I've read several different descriptions of the Melungeons, and I think no one is definite. I've seen a couple of websites, and they have different theories! [But they were well done.....if that counts?] The general descriptions seem to include Portugese/Indian{N/A)/Black/Irish ?/and a few others... Seems to be no real description that's "official"....but the identifying features are listed. I think the likelihood of a Mediterranean connection is pretty much accepted, also. Concerning the Med. connection, this is usually used to trace certain conditions and diseases. Doris....A Texan in Georgia..... Still shaking the family tree and dodging the nuts after 30+ years! IBSSG ----- Original Message ----- From: "jcurtis" <jcurtis@redrock.net> To: <BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 11:38 PM Subject: Re: [BSChat] Re: Melungeons/Black Dutch Mike - I've seen (and been involved in), the Melungeon story on computer for years, and I'm still confused. There was some story I read (a long time ago), that a group of people landed (or crashed) on the shoals of Roanoke Island, VA. The folks rowing the ship were black. So, all of them were stranded, and Indians appeared in the scenerio...Eventually, the whites, blacks, indians inter-married....hence Melungeons. I had someone suggest to me that my Collins family were Melungeons, which didn't hold water. The Black Irish or Black Dutch, usually just means a Spanish connexion...somewhere. Jan C. IBSSG -----Original Message----- From: Shuler Michael <grinch42@mindspring.com> To: BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com <BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 8:09 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=unsu b >> 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=unsu b >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=unsu b >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 > ==== 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