Dr Domingo Antonio de Montbrun (our Great Uncle) M.R.C.S.E., L.R.C.P. (London) was the second son of Dr Domingo de Montbrun KNT (our shared Great Great Grandfather). Born in Venezuela in 1862, like his older brother, Pedro Luis, he followed his father into the Medical profession qualifying in England before returning to Trinidad. Unlike Pedro Luis, who spent the first years of his professional life in the service of the Queen within the Public Health Care system in Trinidad, Domingo Antonio, like his father before pursued the route of building his medical career in the role of Private Family Physician, a role with which he was to excel at and eventually build a practice to rival even his esteemed father’s. In May 1892, Dr. Domingo Antonio returned from his specialty studies in ophthalmology (ophthalmology is the medical specialty involving the physiology and function of the eye and the treatment of its diseases; an ophthalmologist is a physician with that specialty) and in addition to a growing private medical practice proceeded to build a consultancy career as an 'oculist' (Oculist is an older generic term for ophthalmologist).

While Domingo never married or had any children, he had a special love for sport, particularly the English game of cricket. He played many a game for the most domineering and prestigious sporting club in the 1880s to 1890s in Trinidad, the Queen’s Park Cricket Club (Q.P.C.C.) where he had been an active player for many years. The peak of his cricketing career came when he played two games for the Trinidad national cricket team against the visiting Barbados cricket team in September1893. He did not possess the talent to be amongst the ‘great’ cricketers of his era, but his interest in the game would continue well after his playing days where he would become a great asset to the Cricket Club fraternity in Trinidad and eventually help nurture a future captain of the colony of Trinidad and the wider West Indian regional teams. The formation of Shamrock Cricket Club (a club to which Domingo would migrate to from Q.P.C.C.) in the late 1890s eventually broke the domination of the Queen’s Park Cricket Club and introduced a new star to Trinidad cricket, Nelson Betancourt, Domingo’s nephew (a son of Domingo’s sister, Josepha) with Domingo Antonio de Montbrun as the club's President.

His keen acumen for sport administration led him into other, very different sporting disciplines. In December 1908 he was invited by international sports entrepreneur Mr Frederick N. Martinez to be on the committee of a new concept in Sports at that time, a two day event that would showcase two major sporting disciplines (cycling and marathon running) together with several ‘fun’ sporting events. Aptly named the “Marathon Cycle Race and Sports” and it promised to be one of the largest attended and most important sporting events ever held in the colony of Trinidad. Official events included cycling and marathon running, to fun sporting events like the ‘domestic servant race’, ‘Fancy Costume Race’ which ensured that no one was left out of the fun. Despite inclement weather, the “Marathon Cycle Race and Sports” was a huge success and the ‘fun’ format drew more crowds in the history of the sports represented ever had.

Like his father before, the young Dr. Domingo also served as Consul to Portugal from 1893 to 1913. On July 7th, 1910, Dr Domingo Antonio de Montbrun in his official capacity as Consul to Portugal welcomed the Portuguese Cruiser “Dom Carlos”, on an official visit to the island of Trinidad, the first ever such visit by a Portuguese warship. It was a source of great pride to the small but vibrant Trinidad Portuguese community many of whom had never seen a Portuguese Warship.

Dr. Domingo Antonio de Montbrun died February 15, 1914 at his residence at 73 Frederick Street, Port of Spain. The funeral took place at his residence and then proceeded to the Church of the Holy Rosary in Port of Spain. His body was finally laid to rest with his father Domingo, his two brothers, Pedro Luis and Jose Leandro, and two sisters, Louisa Antonia and Carmen Luisa, in the family vault at Lapeyrouse Cemetery in Port of Spain. His sister, Josepha Betancourt was now the last surviving child of Domingo and Emilia de Montbrun's family.

Attached: Picture of Dr. Domingo Antonio de Montbrun, M.R.C.S.E., L.R.C.P.(London)

Top Row (l-r) Mr Vasconcellos, Mr Serpa, Mr Leca: 2nd row (l-r) Mr J.J. Camacho, Mr. Macedo, Mr Coelho, Messrs Bettincourt(2); 3rd row (l-r) Mr. L. Silva, Mr A. Santana, Mr. F. d'Ornellas, Mr J. Ferreira; Bottom Row: Dr. D.A. de Montbrun (Consul), Rev. Fr. McAlinney, Sept 30, 1906, Committee responsible for the arragements for the High Mass, photographed at the Presbytery.

From: Brief History of the Associacao Portuguesa Primeiro de Dezembro by Charles Reis, Barrister At Law (Pub1926, Reprint 1991), p26

Alan de Montbrun

ademontbrun@gmail.com