Antonio Maria de BettencourtAleixo Manuel da Costa, "Dicionário de Literatura Goesa", Vol. 3, p. 157 reflects a legend over how the brothers came to be called Bettencourt, suggesting that this came about because they were known in Coimbra as the "Bitoncares" perhaps because his father was a native of Britona. This epithet was said to have displeased them and they had it probably transformed into Bettencourt! This legend would have been possible only by ignoring that the mother of the two Rodrigues brothers was also called Bettencourt, so the name they used was perfectly legitimate. Rodrigues (5 March 1854 – 4 October 1933) was a Portuguese diplomat, medical doctor and politician.

Early life Rodrigues was the youngest son of Judge José Júlio Rodrigues (Salvador do Mundo, Bardez, Goa, 6 May 1812 - Luanda), Goan Catholic, Bachelor of Law from the University of Coimbra, Delegate of the Regal Attorney in Funchal, Court of Appeal judge of Luanda and his wife (Funchal, Sé, 13 August 1842) Teresa Cristina de Sá e Bettencourt (Funchal, Sé -?).Fernando de Meneses Vaz, "Famílias da Madeira e Porto Santo", Vol. 1, p. 138, tít. de Araújos, § 4.º, n.º 9"Os Luso-Descendentes da Índia Portuguesa", Jorge Eduardo de Abreu Pamplona Forjaz e José Francisco Leite de Noronha, Fundação Oriente, 1.ª Edição, Lisboa, 2003, Volume III N - Z, pp. 428-31.

Career A physician, Doctor of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Paris, Minister Plenipotentiary in Paris in 1913 and 1917–1918, senator for the Extremadura Electoral Circle in 1918, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Governments of Óscar Carmona and José Vicente de Freitas 1926–1928, during the military dictatorship, and President of the Portuguese Delegation to the League of Nations.A. H. de Oliveira Marques (coord.), "Parlamentares e Ministros da 1.ª República (1910-1926)", p. 377"Os Luso-Descendentes da Índia Portuguesa", Jorge Eduardo de Abreu Pamplona Forjaz e José Francisco Leite de Noronha, Fundação Oriente, 1.ª Edição, Lisboa, 2003, Volume III N - Z, p. 431

On 5 October 1927, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ.

An important scientific work left by him was also published.Aleixo Manuel da Costa, "Dicionário de Literatura Goesa", Vol. 3, pp. 151 a 157

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