This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: Pattyc247 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.beckwith/39.41.43.47.48.50.139.146.191.196.208.209.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Was she a slave and from Africa ? I ask because...black in Virginia..does not mean they were from Africa and a slave. I have read they were married. Although it was aganist the law there were marriage of many mixed races. Examples from my family ...my roots go deep in VA. The people of mixed race and of different faiths moved into the mountains of Virginia. My Maucks were black and not from Africa. They came from Germany in the early 1700's to PA then to VA. They married Irish and American Indains. They fled Germany beacuse they were Luthans by faith. My gggg uncle who was a Sheffey was a fiddler in the mountains. He married a black woman. I have not found that she was a slave or from Africa. These people worked and fought hard for freedoms. They fought people who were like Anthony Johnson, Jamestown VA. abt 1653 he petitioned the courts of Great Britain for the right to own slaves ...he was the 1st and he was black maybe from Africa...The Robertson from Pr Wm Co VA black ..who were black slave owners. I could go on just with my families from VA. Good fought back the bad. Good of many races and places and so were the bad !!! Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.