Barros, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de, 1778-1885.

Born in Carnide, Portugal in 1778, Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros 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 Cesar de Figanière e Mourão. Francisco Xavier Monteiro de Barros died in Virginia in 1855.