Alfredo Barjona de Freitas

António Alfredo Barjona de Freitas. (11 June 1847 – year of death unknown) was a Portuguese colonial administrator and a military personnel of the Portuguese Army, he took the post as colonel, he was also a poltician and deputy of the courts.^[1]

Biography

He was the son of Augusto César Barjona de Freitas, who attended the University of Coimbra, deputy, peer of the realm and Maria Eduarda de Ávila Seabra Pereira Couceiro. He married Elisa Augusta Santiago.

He finished his course at the Liceu de Coimbra and written a math course at the University of Coimbra between 1874 and 1875. In October 1876, he studied in Coimbra.

He started his military career as an artillery official, he chose to start his political life. He presented as a candidate in the general election on 29 June 1884, the 35th legislature of the Portuguese Constitutional Monarchy, added into the list of the Regenerator Party and was the father of the leaders and had elected in the constituency of Setúbal.^[1]

He finished his legislature and was elected again on February 1887, he took military service and stayed in Lisbon, he included different jurist and commissions. In 1889, he took part in chage to recognized the route of the South-Southwest Line in the following year in 1890 he went on a mission with different European countries and used the military cartographic technology. He was placed in the General Staff of the Army for the administrative technical functions.

In the 1892 general elections as a candidate for deputy in the list by the Regenerator Party, but this time in the electoral constituency of Montemor-o-Velho, there he was reelected in 1892 and 1894 (29th and 30th legislatures). He remained in parliament until the end of the 30th legislature, he presented in several important law projects, with a proposal on agricultural trade unions, the foundation of agricultural co-operativism in Portugal, he also took part in 1894 alongside the Azorean deputy Dinis Moreira da Mota.^[1]

He went to dedicate the attention on questions on agriculture and continuing his military activity and changed to have different institutions and associations on agriculture, in between was the Royal Central Association of Portuguese Agriculture in which he took part. He founded and ruled the Agricultural Syndicate of Montemor-o-Velho, pioneer in the legal framework that he created. In 1901, he was promoted lieutenant-colonel and was still Chief of Staff of the Army

He was governor of Cape Verde from 10 August 1903 until 1904,^[2][3] nominated under Hintze Ribeiro. During that time, he took power in the time when drought and hunger affected the colony. He tried to have social and economic conditions and solve the cause of hunger deaths there. Those studies were known and later communicated with the Lisbon Geographic Society which was a partner.^[4] In October 1904, he returned to Lisbon to address issues in that province, when the government fell, the Progressive Party took power with José Luciano de Castro. He later resigned as governor.

In 1906, he was nominated head of the cabinet of the Minister of War, and afterwards went overseas, he returned in April 1907 where he was later promoted as colonel.

When Venceslau de Lima formed a government, he became a minster of public works, commerce and industries from 13 May to 22 December 1909. As minister, he paid attention on issues relating to the expansion of its railway networks.

When the Portuguese Republic was established, he moved away from political activity but was still Chief of Staff until the reforms in 1913.^[1] He became chief of services in the Portuguese Railway Company which he remained until his death.

He worked on different cultural institutions as director of the Military Review where he wrote some articles. He was decorated with the Military Order of Spain and the degree of a commander of the Order of São Bento de Avis.

Works

• Considerações sobre a província de Cabo Verde: comunicações à Sociedade de Geographia de Lisboa. Lisbon, Livraria Ferin, 1905.

See also

• List of colonial governors of Cape Verde

References