Francisco Barreto de Meneses

Francisco Barreto de Meneses
Governor of São Tomé and Príncipe
In office
1632–1632
Monarch Philip III of Portugal
Preceded by Lourenço Pires de Távora
Succeeded by Lourenço Pires de Távora
Governor of Pernambuco
In office
28 January 1654  26 May 1657
Monarch John IV of Portugal
Preceded by Dutch occupation
Succeeded by André Vidal de Negreiros
Governor-General of Brazil
In office
18 June 1657  21 July 1663
Monarch Afonso VI of Portugal
Preceded by Jerónimo de Ataíde
Succeeded by Vasco de Mascarenhas
Personal details
Born 1616
Viceroyalty of Peru
Died 21 January 1688 (1688-01-22) (aged 71)
Portuguese colony of Brazil
Military service
Allegiance Portuguese Empire
Service/branch Army
Rank General
Battles/wars

Dutch-Portuguese War

Francisco Barreto de Meneses (1616 – 21 January 1688) was a military officer and a colonial administrator in the Portuguese colonies of São Tomé and Príncipe and Brazil.

He was born during the Iberian Union and his Portuguese father was a military officer at Peru. Brave soldier, he was chosen to command the colonial troops in the uprising that took place in Pernambuco which drove out the Dutch from the Northeast of Brazil, finishing the 24-year-long Dutch occupation of Brazil.

He arrived in the colony of Brazil in 1647, was arrested but managed to escape. With the rank of "Master-of-Field-General" (in Portuguese Mestre-de-Campo-General) he commanded the "Patriot Army" of 25,000 men, composed of four Terços, led by Fernandes Vieira, André Vidal de Negreiros, Henrique Dias and Filipe Camarão, beating the Dutch in the First and Second Battle of Guararapes in 1648 and 1649.[1] For such achievement he was awarded with the title of "Restorer of Pernambuco".

He was Governor of Pernambuco and later, from 18 June 1657 to 1663, General-Governor of Brazil,[2] succeeding Dom Jerónimo de Ataíde, 6th Count of Atouguia.

Second Battle of Guararapes, led by Francisco Barreto de Meneses

Notes

  1. "Batalha dos Guararapes" (in Portuguese). História Brasileira.
  2. "Francisco Barreto de Meneses" (in Portuguese). Biblioteca Virtual da FAPESP.
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