Henrique de Barros Gomes (Lisbon, 14 September 1843 – Alcanhões, Santarém, 15 November 1898), was a Portuguese politician, member of the Progressive Party, who assumed the functions of director of the Bank of Portugal, Minister of various Ministries during Regeneration Era politics and member of the Geographic Society of Lisbon, as well as diverse national and international awards of merit. He was noted for his role during the colonial crisis associated with British Ultimatum. Biography Henrique de Barros Gomes was born in Lisbon, to Bernardino António Gomes Jr. (physician and pioneer in the use of Chloroform in Portugal) and his spouse, Maria Leocádia Fernandes Tavares de Barros Gomes. His paternal grandfather was Bernardino António Gomes, a recognized medic and specialist in Brazilian botany, who helped introduce vaccination techniques into Portugal. His brother was forest engineer and scientist Bernardino de Barros Gomes. After his preparatory studies which were completed in Germany, he registered (at the age of 18 years) in the Escola Politécnica de Lisboa, where he completed with distinction, his studies in the military and civil engineering (1865): he obtained an award of merit in five studies and qualifications for awards in his remaining courses. During this part of his life, he became interested in the study of mathematics and astronomy, authoring several works these themes, including A Astronomia Moderna e a Questão das Paralaxes Siderais (English: Modern Astronomy and the Question of Celestial Parallaxes), which was published in the Jornal de Sciencias Mathematicas, Physicas e Naturaes (English: Journal of Sciences, Mathematics & Nature) at the Academia Real de Ciências (English: Royal Academy of Sciences) in Lisbon. These interests also allowed him to be a founding member of the Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa (English: Lisbon Geographic Society) in 1875. Barros Gomes married Rita Pessoa de Barros e Sá, daughter of António José de Barros e Sá, counsel, representative, minister and peer of the realm, who was responsible for assisting his son-in-law in entering politics. The couple had two children: a daughter and son. Career At the age of 25, he was the elected representative for Torres Novas (during the 11 April 1869 election) under the Reformist Party banner, initiating his political career during the 17th Legislature. After being sworn in on 4 May 1869, he immediately exercised the role of second-secretary for the government in the Chamber of Deputies. In his first intervention (on 10 July 1869), on land