Born in Lisbon in 1652, he is considered the first “Juiz de Fora” (a judge in charge of the local administration of a municipality) of Viana do Alentejo, having been in office from 1683 onwards. In fact, this position was always occupied by such a person until it was extinct, while, before that date, the position was occupied by two regular judges. However, a document dated 1528 shows that, by then, there had already been judges with this title. This shows us that already in years before 1683 this type of judges had governed the village. We believe, however, that this may have been a temporary exception due to some specific reason occurred in those days in the political and administrative situations as this alternation of both types of political and administrative (regular judges and “juízes de fora”) situations has happened in other locations.

Manuel Pereira Peres had already been “Juiz de Fora” in Palmela, having been appointed in 1678. He came to Viana at the age of 31 to be the “Juiz de Fora” which might not have been easy since the local elites lost the chances of occupying the two most coveted local political positions: the two ordinary judges. 

He was then appointed Independent Inspector General of Castelo Branco, in 1687, as well as ombudsman of the same location and in the same year. In 1692 he became Overseas Consultant and, in 1693, chancellor (Chanceler da Relação) of Goa where he died in 1698. 

REFERENCES:
Arquivo Histórico Municipal de Viana do Alentejo, CMVA/B/A/001/Lv014-1681-1689, fl. 55.
Biblioteca Pública de Évora, Cód. CXXX1/1-3.
https://memorialdeministros.weebly.com/resultado-letrados.html?cbResetParam=1&IDJuiz=2984