The Azore Islands were discovered by the Portuguese in 1427. At that time, they were uninhabited, but the Portuguese began to settle there in 1439. Then, later under Prince Henry the Navigator, the islands were colonized in some part by the Flemish, which is why so many of the people of the Azores have blue eyes and fair complexions.
Later settlers included Jewish farmers, Bretons, and some Italians, English, and Scots. The island of Santa Maria was the first to be discovered and was where Columbus' crews paused when they returned from their first trip upon discovering America. The islands were named after a bird from the hawk family that was found in the area. The Azores are thought by some to be part of the sunken continent of Atlantis.
During the period from 1580 - 1640, the Azores were occupied by Spain and used as a staging base for the Spanish fleets. The seas surrounding the islands were the site of many a fierce sea battle between France and Spain.
The Azores were declared an autonomous, or self-governing, region of Portugal in 1976.
http://home.pacifier.com/~kcardoz/queries2.html#15

Looking for Manuel Dutra do Souto family that got married at 11/09/1745 na freguesia do Divino Espirito Santo da Feteira em Faial. The wife was named Maria Jacinta, filha de Jose de vargas Leal e de Catarina Correia. I'm interested in the Dutra's beliving they descend from the first donatary Joos van Huertere ( in portuguese Dutra) and anything that relates to this family gdutra2@ibm.net (27 April 1998)

Joos van Huertere (hay varias variantes) fue un flamenco comisionado como primer donatario en 1466 para poblar las Azores (ver Enciclopedia 1884)