Commander Jacintho José Nunes Leite

Jacintho José Nunes Leite was born in Oliveira de Azeméis, Aveiro, Portugal on January 18, 1840. He was a Commander, Industrialist, Businessman and Colonel.

Biography

1850s–1870s In 1855 he was a partner in Companhia União Mercantil, whose main investor was Barão de Jaraguá, being the first industrialization initiative in the State of Alagoas. In the early 1860s he married Maria Thereza de Jesus and came to Brazil on the Guadiana liner, until arriving at the port of Recife.

He established himself in Maceió as a Dry & Wet dealer. Over time, his brothers, Domingos, João and Francisco also settled in Maceió, after many years Francisco settled in Rio de Janeiro.

The Commander Jacintho Nunes Leite was the brother of Francisco Nunes Leite, the Colonel Domingos Nunes Leite, the Colonel João Nunes Leite, Ana Nunes Leite, Manoel Nunes Leite, Luiz Nunes Leite, José Nunes Leite, Rosa Nunes Leite, Emilia Nunes Leite, Maria Nunes Leite. He stood out during his first years in Maceió, participating on September 7, 1866 in the creation of the Maceió Commercial Association. In 1867 there was a firm called Jacintho Leite & Cia, which founded the first hardware store in Maceió in 1867, and owned a sugar refinery. After the death of engineer Eduardo Lima in 1884, his rights to the foundry were purchased from his wife by Jacintho José Nunes Leite.

Jacintho José Nunes Leite was the founder, shareholder and director of the first tram transport company in Maceió, Companhia Alagoana de Trilhos Urbanos - CATU, in the beginning the trams were powered by animal traction. He was responsible for the drinking water supply service in Maceió and the construction of a hospital. He built a port in Maceió, which would later be sold by him, to the state for a low price, he also built a new cemetery for the city, the cemetery gates were made in his foundry and he carried out the construction of the Parish of Santo Antônio de Padua between 1870 and 1873, replacing the previous chapel built in 1816 by the Portuguese Antônio Maria de Aguiar, the parish bell was donated by him and the tiles were imported directly from Portugal by him. He was also an abolitionist, purchasing slaves and then freeing them.

In 1894 Jacintho Nunes Leite was one of the shareholders of Companhia Progresso Alagoano, and was director of the Companhia de Navegação das Lagoas Norte and Manguaba. Currently, the property is located in the Bebedouro neighborhood, and has been listed as a historical heritage site.

1900s In 1908 the commander was manager of the União Mercantil factory.

In September 1909, the commander put his hardware store and Fundição Alagoana up for sale, announced in the newspapers that he intended to leave Alagoas, after failing to sell the foundry, the firm Jacintho Leite, Filho & Costa was created in April 1910, it was made up of his son, the engineer Jacintho Nunes Leite Filho and Caetano de Albuquerque Silva Costa. Over the years the foundry changed owners 3 times, until it closed in 1980 when it was located at another address.

Entrepreneur and Commander Jacintho José Nunes Leite Commendation.

In 1889 he was a commander, probably Commander of the Imperial Order of the Rose due to his services to the State.

In 2014, the centenary of his death was celebrated in Alagoas.