João Carlos de Saldanha Oliveira e Daun, 1st Duke of Saldanha

His Excellency; Marshal; João Carlos de Saldanha Oliveira e Daun; 1st The Duke of Saldanha; GCSMOM GCC GCTS GSJS GCICVV FC
	Portrait of the Duke of Saldanha, hung at Dr. Miguel Bombarda's old office at Miguel Bombarda Hospital
Prime Minister of Portugal
	In office; 19 May 1870 – 29 August 1870
Monarch	Luís I
Preceded by	Duke of Loulé
Succeeded by	Marquis of Sá da Bandeira
	In office; 1 May 1851 – 6 June 1856
Monarchs	Maria II and Fernando II
Preceded by	Duke of Terceira
Succeeded by	Duke of Loulé
	In office; 6 October 1846 – 18 June 1849
Monarchs	Maria II and Fernando II
Preceded by	Duke of Palmela
Succeeded by	Marquess of Tomar
	In office; 27 May 1835 – 18 November 1835
Monarch	Maria II
Preceded by	Count of Linhares
Succeeded by	José Jorge Loureiro
President of the Rio Grande do Sul Province
	In office; 22 February 1822 – 29 August 1822
Monarch	João VI
Minister of State	Filipe Ferreira de Araújo e Castro
Succeeded by	Viscount of São Gabriel
Captain-General of the Rio Grande do Sul Province
	In office; 20 August 1821 – 22 February 1822
Monarch	João VI
Minister of State	Filipe Ferreira de Araújo e Castro
Preceded by	Antônio Rodrigues da Costa
Minister of War of Portugal
	In office; 1 August – 13 October 1826
Monarch	Miguel I
Minister of State	Francisco Manuel Trigoso
Preceded by	Francisco Furtado de Castro do Rio de Mendonça e Faro
Succeeded by	Inácio da Costa Quintela
	In office; 1 May – 26 July 1827
Monarch	Miguel I
Minister of State	Manuel Francisco de Barros e Sousa de Mesquita de Macedo Leitão e Carvalhosa
Preceded by	Cândido José Xavier
Succeeded by	Manuel de Saldanha da Gama e Torres Guedes de Brito
	In office; 27 May – 18 November 1835
Monarch	Maria II
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	José Luis de Sousa
Succeeded by	José Jorge Loureiro
	Not sworn it; 26 May – 19 July 1846; Serving with José Jorge Loureiro (as interim)
Monarchs	Maria II and Fernando II
Prime Minister	Pedro de Sousa Holstein, 1st Duke of Palmela
Preceded by	António José Severim de Noronha, 1st Duke of Terceira
Succeeded by	Bernardo de Sá Nogueira de Figueiredo, 1st Marquis of Sá da Bandeira
	In office; 6 October – 4 November 1846
Monarchs	Maria II and Fernando II
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Bernardo de Sá Nogueira de Figueiredo, 1st Marquis of Sá da Bandeira
Succeeded by	José António Maria de Sousa Azevedo (as interim)
	Interim; 18 December 1847 – 8 January 1848
Monarchs	Maria II and Fernando II
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	António José da Silva Leão
Succeeded by	Fernando da Fonseca Mesquita e Sola
	Interim; 17 May 1851 – 6 June 1856
Monarchs	Maria II and Fernando II; Pedro V
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Fernando da Fonseca Mesquita e Sola
Succeeded by	José Jorge Loureiro
	In office; 19 May – 29 August 1870
Monarch	Luís I
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Joaquim Tomás Lobo de Ávila (as interim)
Succeeded by	Bernardo de Sá Nogueira de Figueiredo, 1st Marquis of Sá da Bandeira
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal
	Not sworn it
	In office; 20 May – 26 May 1846; Serving with António José Severim de Noronha, 1st Duke of Terceira (as interim)
Monarchs	Maria II and Fernando II
Prime Minister	Pedro de Sousa Holstein, 1st Duke of Palmela
Preceded by	José Joaquim Gomes de Castro
Succeeded by	Francisco de Almeida Portugal
Ambassador of Portugal to the United Kingdom
	In office; 28 November 1870 – 21 November 1876
Monarch	Luís I
Prime Minister	António José de Ávila; Fontes Pereira de Melo
Minister of Foreign Affairs	António José de Ávila; João de Andrade Corvo
Preceded by	Viscount of Seisal
Succeeded by	Henrique Teixeira de Sampaio
Personal details
Born	17 November 1790; Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	20 November 1876 (aged 86); London, United Kingdom
Spouse(s)	Maria Theresa Margaret Horan FitzGerald (1814–1855); Charlotte Elisabeth Mary Smith-Athelston (since 1856)
Relations	Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal (grandfather)
Parent(s)	João Vicente de Saldanha Oliveira e Sousa Juzarte Figueira (father); Maria Amália de Carvalho Daun (mother)
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Portugal
Branch/service	Portuguese Army
Years of service	1805–1876
Rank	Marshal
Battles/wars	Peninsula War; Liberal Wars

