Francisco Luís Gomes was born in the village of Navelim in the municipality of Salcete, Goa. He was born on May 31, 1829; his parents were Francisco Salvador Gomes, a distinguished doctor and administrator of the aforementioned municipality of Salcete, and D. Adéodatá Francisca Furtado. After attending humanities classes in Margao, he enrolled at the medical and surgical school in New Goa and completed the respective course with full approvals in all years in May 1950, and on August 10 he was appointed assistant surgeon of the 1st infantry battalion stationed in Ponda; and was promoted to chief surgeon on June 1, 1860. Twice, on January 4 and June 23, 1853, he was in charge of teaching one of the subjects of the medical-surgical school and was awarded the distinction of habit of Christo on January 17 of the aforementioned year 1860 and more than once, being attorney at June 1860 of the district, he was elected deputy to the districts in 1860 and reelected in 61, 64 and 67, leaving Goa as deputy on November 3, 1860. In Portugal, having entered public life, he joined the political party called Regenerador and remained faithfully devoted to it until his death; — endowed with great intelligence and excellent character, he was esteemed by both friends and political adversaries, and his voice in the courts was heard with the greatest attention and benevolence. A synopsis of his services as a deputy to his country can be read in the newspaper India Portugueza No. 462 of November 6, 1869 (after his death), written by one of the distinguished indigenous sons of this land, Mr. José Ignacio de Loyolla, from Orlim de Salcete.
Mr. Gomes, for his recognized merit, received diplomas from several scientific societies, such as the Medical Sciences Society of Lisbon on April 22, 1867; of the society of political economy in Paris proposed by his friend Miguel Chevalier, a wise economist of Europe, in January 1867 he was appointed member of the Cadiz Economic Society and when he was in Goa he was a member of the Royal Asiatic Society, Bombay branch. He also received the degree of Doctor of Political and Social Sciences from the University of Louvain, after his scientific and literary works that he sent there were examined by a jury. He was proposed by the president of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, the Marquis of Avila and Bolama, as a corresponding member of that first scientific association of Portugal, and according to reliable information he would undoubtedly have been accepted, had the news of his death not arrived at the very time when the process for his election was being concluded. In India he collaborated with the Ultramar and Defensor da Verdade, notable newspapers of Goa, and in Portugal he was also an effective contributor to the Gazeta de Portugal.
In the year of the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867, he visited London and Paris. Nineteen years later, suffering from a disease, he moved to Madeira and got better, but when he fell ill again, he sought a cure in Portugal and even went back to Madeira; and when the sickness reached its final extremity he decided to come and end his days in Goa with his family, embarking in Lisbon via Suez on board a steamer in the first days of October 1869; but unfortunately he died two days after the steamer left Gibraltar.
A fellow passenger described his death in these terms: Mr. Gomes asked the servant for some broth, and while he was returning, he expired in less than 5 minutes. He was a surgeon in the 2nd class of the health staff, on commission, and professor of the medical and surgical school of Nova Goa and commissioner of the studies.
In Goa, the galas that were being prepared for a brilliant reception for the compatriot turned into a frenzy and the news of his death was received with universal feeling, and different commissions were appointed to try to erect a monument to him.
All the newspapers in Goa and even some in Bombay dedicated many scientific articles to him, as did the most renowned newspapers in Lisbon in Portugal; In the newspaper of October 31, 1869. A sad piece of news, one that could hurt us the most, reached us today. It was the death of the distinguished publicist F. L. Gomes, author of such excellent scientific and literary works, honest, kind and respectable character. He had left for Goa a short time ago.