Cece, Here is what I have on Joao Marques Arrais and Caterina Alves. If you can add or correct anything that I have, I would appreciate it. Tom Freitas 1. JOAO MARQUES2 ARRAIS (MARCOS1 GIL) was born Abt. 1550 in Portugal, and died Unknown in Madeira Islands, Portugal. He married CATHERINA ALVES October 01, 1571 in Parochial Church of Santa Ana, Santana, Madeira Islands, daughter of ANTÓNIO DE AZEVEDO and CATERINA ALVARES. She was born Abt. 1550 in Portugal, and died Unknown in Madeira Islands, Portugal. Madeira Archives Husband Wife Parish Year Book Leaf João Marques Catarina Alves Santana 1571 709 2 He is the son of Marcos Gil, she is the daughter of Álvaro Anes de Azevedo and Catarina Álvares, now wife of António Gonçalves "Meleques". This is the begining of the lineage known as "Marques Arrais", which had it's heydays in Santana and S. Jorge, with a dinasty of Captains. The names MARQUES, GIL and ARRAIS are persistent over generations. Marques is, quite obviously, a patronimic derived from the name of the father "Marcos". The first of them seem to be Marcos Gil. They seem to start up in Santana, and then quickly expand to Porto da Cruz, S. Jorge, Faial. Undoubtly the origin of most instances of the surname MARQUES, which you'll find very disseminated in the regions of "Tras da Ilha". Places such as "Achada do Marques" (Ilha - S. Jorge) and others are named after this family. Children of JOAO ARRAIS and CATHERINA ALVES are: i. FRANCISCO MARQUES3 ARRAIS, b. Abt. 1585, Madeira Islands, Portugal; d. Bef. 1676, Madeira Islands, Portugal; m. ISABEL SOARES, October 10, 1610, Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Porto da Cruz, Madeira; b. August 1589, Porto da Cruz, Madeira, Portugal; d. Bef. 1676, Madeira Islands, Portugal. Notes for FRANCISCO MARQUES ARRAIS: Madeira Archives Husband Wife Parish Year Book Leaf Francisco Marques Isabel Soares Porto da Cruz 1610 764 52 ii. MARIA MARQUES, b. Abt. 1580; d. Unknown. iii. MANUEL GIL CALDEIRA, b. Abt. 1590, Potugal; d. Unknown, Portugal; m. CATARINA DA RUA, Unknown, Portugal; b. Abt. 1590, Portugal; d. Unknown, Portugal. iv. MARIA GIL, b. Abt. 1590. v. JOAO MARQUES, b. Abt. 1590; d. Bef. 1647. vi. PEDRO MARQUES, b. Abt. 1590; d. Bef. 1641. vii. ANNA MARQUES, b. Abt. 1580; d. Unknown. viii. SIMOA DA MATTA, b. Abt. 1590; d. Unknown. ix. DOMINGOS GIL, b. Abt. 1595; d. Unknown.