MADERIAN ANCESTORS
IF ANYONE HAS INFORMATION ON THIS LOPES FAMILY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO FORWARD, IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. FROM RECORDS REVIEWED TO DATE ALL MARRIAGES AND BAPTISMS TOOK PLACE IN THE CHURCH SÃO PEDRO, DA PONTA DO PARGO, CONCELHO DA CALHETA, DIOCESE DE FUNCHAL
STILL RESEARCHING THE LINE OF ANDRÉ LOPES WHO APPEARS TO BE THE FOUNDER OF THE LOPES CLAN IN MADEIRA. ORIGINAL RECORDS FROM THE EARLY 1600'S AND LATE 1500'S ARE DIFFICULT TO FIND AND SECONDARY SOURCES ARE NOT VERY COMPREHENSIVE IN THEIR PRESENTATION MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO GO BACK FURTHER THAN WE HAVE TO DATE
SURNAME ORIGINS
TRANSLATIONS FROM THE "REGISTRO GENEALOGICO DE FAMILAS QUE PASSARAM A MADEIRA" BY ENG. LUIZ PETER CLODE. THESE ARE THE ORIGIN OF SEVERAL OF THE SURNAMES IN THE LOPES FAMILY TREE
COAT OF ARMS
LOPES: MANY FAMILIES EXIST WITH THIS SURNAME WHICH IN ORIGIN IS PATRONYMIC OF LOPO, LIKELY FROM LATIN LUPUS=WOLF. THE LOPES OF CICADE RODRIGO WHO ALREADY HAD A BRANCH IN PORTUGAL AT THE END OF THE 15TH CENTURY CARRIED THE FOLLOWING COAT OF ARMS: DIVIDED IN FOURTHS: THE FIRST AND FOURTH QUADRANTS OF BLUE WITH A GOLDEN STAR, OF SIX POINTS, THE SECOND AND THIRD QUADRANTS OF RED WITH A FLEUE-DE-LIS OF SILVER; THE BORDER OF RED IS DECORATED WITH EIGHT CROSSES (ST ANDREW'S) OF GOLD. THE HERALDIC CREST: A CROSS OF BORDURE (GIVING BORDER TO THE COAT OF ARMS)
TO JOÃO LOPES, A CAVALIER, FROM THE HOUSE OF THE INFANTA JOANA, DAUGHTER OF DON ALFONSO V. FOR SERVICES RENDERED TO THIS PRINCE ON LAND AND ON SEA, AS WELL AS, IN AFRICA. FOR THE CONQUEST OF THE CITY OF ARZILA, AND THE TAKING OF TANGER AND ANAFE, AS WELL AS, THE CONQUESTS IN THE KINGDONS OF CASTELA, BEING WITH HIS KING IN THE BATTLE HE HAD WITH THE KING OF SICILA, WAS GRANTED THE SOVEREIGN MERCY OF A NEW COAT OF ARMS, BY THE LETTER OF THE SIXTH OF JUNE 1476, PASSED IN THE CITY OF TORO. THE COAT OF ARMS CONCEDED BY DON ALFONSO V. WERE THUS ORDERED: OF BLUE WITH A PALM TREE OF GOLD SUPERIMPOSED WITH A RAVEN (OF BLACK) IN FLIGHT. THE HERALDIC CREST: THE RAVEN OF THE SHIELD, WITH A PALM TREE BRANCH OF GOLD IN ITS BEAK
