Don't worry, Cece, you'll probably link to them, one way or another. If you descend from the "Andrades do Arco", for instance, you'll meet them there by way of João Fernandes mother, Beatriz da Maia. Another way is by way of the Bettencourt Sás, which also descend from them. Constança Rodrigues, however, I believe she can be safely unlinked from that ancestry because of: 1. Severe chronology problems; 2. The Sá surname was never found on her or on any of her descendants (unless it has entered by other marriages, of course). 3. Gaspar Frutuoso calls her Constança Rodrigues de Almeida, with not a single reference to the Sás. 4. Felgueiras Gayo on his nobiliary gives Rodrigo Lopes de SEQUEIROS as her father, which makes sense with her patronimic, following the use of the time. As for descending from virtually everyone living on Porto da Cruz by the late XVI century, I felt that way about Câmara de Lobos when I finished my branch from that village, which compeled me to include on my database all the marriages occured on that village at least until mid XVIII century - which I could do using NESOS, when it was online. Another places where I am cousin to virtually everyone are São Martinho, São Roque, Santo António, Estreito de Câmara de Lobos and Monte. Santo António, being the most populated parish on the Island since very early times, is giving me tons of work, but there are many hidden surprises on these lineages, which include an obscure line to the Baiões, Carvalhos and Lomelinos (suddenly the mother of one of my peasants turns to be a Dona!), links to the famous Bragas, first settlers of Santo António to which Gaspar Frutuoso dedicated almost an entire chapter of his book, links to the Andrades do Arco, the Homens de Gouveia, etc. long lost and forgoten. On Porto da Cruz you should check the genealogy of the GOMES SOARES and the BARRETOS when Nesos is up again, I'm sure you'll find them quite hepful. Paulo On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 06:25:46 -0600, Cece Camara <cece@soccer4all.com> wrote: > Paulo, > > My husband is not going to be happy to hear this...I think! Being half > Italian, he was really enjoying all of the history of the Sciarra-Collona > and the possible link to them. Oh well, such is this thing called > research > that we do! > > I wanted to let you know that I am wearing out the Porto da Cruz > marriages > film. It appears I am related to most everyone there from 1577 (the > beginning of the records) forward. My database is growing by leaps and > bounds in the last couple weeks. > In the end, I think I will end up a Porto da Cruz specialist..LOL. > > I will be doing the early baptisms after I finish the marriages that I > can > connect...which will probably be them ALL in the end it seems. To give > you > an example...out of the first 30 marriages ever in Porto da Cruz, at > least 8 > of them (so far) are DIRECT ancestors and 12 or so others are also > connected > family! As I am working the film forward from 1577...I am constantly > going > back and adding people whom I couldn't connect in the beginning...so > those > last 10 will be connected one way or the other before I know it I'm sure! > > If anyone on the list has traced any relations to the early days in > Porto da > Cruz...please lets share some info! > > Cece > -- " Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas regumque turres." -- Horacio