José Francisco Correa da Serra

José Correia da Serra
Abbé Correa, by Domenico Pellegrini (1759–1840).
Born	6 June 1750 Serpa, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	11 September 1823 (1823-09-12) (aged 73) Caldas da Rainha, Kingdom of Portugal
Nationality	Portuguese
Occupation	Abbot, philosopher, diplomat, politician and scientist

José Francisco Correia da Serra (6 June 1750 – 11 September 1823) was a Portuguese Abbot, polymath – philosopher, diplomat, politician and scientist. In some circumstances, he was also known as Abbé Correa. The plant genus Correa is named in his honour.

Correia da Serra was born at Serpa, in Alentejo, in 1750, and was educated at Rome, where he took holy orders. In 1777 he returned to Lisbon, where he was one of the founders of the Academia das Ciências de Lisboa in 1779 (then called Academia Real das Ciências de Lisboa; Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon).

His published writings brought him into conflict with reactionary members of the religious and political hierarchy in Portugal.

In 1786, he fled to France, and remained there till the death of Portuguese King-consort Pedro III, when he again returned to his homeland, but political difficulties forced him to leave the country again. He went to England, where he found a protector in Sir Joseph Banks, who was President of the Royal Society. With Banks' support, he was easily elected a fellow of the society. In 1797, he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

In 1797, he was appointed secretary to the Portuguese embassy in London, but a quarrel with the ambassador drove him once more to Paris (1802). He would stay in Paris for the next eleven years.

In 1813, he left Europe for the New World, arriving first in New York City. His travels took him several times to Monticello, the home of former President Thomas Jefferson where his political views found a fulsome reception. He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1815.