TO TORIBIO LOPES, DEAN OF THE CHAPEL OF RAINHA AND BISHOP OF MIRANDA DON JOÃO II CONCEDED, BY THE LETTER PASSED ON THE FOURTH OF NOVEMBER OF 1545, A NEW COAT OF ARMS OF MERCY, WITH RESPECT FOR SERVICES RENDERED TO RAINHA HIS WIFE IN CASTELA AND IN PORTUGAL ALWAYS WITH GREAT LOYALTY. SUCH COAT OF ARMS ARE: DIVIDED IN FOURTHS:A THE FIRST AND FOURTH QUADRANTS OF BLUE, WITH THREE STARS OF GOLD, THE SECOND AND FOURTH QUADRANTS OF SILVER, WITH A PALM TREE IN THE CENTER, OF GOLD; A CENTER SHIELD WITH A BACKGROUND OF BLUE CARRIES A CROSS OF SILVER WITH THREE STARS, THE PURPLE BORDER WITH THE WORDS; UNAM PETIT A DONINO HANC REQUIRAM UT INHABITEM IN DONO DONINI, IN LETTERS OF GOLD
SURNAMES
THE FAMILY SURNAME "FERNANDES" PROCEEDS FROM GONCALO FERNANDES WHO WAS RAISED IN THE HOUSE OF EXCELLENT LADY DONA. JOANA AND THE INFANTE DON. FERNANDO, FATHER OF THE KING DON. MANUEL AND MIGRATED TO MADEIRA BY ORDER OF THE MENTIONED LADY, WHERE HE HAD A LUXURIOUS HOUSE, BUT NO ONE KNEW HIM. HE ESTABLISHED A VILLAGE IN RIBERIA DOS SOCORRIDOS, THAT LATER, DUE TO A FLOOD THAT TOOK THE HOUSE DOWN, WAS MOVED TO THE PLACE CALLED SERRA DO AGUA, AT ARCO DA CALHETA, WHICH TOOK THE NAME OF FERNANDES DA SERRA DE AGUA. IN THIS PARISH HE CONSTRUCTED HOUSES AND A CHAPEL TO OUR LADY OF THE CONCEPTION, WHICH IS WHERE HE DIED ON JUNE 13 1539 OF FEVER AFTER GIVING HIS LAST WILL. HE IS INTERRED IN THE MIDDLE OF SAID CHAPEL, WHERE HIS NAME IS ENGRAVED AND THE FIGURE OF A BOY WITH HIS FACE RESTING ON HIS LEFT HAND AND THE INSCRIPTION "SIC ET VOS NATI CONTINUO DESIVIMUS ESSE". HERIQUE HENRIQUES DE NORONHA, SAID SON OF THE KING DON. ALFONSO V AND OF HIS EXCELLENT LADY, WIFE AND NIECE, WAS HIDALGO OF THE ROYAL HOUSE. HE MARRIED IN THIS ISLAND WITH ISABEL FERNANDES DE ANDRADE WITH WHOM HE HAD SEVEN CHILDREN. THE FIRST BORN WAS PEDRO GONCALVES DE ANDRADE, HIDALGO OF THE ROYAL HOUSE, (HIDALGO IS A TITLE FOR A SPANISH NOBLEMAN OF SECONDARY ROYALTY, A RANK ABOVE THE ORDINARY GENTRY BUT BELOW THE GREAT LORDS (THROUGH BIRTH HIDALGO DE SANGRE) FROM THE CROWN [HIDALGO DE CARTA])AS HIS FATHER, AS HIS HEIR. HE SERVED IN AFRICA AND WAS CAPTAIN OF THE CABO DE GUE. HE MARRIED DONA. BRITES DA SILVA, DAUGHTER OF DIOGO HOMEM DE SOUSA AND OF DONA. CATARINA DE BARREDO, WITH WHOM HE HAD ISSUE
LOPO FERNANDES, PROCEEDS FROM FRANCISCO DIAS, MERCHANT, SON OF LOPO FERNANDES, FARMER, AND ANA FERNANDES; MARRIED IN CALHETA, ON APRIL 4 1595 WITH MARIA ARAUJO, DAUGHTER OF ANTONIO GONCALVES DE ARAUJO AND MARIA BARCELOS, FROM ARAUJOS, THEY HAD ISSUE. THE DESCENDANTS OF THIS FAMILY INTERMARRIED WITH THE HOMEMS OF EIREI, MARTINS, ANDRADES, COUTOS, CARDOSO, ORNELAS, MATOS, COUTINHOS, CARDOSSO DE GAULA AND MONIZES. THE MEMBERS OF THIS FAMILY AMONG OTHERS, ARE: FRANCISCO JOÃO DE VASCONSELOS E COUTO; BARONESS OF JARDIM DO MAR BY MARRIAGE WITH TRISTAO VAZ TEIXEIRA DE BETTENCOURT E CÃMARA, BARON DO JARDIM DO MAR, LUIZ DE VASCONSELOS COUTO BELIAGO ESMERALDO BETTENCOURT; OFFICIAL OF THE ARMY FRANCISCO JOÃO DE VASCONCELOS DE MATOS NORONHA DO CÃMARA, FRANCISCO JOÃO DE VASCONCELOS, MARRIED WITH DON. FERNANDA MARGARIDA DE MATOS NORONHA DA CÃMARA
