Francisco Xavier de Mendonça Corte-Real

Francisco Xavier de Mendonça Corte-Real
Oil painting thought to depict Corte-Real
57th Governor of Macau
In office July 21, 1788 – July 18, 1789
Preceded by	Bernardo Aleixo de Lemos e Faria
Succeeded by	Lázaro da Silva Ferreira and Manuel António Costa Ferreira (co-serving)
Personal details
Born	c. 1710 Goa, Portuguese India
Died	July 16, 1789(1789-07-16) (aged 78–79) Portuguese Macau
Military service
Allegiance	Portugal
Branch/service	Portuguese Navy
Rank	Naval Captain

Francisco Xavier de Mendonça Corte-Real (c. 1710 – July 16, 1789) was a Portuguese naval officer, traveler, and colonial administrator, serving as the Governor of Macau from 1788 to 1789. Born into nobility in Goa, he joined the Portuguese Navy in his youth, eventually holding prominent positions in colonial leadership towards the latter part of his life.

Background

Corte-Real was born in Goa, Portuguese India (present-day India), around 1710 into a noble family. His father's name was António; Antònio was the son of Diogo de Mendonça Corte-Real, who was once Portugal’s Secretary of State. António was a Catholic priest as well as a military officer. His mother was said to have been part Portuguese and part native Goan.

Colonial affairs

Goa

In about 1787, Corte-Real was ordered to arrest Father José Antonio Gonçalves or José Felippe Gonçalves, residents of the parish of Piedade, for the crime of lesa-majestade (treason). The accused were believed to be the leaders of a planned insurrection.

Macau

On July 21, 1788, he was appointed Governor of Macau. At this point in time, Corte-Real was familiar with the place, having previously served as Infantry Captain in the Guia Fortress. His passage there was rough, and he, alongside his family, survived a shipwreck, boarding a nearby English vessel.

During his term, he lost all of his possessions, incurring a debt to the Senate. Consequently, his wife and children returned to Goa in 1789, although Corte-Real himself would stay.

Personal life

He was married and had children, as mentioned earlier.

He died on July 16, 1789, in Macau—a surgeon had confirmed his death, determining that the cause of it was from a long-standing ailment he had been suffering from for quite some time.