Vieira (João José)

He was born in Funchal on 10 October 1844, the son of Manuel José Vieira and Dona Josefa Carolina do Nascimento Vieira. He attended the lyceum (state secondary school) of Funchal and the Medical-Surgical School (Escola Médico-cirúrgica), but did not complete the 1st-year course at the latter institution. He was a copying clerk and later secretary of the Municipal Administration (Administração do Concelho, the government’s local civil office) of Funchal. From a very early age he devoted himself to journalism: while still a student he contributed to the Recreio and the Crepusculo, and later to the Fusão, Imprensa Livre, Povo, Diário Popular, etc. He is a good poet, but his poems are either scattered through the old Funchal periodicals or were never printed, and are known only to a few friends. He was one of the authors of ‘The Guiana Epic’ (Guyaneida), a mock-heroic poem to which we referred on page 670 of the 1st volume of this Elucidário.

João José Vieira was treasurer and later president of the District General Council (Junta Geral do Distrito). Under the monarchy he was active in the Progressive Party, whose local leader was his brother, Councillor (conselheiro, honorary title of the royal council) Manuel José Vieira. He died in 1928.