LIBRALEÃO, THE DESCENDANTS OF THIS SURNAME PROCEED FROM ISABEL DIAS DE LIBRALEÃO, BORN IN SAN LUCAR DE BARRAMEDA, (ANDALUCIA, PROVINCE OF CADIZ, SPAIN), DAUGHTER OF JOÃO DIAS LIBRALEÃO AND ELVIRA ILHESCAS, AND WHO MARRIED AROUND 1520 WITH PEDRO LOPES WHO DIED IN FUNCHAL, AND WAS INTERRED IN SE. FROM THIS MARRIAGE THERE WAS ISSUE. THE MALE BRANCH OF THE DESCENDANTS OF THE LIBRALEÃOS, IS PEDRO AGOSTINHO DE VASCONCELOS, MARRIED WITH ANGELINA AUGUSTA MOURAO PITA AND DONA. CELINA DE VASCONCELOS MARRIED WITH FRANCISCO PEDRO DE BETTENCOURT, THE FEMALE BRANCH DESCENDANTS WERE EDUARDO VILHENA DE LAGOS, DONA. MARIA VERA DE BETTENCOURT, MARRIED WITH DR. CARLOS OLAVO DE AZEVEDO. THEY HAVE THE ARMORY DESCRIBED AS: IN BLUE A PALM OF GOLD AND A RAVEN OF BLACK STANDING ON TOP. BORDER: RAVEN WITH A BRANCH OF PALM IN GOLD
PEDRO LOPES COULD BE RELATED TO ANDRÉ FERNANDES LOPES BUT NO LINK WAS FOUND AND THE SURNAME INDICATES THAT HE IS MORE RELATED TO THE LOPES FAMILY THAN THE FERNANDES LOPES FAMILY
CÃMARA, THIS FAMILY SURNAME PROCEEDS FROM JOÃO GONCALVES ZARCO, GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF INFANTE DON. HENRIQUE DISCOVERER OF THE ISLAND OF MADEIRA, AND WHO WAS CAPTAIN GOVERNOR OF THE ISLAND. HAVING DISEMBARKED IN A PLACE CALLED CÃMARA DE LOBOS, ITS NAME DERIVED, ACCORDING TO LEGEND FROM A CAVE OF MARINE WOLF'S THAT ZARCO FOUND WHEN HE LANDED. THE KING DON. ALFONSO V, BY A LETTER DATED JULY 4 1460, GAVE HIM THE SURNAME DE CÃMARA DE LOBOS, WITH NEW ARMORY. THE SURNAME DE CÃMARA DE LOBOS DID NOT CONTINUE AS SUCH, BUT TURNED INTO DE CÃMARA. JOÃO GONCALVES ZARCO, MARRIED CONTSTANCA RODGIGUES DE SA, DAUGHTER OF RODRIGO ANES DE SA, WHO WAS REPRESENTATIVE OF PORTUGAL IN ROME, AND OF CECILIA COLOMA, DAUGHTER OF THE MARQUIS AND PRINCE DE COLOMA. THEY HAD NUMEROUS CHILDREN. HIS DESCENDANTS ARE: DONA. MARIA JOÃO GONCALVES ZARCO DA CÃMARA, DAUGHTER OF THE COUNT OF RIBEIRA GRANDE, MARRIED TO GABRIEL DE BIANCHI' THE BETTENCOURTS DA CÃMARA, AND THE CÃMARA LEMES, THIS ONE WITH SEVERAL LORDSHIPS. THE ARMORIAL IS DESCRIBED AS SUCH: IN BLACK, A TOWER OF SILVER BETWEEN TWO ATTACKING WOLF'S OF GOLD. ALL OVER A HILL OF GREEN AND SILVER. BORDER: A WALKING WOLF
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