Michael - I am researching my Melungeon Allens too!! I couldn't find your Allen in my tree, or the Cornetts - My Allens came from Scott Co. VA and moved to Rockcastle Co. Ky Sound familiar? Cammie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Shuler Michael" <grinch42@mindspring.com> To: <BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 12:00 AM Subject: Re: [BSChat] Re: Melungeons/Black Dutch > Right, Jan! On my mother's side I have a couple of instances of > Melungeon claiming something else...My mother's maiden name was Pruitt (an > Irish name)...when I asked her why her brothers & my cousins were so dark > complected, she looked at me with her blue eyes and said "hush...we're > Black Irish!" Didn't find out until she had been in her grave for several > years the truth...Melungeon. Likewise, she had a grandmother whose maiden > name was Nelson (English, right?). Wrong! My mother said "oh...she was an > Indian Princess!" What a crock! > On my father's side there's the Allen clan (which should have been my last > name). Sounds English or French. But, the Appalachian Allen clan (mine) > is Melungeon. My ggrandfather (Alfred Lewis Allen) couldn't marry my > ggrandmother because he looked like a FPC (Free Person of Color), and my > ggrandmother was a blue-eyed blonde of primarily German heritage. > Later discovered that even that wasn't completely true...her grandmother > had been a Cornett (supposedly a corruption of Canute, a Danish king of > England). Cornett was probably ORIGINALLY of that derivation, but the ones > in SW Virginia are another family of Melungeons! > Guess I could go on and on with my own heritage, but that's enough! Just > goes to show that you have to really get in there & dig. Sometimes it's > even possible to interview people from other families who knew the family > you're researching, and can give you a decent physical description. That > combined with the part of the country is usually the only "proof" you're > going to find, due to the Melungeons attempting to hide for centuries in > order to avoid being discriminated against. > Thank heaven racial pride has displaced the old discrimination to a large > extent! > > Mike > IBSSG > > > > [Original Message] > > From: J. Garland <zippywebgenie@hotmail.com> > > To: <BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com> > > Date: 5/8/2002 7:33:27 AM > > Subject: Re: [BSChat] Re: Melungeons/Black Dutch > > > > > > Well, Mike will know more about this than I, I haven't heard so much of > > "Black Irish" in respect to the Melungeons, I sure it's possible, though. > > They usually claimed association with just about anything else as a > reason > > for their exotic, darker look, often contrasted with blue eyes. There > have > > been a lot of years when it wasn't good to claim a family connection to > > either the NA peoples or to Blacks, so, depending on the time frame and > > location, I'm sure they came up with various stories to protect > themselves > > from the ignorant people around them. As a group, they've had a pretty > rough > > time here. There are still those who don't want it known that they're > part > > Melungeon--the first website I saw about them, the website owner had > > received threats. He had mentioned specific surnames in association with > > Melungeon families, and some people didn't like that. There's still > plenty > > of ignorance to go around, looks like. > > > > Jan G. > > > > > > > > > > > > ----Original Message Follows---- > > From: "Telecom Girl" <telecomgirl911@hotmail.com> > > Reply-To: BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com > > To: BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: Re: [BSChat] Re: BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-D Digest V02 #696 > > Date: Wed, 8 May 2002 07:42:37 -0500 > > > > I think the kind of census information I was looking for would be the > "black > > Irish" race. I have heard this was commonly used by Melungeon families. > > > > Cammie > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: <LVLYLADY12@aol.com> > > To: <BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 2:52 PM > > Subject: [BSChat] Re: BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-D Digest V02 #696 > > > > > > > In a message dated 5/7/02 9:37:47 AM Pacific Daylight Time, > > > BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: > > > > > > > > > > I find this very interesting - we have all the "Melungeon" > > Characteristics > > > > in my family - but I can't find any census type evidence listing > anyone > > as > > > > anything but white. > > > > > > > > > > Telecom girl, I don't think the Melungeons were listed on the census as > > > "Melungeon" > > > There was so much prejudice through the years, they tried to hide it > and > > > listed themselves as white. Now of course that has done away with. > > There > > > are several books and websites about Melungeons that could probably > give > > you > > > a lot of information. It is a fascinating subject. > > > > > > Laurelyn > > > > > > > > > ==== BLACKSHEEP-CHAT Mailing List ==== > > > Unsubscribe from the list: > > > > > > Mailto:Blacksheep-Chat-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsub > > scribe > > > > > > ============================== > > > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy > records, > > go to: > > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== BLACKSHEEP-CHAT Mailing List ==== > > Unsubscribe from the list: > > > Mailto:Blacksheep-Chat-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsub > scribe > > > > ============================== > > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, > go > > to: > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. > > http://www.hotmail.com > > > > > > ==== BLACKSHEEP-CHAT Mailing List ==== > > Unsubscribe from the list: > > > Mailto:Blacksheep-Chat-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsub > scribe > > > > ============================== > > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, > go to: > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > > --- Shuler Michael > --- grinch42@mindspring.com > --- EarthLink: The #1 provider of the Real Internet. > > > > ==== BLACKSHEEP-CHAT Mailing List ==== > Creative use of your delete key is encouraged. If you disagree with the subject, CHANGE the subject. > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >