Viscount of São Jorge

Viscount São Jorge – The title was created by His Majesty King Charles I, of Portugal, by decree dated 7 November 1893, in the name of Adriano Augusto d´Oliveira, Knight of the Royal Household, by decree dated 21 August 1893, Knight Commander of the Royal Military Order of Our Lady of Conception of Vila Viçosa, by decree dated 23 June 1893. He married Eleanor Justine du Puy de Montbrun, daughter of the Marquess Lucien de Montbrun and the Marchioness Louise Amelie Marie Soulages de Saint-Marc. He lived in Paris and died in the same city without surviving descendants. The title was extinguished.

However, in the past few years, Doctor Guilherme Manuel Gonçalves de Oliveira de Sousa Girão claims that the title passed to his grandmother, D. Laura Maria Augusta Pinto de Oliveira. She was born in Bragança and married there, at the Church of St. Vincent, on the 30 July 1898, the Lieutenant António Teixeira de Castro de Souza Girão e Valle, Lord of the House of Lages and the House of Cimo de Passos, at Silgueiros. The alleged succession in the title would be justified by an obscure family link. In fact, there are absolutely no documents showing that D. Laura was niece of the 1st viscount, whose family was from Lisbon.

According to the same version, the title passed then to their only son, Manuel Paulino de Oliveira de Sousa Girão, Doctor in Medicine and Surgery, University of Coimbra, who received the title by a letter of royal command of His Majesty Manuel II of Portugal, dated 30 January 1923. Again, this letter was never shown to the public and there are strong reasons to believe that this so-called "letter of royal command" is just another invention made up by Doctor Guilherme Manuel Gonçalves de Oliveira de Sousa Girão. Not surprinsingly, his father, Doctor Manuel Paulino de Oliveira de Sousa Girão, never made any claim about this title, nor did he mentioned it to anyone.

The author of this unproved version, and thus self-alleged 4th Viscount, is the notorious Doctor Guilherme Manuel Gonçalves de Oliveira de Sousa Girão, ex-Minister Counsellor of Embassy (career from which he was expelled in 1983 due to crimes committed between 1977 and 1981, which led to his trial and imprisonment), previously awarded as Knight Great-Cross of the Order of Merit, of Mauricias, Knight Great-Cross of the Order of Johore Great Officer of the Order of Rio Branco, of Brasil, Officer of the Royal Order of the Crown, of Thailand, etc. In 2005 he published a book which contains his genealogy with quite a few genealogical errors and an astonishing collection of ancient portraits that bear all the typical marks of forgery.

The present alleged holder's son and Heir Apparent is Manuel Bernardo Teixeira de Castro de Souza-Girão, born in Durban, South Africa, 20 August 1970, married. He has been at Harrow School, 1983–1988, is M.A. Cantabridgia, Trinity College. Manager General (Western European Department) Credit Suisse First Boston Bank, London.

References

• "Souza Girão e Valle na descendência de D.Pedro e D.Inês de Castro" Lisbon 2005 and 2007, C.A.Almeida, Artes Gráficas, 1st and 2nd editions.
• "Memórias Arqueológicas-Históricas do Distrito de Bragança", 1968, 8 vols, de Manuel Francisco Alves, Abade de Baçal.
• "Livro de Mercês de D.Carls I", Torre do Tombo, Lisbon.