Name derived possibly from the valley of Souto, in Spain. Being a large locality, it was termed Maior. The first known user of it as family name was Paio Mendes Sorede de Sotomaior (XIII c.) married to Eremesenda Nunes Maldonado. The descendants moved to Portugal. Their 7th grandson, D. Pedro Alvares de Sottomayor, viscount of Tui and count of Caminha, lived for some years in Portugal after 1476. His descendant D- Pedro Taveira de Sottomayor, played an important role in the military campaigs of the "Restoration" of Portugal's independence from the Spanish rule in the mid 17th century. As compensation for these services, king John IV of Portugal confirmed him as Dom", and as "very noble". He left numerous progeny that continued to use the family name. Their coat of arms have silver background, with three gold and red chess-bands. It also displays a red lion.
There is no Sottomayor in any of the graveyard inscriptions recorded and printed by Brás Fernandes in his *Armas e Inscrições do forte de Baçaim* (Lisboa, Portuguese Academy of History, 1959) where many prominent white Portuguese descendants had their fortunes in India. However, Vol. III of Jorge Forjaz, *Os luso-descendentes da India Portuguesa* (Lisboa, Fundação Oriente, 2nd ed., 2003) has 8 pages for this family (pp. 785-792). D. Lourenço de Souto-Maior goes from Mozambique to India in 1609, and was captain of the northern fleet in 1613. Another, D. Francisco de Alarcão de Souto-maior came to India with the governor D. Rodrigo da Costa in 1707 and died in 1722. Occupied important posts in the navy. D. Diogo Manuel de Soouto-maior was born and died in Goa. Was captain of Daman and Diu in 1750s Belonged to the Misericordia de Goa. There is a Luis Filipe Valadares de Souto-Maior buried in the Church of Reis Magos (Consult the writings of Ricardo Micael Telles in *Oriente Português* for more details). Consult also Goanet archives: http://www.goanet org/pipermail/goanet-news/2004-February/000552.html Teotonio R. de Souza
