Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros Papers, 1812-1909, bulk 1821-1825

Summary

Creators:

Barros, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de, 1778-1885.

Abstract:

The bulk of this collection is letters authored by the colleagues of Portuguese-American politician and cosmographer Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros (1778-1855), documenting changes in the Portuguese politics and government and United States-Portuguese foreign relations, chiefly in the 1810s-1820s There are also some scientific and mathematical works by Monteiro de Barros.

Extent:

103 items in 2 boxes

Language:

Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Latin.

Background

Scope and content:

The chronologically-arranged papers consist of eleven manuscripts, eighty-nine pieces of correspondence, and three ephemera folders. The bulk of the collection is letters authored by the colleagues of Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros, documenting changes in the Portuguese politics and government and United States-Portuguese foreign relations. Prominent persons represented in the correspondence series include:

• Scholar and writer, João José Miguel Ferreira da Silva Amaral (1773-1857)
• Legal scholar, economist, and politician, José Ferreira Borges (1786-1838)
• Physician, diplomat, and scientific writer, Francisco Solano Constancio (1777-1846)
• Diplomat and author, Joaquim Cesar de Figanière e Mourão (1798-1866)
• Journalist and London-based editor of the journal O Portuguez, João Bernardo da Rocha Loureiro (1778-1853)

Most of the works penned by Monteiro de Barros are scientific and mathematical notes and tracts, specifically relating to celestial mechanics and mathematical physics. The dates of these papers are unknown, and were therefore dated before 1855, the year of his death.

The letters and manuscripts in the collection are in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Latin.

Biographical / historical:

Born in Carnide, Portugal in 1778, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros (1778-1855) initially pursued the study of mathematics and science at the University of Coimbra. After serving as cosmographer of Santarem between 1802 and 1808, he worked for the Lisbon Commissariat. He entered Portuguese politics in 1820, advocating liberal reforms. In opposition to a growing contingent of absolutist supporters, Monteiro de Barros and his family moved to England, where they were settled by August 1823. On October 19, 1824, they embarked for New York and later established themselves in Goochland County, Virginia. There he pursued a career as a banker while remaining versed in Portuguese affairs through his communication with the Consul-General to Washington, Joaquim Figanière e Mourão. Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros died in Virginia in 1855.

Acquisition information:

In library. Two biographical entries were gifts of Dr. Alberto Iria, Director of the Arquivo historico Ultramarino in Lisbon, Portugal, November 1961.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related resources

Other descriptive data:

• Carvalho, José da Silva. Subject in Macedo, Luis Antonio d’Almeida letter (1822, Sep. 24) to Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros. HM 72448.
• Carvalho, José da Silva. Subject in “M” letter (1824, Mar. 18) to Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros. HM 72468.
• Celestial mechanics - - 19th century. Subject in Barros, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de, 1778-1855 [before 1855] “Mechanicae Scriptoribus mos est spatia tempora velocitates per s, t, u representare, harum vero quantitatum elementa per ds, dt, du…” HM 72408.
• Celestial mechanics - - 19th century. Subject in Barros, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de, 1778-1855 [before 1855] “Sit planeta T (Fig. 1a) cum a Sole attrahi incipit in distantia ST, quae duplex mediae ejus distantiae SP esse assumitur…” HM 72410.
• Celestial mechanics - - 19th century. Subject in Barros, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de, 1778-1855 [before 1855] “Telurem non esse sphaericam jamdudum Geometris compertum; sed quae sit ejus figura adhuc obscurum…” HM 72411.
• Currency question - - Portugal. Subject in Albuquerque, Joao Victorino de Souza letter (1821, Mar. 7) to Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros. HM 72427.
• De Forest, David Curtis, 1774-1825. Subject in Lima, Antonio Luiz de letter (1825, Apr. 2) to De Forest, David Curtis, 1774-1825 (in Spanish). HM 72470.
• Desertion, Military - - Portugal. Subject in Crespo, Antonio Jozé Alves letter (1823, Mar. 27) to Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros. HM 72461.
• Ferreira, Silvestre Pinheiro, 1769-1846. Subject in Rocha Loureiro, João Bernardo da, 1778-1853 letter (1821, Sep.4) to Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros. HM 72435.
• Franco, Francisco Soares, ca. 1772-1844. Subject in Carneiro, Heliodoro Jacinto de Araújo, 1776-1849 letter (1822, Feb. 3) to Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros. HM 72444.
• Geometry, Differential - - 19th century. Subject in Barros, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de, 1778-1855 [before 1855] “Sendo ha altura avelocidade com que o movel por huma direção oblique…” HM 72409.
• Great Britain - - History. Subject in “Da antiga Britania” [undated]. HM 72412.
• Mathematical physics. Subject in Barros, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de, 1778-1855 [before 1855] “Mechanicae Scriptoribus mos est spatia tempora velocitates per s, t, u representare, harum vero quantitatum elementa per ds, dt, du…” HM 72408.
• Mathematical physics. Subject in Barros, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de, 1778-1855 [before 1855] “Sit planeta T (Fig. 1a) cum a Sole attrahi incipit in distantia ST, quae duplex mediae ejus distantiae SP esse assumitur…” HM 72410.
• Old age pensions - - Planning. Subject in Barros, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de, 1778-1855 [before 1855] “As seguintes taboas forão calculadas pelo Sr. Price, para a formação de hum plano, por meio do qual os officiaes pobres, em rasão de pequenas quantidades tiradas semanalmente dos seus stipendios, ficassem habilitados para receber quantias com que podessem subsistir no tempo da enfermidade, e da velhice.” HM 72407.
• Pindar. Olympian odes. English. Subject in Valorado, Jose Francisco letter (1813, Mar. 25) to Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros. HM 72413.
• Planets - - Orbits. Subject in Barros, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de, 1778-1855 [before 1855] “Telurem non esse sphaericam jamdudum Geometris compertum; sed quae sit ejus figura adhuc obscurum…” HM 72411.
• Portugal. Ministério da Fazenda. Subject in Portugal. Ministério da Fazenda Receipt (1823, Jan. 29) acknowledging that Sebastiao José de Carvalho satisfied his debt to Francisco Xavier Monteiro. HM 72405.
• Rocha Loureiro, João Bernardo da, 1778-1853. Subject in Peixoto, Caetano José letter [ca. 1822] to Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros. HM 72457.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Celestial mechanics -- 19th century.
Diplomats -- Portugal -- Correspondence.
Geometry, Differential -- 19th century.
Mathematical physics.
Mathematics -- Manuscripts -- 19th century.
Planets -- Orbits.
Science -- Manuscripts -- 19th century.
Letters (correspondence) Portugal -- 19th century.
Manuscripts Portugal -- 19th century.

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Location of this collection:

Huntington Library, Manuscript Collections

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, CA 91108, US

Contact:

(626) 405-2191

reference@huntington.org

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