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Welcome! This website was created on 12 Sep 2004 and last updated on 10 Oct 2023. The family trees on this site contain 1524 relatives and 242 photos. If you have any questions or comments you may send a message to the Administrator of this site.
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About Sumares/McNeill Family Tree
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Our Geography

There is little doubt among those who 
have done the historical research that 
the lineage of all people of 
Sumares ancestry originates somewhere on 
the mid-Atlantic island of Madeira 
(Portugal). From this origin there 
are now 5 main geographical branches, one 
still existing on the island, and the 
others thought to have spawned from 
descendents of 3 supposed siblings who 
were 
born around the 1840's or 1850's: Manuel 
Clemente Sumares, Arcénia Rosa 
Sumares, and Francisco Gonçalves Sumares. 

Our Migration

Manuel Clemente had grandchildren, 
through various offspring, who migrated 
to 
South Africa and raised families 
there. His son João Baptiste Sumares 
moved to California after arriving 
in Massachusetts and started the 
branch on the West Coast. The two sons of 
Arcénia Rosa, Antonio Nunes Sumares 
and Manuel Nunes Sumares, began families 
in the U.S. (probably Mass.) and 
Brazil, respectively. And we 
believe that Francisco Gonçalves had a 
son 
named Custodio Sumares who began much of 
the branch that exists today in 
Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Parish Records

Thus far the earliest historical records 
gathered from the island date back to 
the 1820's. 4 men, all identified 
as farmers, are mentioned in various 
marriage and baptismal records around 
that time, but their relationship is not 
known. Among them are Agostinho Gonçalves 
Sumares, João Gonçalves Sumares, and 
Manuel Gonçalves Sumares (GGF of the 3 
siblings mentioned above). Another 
Sumares branch is known to have descended 
from the 4rth man, another Francisco 
Gonçalves Sumares (GF of Domingos), with 
a few descendent Sumareses in mainland 
Portugal documented here in this tree.

The Sumares Name

By far the most intriguing mystery that 
has captivated those of us researching 
the Sumares genealogy revolves around the 
fact that 'Sumares' is not a 
Portuguese name. People still 
living in Madiera today not only confirm 
this fact, but go on to say that 
according to legend the Sumares name and 
lineage come from that of an English 
sailor or pirate who 'stopped by' the 
island at some earlier point in history.

One of our first theories was that this 
 "English sailor or pirate" was a member 
 of the
 Saumarez lineage, which originated from a 
 Norman family, were given lands in the
 Channel Islands (Jersey and later 
 Guernsey), and which around the time the 
 Sumareses
 appeared on Madeira were sea-faring folks 
 with ties and activities related to 
 piracy
 (smuggling and attacking the Spanish on 
 behalf of the British Royal Navy). 
 However, DNA
 testing between 2 members of the Sumares 
 and Saumarez paternal lines, 
 respectively,
 turned up negative. Most likely there is 
 truly no relation, although it is 
 possible
 that a daughter was born from a Saumarez 
 sailor/pirate and for whatever reasons 
 gave
 her children this name -- much like an 
 entire branch of Sumareses is known to 
 descend
 from Arcénia Rosa Sumares, having been 
 given her surname instead of the Nunes
 surname. I don't believe those Sumareses 
 would pass the "Paternal Lineage Y 
 Chromosome"
 test that was used and subsequently 
 failed to identify a link to the Saumarez 
 family.
 So a maternal link to the Saumarez family 
 remains at least remotely possible.

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Getting Around
There are several ways to browse the family tree. The Tree View graphically shows the relationship of selected person to their kin. The Family View shows the person you have selected in the center, with his/her photo on the left and notes on the right. Above are the father and mother and below are the children. The Ancestor Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph above and children below. On the right are the parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. The Descendant Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph and parents below. On the right are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Do you know who your second cousins are? Try the Kinship Relationships Tool. Your site can generate various Reports for each name in your family tree. You can select a name from the list on the top-right menu bar.

In addition to the charts and reports you have Photo Albums, the Events list and the Relationships tool. Family photographs are organized in the Photo Index. Each Album's photographs are accompanied by a caption. To enlarge a photograph just click on it. Keep up with the family birthdays and anniversaries in the Events list. Birthdays and Anniversaries of living persons are listed by month. Want to know how you are related to anybody ? Check out the Relationships tool.

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