In my wife's Basque ancestry I have encountered an interesting surname which I believe to be not entirely Basque: "Peranzules" I can find a few references to a Conde Don Peranzules who improved some churches in the 11th century, various of romantic Spanish poetry* and this: >Pero Ansurez, "Peranzules": he is the founder of the city of Valladolid, Count of Saldana >(Province of Palencia) Pero is the ancient spelling of Pedró and nothing else EXCEPT several 18th century marriages in Vizcaya. Can it be that this family just went into hiding in the little village of Izurza (a few km south of Durango) and didn't come out for 600 years? Perhaps a 17th century rogue hiding in the hills just adopted the name because he liked it? I'm waiting for church records that may give me some more details. ITMT, I'd love to get any pointers I can on this name. -- Donald R. Newcomb DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net *e.g. Allá por aquella torre que hicieron puerta los árabes, subió el Cid sobre Babieca con su gente y su estandarte. Más lejos se ve el castillo de San Servando, o Cervantes, donde nada se hizo nunca y nada al presente se hace. A este lado está la almena por do sacó vigilante el conde don Peranzules al rey, que supo una tarde fingir tan tenaz modorra, que, político y constante, tuvo siempre el brazo quedo las palmas al horadarle.