790. He came to Funchal at a tender age to live in the house of his godfather, Canon Caetano Alberto de Araújo, and in this city he completed his preparatory studies in the humanities and the theology course at the Diocesan Seminary of Funchal (Seminário Diocesano do Funchal). He was ordained priest and went straight to Coimbra, where he enrolled in the faculty of law, graduating in 1820 or shortly afterwards. He was practising as a lawyer in Funchal and holding the chair of Latin when, in 1826, he was elected deputy for Madeira. He took his seat in the Cortes (Portuguese parliament) and lived in Lisbon until 1828, when he left for Rio de Janeiro, fearing that he would fall victim to the persecution that the absolutist government was then beginning against supporters of liberal ideas.
Settling in the capital of Brazil, he became a naturalised Brazilian citizen and soon devoted himself to a legal career, earning a reputation there as a distinguished lawyer. He held various public posts, among them judge of orphans, counsel to the Imperial Household, president of the Institute of Lawyers, etc. When the Brazilian government offered a prize of one conto (one million réis) de réis to the author of the best draft civil code, Dr Caetano Alberto Soares was appointed a member of the committee charged with giving an opinion on the draft submitted.
Dr Soares had the misfortune to be struck by blindness, but he nevertheless continued to practise law, in which he achieved notable distinction. Because of this circumstance he left no printed works, apart from a memoir read at the Institute of Lawyers and published in 1848.
He died in Rio de Janeiro on 28 February 1867.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 06-
Father Caetano Alberto Soares was born in Porto da Cruz.
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Caetano Alberto Soares completed his law degree at Coimbra.
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Madeira elected its deputies to the Cortes under the Charter, including Lourenço José Moniz and Padre Caetano Alberto Soares.
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Fleeing Miguelist persecution, liberals such as the Moniz family, Caetano Alberto Soares and António Gil Gomes left for Brazil, while Bettencourt went to England.
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A memoir by Padre Caetano Alberto Soares read at the Instituto dos Advogados was published.
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Father Caetano Alberto Soares died in Rio de Janeiro.
Place
Places mentioned · 06
Abroad
- Coimbra
Portugal. University city where he took his law degree.
Portuguese mainland university city where many Madeirans studied law or medicine, and where Padre Luís Gonçalves da Câmara taught and was rector of the Jesuit college. It hosted the 1921 academic table-tennis championship, and its dormancy and rainfall data are compared with Funchal's.
- Diocesan Seminary of Funchal
Funchal. Where he studied theology.
The diocesan seminary of Funchal, where priests such as Padre Caetano Alberto Soares studied theology. Cónego António Aires Pacheco also studied there and later taught and served as its rector.
- Funchal
Where he studied and later practised law and taught Latin.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Lisbon
Portugal. Where he sat in the Cortes as deputy, 1826–1828.
The Portuguese capital, seat of the Relação court and of the Misericórdia whose privileges and statutes were extended to Funchal. Henrique Franco de Sousa studied at its Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and Luiz José Baiardo moved there in 1821.
- Porto da Cruz
Machico. Birthplace of Caetano Alberto Soares.
North-coast parish created in 1577 and noted for good-quality wines. It was transferred from Santana to Machico municipality in 1852 and was the seat of a capitania-mor. It was also a fishing port where some sperm whales were landed.
- Rio de Janeiro
Brazil. Where he settled in 1828, practised law and died.
Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, appears in the Elucidário as the seat of the Portuguese court and as a city where many Madeirans lived, studied, taught, published and died. Among them were Paulo Perestrelo da Câmara, João de Oliveira Sá Camelo Lampreia and João da Silveira Caldeira, who headed the Mint there.
People
People mentioned · 04- Caetano Alberto Soares1790–1867
Madeiran priest and lawyer, deputy for Madeira from 1826, who emigrated to Brazil in 1828 and became a leading advocate in Rio de Janeiro.
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Mother of Padre Caetano Alberto Soares.
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Father of Padre Caetano Alberto Soares.
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Canon and godfather of Caetano Alberto Soares, in whose Funchal house the boy was raised.