There are many biographical references to this Franciscan-nawab-soldier-bishop-diplomat all rolled into one in this Portuguese descendant born in Goa on July 5, 1720. J.H. Cunha Rivara, Ismael Gracias, H. Closets d'Erray and A.C. Germano Silva Correia have written extensively on him. But the latest and corrected in some details is the information found in the writings of D. Antonio José de Noronha edited by Camen Radulet in 1994-95 with the help of Fundação Oriente. She has published his Diary of Sea Voyage from Lisbon to Goa (1773-1774) and his Asiatic Martial System (2 vols). We gather from them that following an early death of his parents, he entered the Franciscan convent in Old Goa at the age of 16 and was posted as parish priest in Mylapore. There he got along well with Dupleix (who had a Portuguese-descendent as wife) and that involved him in military-diplomatic ventures on behalf of the French against the English. The French alliance with Hyder Aly gained him also a title of Nawab. In the aftermath of English take-over of Pondicherry, he was packed off to London, but this caused the English a diplomatic headache due to Ango-Portuguese alliance. The English were willing to pay him a indemnity of £ 100,000, a considerable sum which he refused as below his dignity, and preferred to seek shelter under French king Louis XV. The services he had rendered to the French in India gained him (now known as Père Antoine) a commedation of the Order of «Notre Dame du Mont Carmel et St. Lazare», and also a royal recommendation to Holy See to name his Bishop in partibus infidelium. This meant a friction with the Portuguese rights of Crown Patronage. However, since the French East India Company would pay his honoraria, the Portuguese let the Holy See go ahead with his appointment in March 1751, but would only exercise episcopal jurisdiction as dependent of the Bishop of Mylapore. His own Franciscan confreres in India were not too happy with this promotion due his excessive involvement in politics.
In 1763 we find him in Goa commanding a company of sepoys against the Marathas in attacking Mordongod fort and the settlements in Ponda and Zambaulim. Apparently he spoke well Urdu and Maratha. Following his success in the campaign was made brigadier and General in charge of the provinces of Ponda, Zambaulim and Canacona. Later he played important part in negotations with Marathas and Hyder Ali. The political enemies of the viceroy in Goa managed to depose the viceroy and also force D. António de Noronha out of power and jail him in Aguada fort in 1769. He was thence deported to Lisbon where he spent 18 months until 1772 in the central jail of Limoeiro. In Lisbon he defended himself well and even got into good graces of Marquis of Pombal, who restored all his rights and emoluments. He returned to Goa in 1774 by the ship Mariana Vitória. Sent a diary of this voyage to Marquis of Pombal. He got on very well with the Governor D. José Pedro da Camara. Died suddenly on 7 Feb. 1776 in his residence at Daugim, after he had returned from a dinner with the Governor. Teotonio R. de Souza http://tinyurl.com/5ke3zo Message: 6 Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:07:24 -0700 (PDT) From: Carvalho <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Goanet] Bishop of Halicarnssus, Antonio Jose de Noronha, in 1763 To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" <goanet@lists.goanet.org> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii In a letter dated 1st July 1772 written by the British, I have come across some interesting details about this great Son of Goa, Bishop of Halicarnssus I want to write a short essay in his honour. If someone has information about this man, or this particular post Bishop of Halicarnssus, then please do email it to me. A link, or a likely person who can assist will do just as well. many thanks, selma