João Carlos Gregório Domingos Vicente Francisco de Saldanha Oliveira e Daun, 1st Duke of Saldanha (17 November 1790 – 20 November 1876; Portuguese pronunciation: [salˈdɐɲɐ]) was a Portuguese marshal and statesman.

Early life and schooling

Saldanha was born on 17 November 1790, in Azinhaga. He was a grandson of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, the Secretary of the State of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves to King Joseph I of Portugal.^[1]

Saldanha studied at Coimbra, served against the French, and was made a prisoner in 1810. On his release he went to Brazil, where he was employed in the military and diplomatic services. He returned to Portugal after the declaration of the independence of Brazil.^[1]

Liberal Wars

The Duke of Saldanha, as he is commonly known, was one of the most dominating personalities of war and politics in Portugal, from the revolution of 1820 to his death in 1876. During that period he led no less than seven coups d'état. He played an important part in the struggle between brothers Pedro IV of Portugal (I of Brazil) and Miguel of Portugal during the Liberal Wars.

Saldanha became Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1825 and was governor of Porto in 1826–27. He joined Dom Pedro against Dom Miguel. He fought in the Belfastada, the Siege of Porto and Battle of Almoster. In 1833, he was rewarded with the title of Marshal of Portugal and one year later, he concluded the Concession of Evoramonte with the defeated Dom Miguel.
In 1835 he was made Minister of War and President of the Council but resigned the same year. After the revolution of 1836, which he had instigated he went into exile until recalled in 1846.^[1]

Later life

After his return from exile in 1846 Saldanha was made Duke of Saldanha,^[2] and formed a Ministry which fell in 1849.^[1] In 1851 he organized a new revolt and became chief Minister as the leader of a coalition party formed of Septembrists and dissatisfied Chartists. He remained in power until the accession of Pedro V. in 1856. and was subsequently Minister to Rome (1862–64 and 1866–69). He became Prime Minister once more for a few months in 1870 (May–August), and was sent in 1871 to London as Ambassador, where he died.^[1]

Assessment

Terence Hughes wrote a character sketch of Saldanha in 1846:

The Marshal Duke de Saldanha... is a very noble-looking old soldier, whose appearance, manners, and accomplishments would do honour to any noblesse in Europe. His hair, moustache, and whiskers, which he wears rather full, are as white as snow and contrast extremely well with the soldiery brown of his complexion. His nose is a little blunt, but his mouth is benevolent, his eyes bright and expressive, and his forehead expansive. He is about the middle height, and has an easy and gentlemanly figure—remarkably upright for a man who must be at least sixty-two years of age.
The Duke is equally distinguished in arms and diplomacy, having served during the entire Peninsular War, and subsequently took an active part in the war against Dom Miguel. He is by far the ablest general in Portugal, and about the eminence of his strategic talents there is no dispute whatever.
... He is said to be descended from the famous Bernardo del Carpio, whose father was the Conde de Saldana.....

— Terence Hughes.^[3]

Works

Saldanha was an accomplished linguist (he spoke English, French, and German with perfect fluency) and a general scholar. He wrote On the Connexion between true Sciences and Revealed Religion which was published in Berlin.^[4]

Family

Saldanha had a son who died in Berlin in 1845.^[5]

References

Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 Back to citation occurrence 1.2 Back to citation occurrence 1.3 Back to citation occurrence 1.4 Gilman, Peck & Colby 1905, p. 478.
Back to citation Hughes 1847, p. 436.
Back to citation Hughes 1847, p. 436–438.
Back to citation Hughes 1847, p. 437, 438.
Back to citation Hughes 1847, p. 437.

Bibliography

Hughes, Terence McMahon (1847), An Overland Journey To Lisbon at the Close Of 1846; with a Picture of the actual State of Spain and Portugal (In two volumes), vol. II, London: Henry Colburn, pp. 436–438

Attribution