HI Colleen Don't count out Scotland....I did my dad's DNA, (a man who was born & bred in Scotland, from proudly white parents, my way of saying they were prejudiced) and my own DNA, I am that "pure white" and my dad is White, African & Native American. So even though people come from a "White" country back in the early years there were other ethnic groups in the mix..... Colleen Andrews <andrews.colleen@gmail.com> wrote: I'm hoping some of you can help me solve a mystery. I think my gr-gr-gr-gr-grandmother was Mary (Harrington) Monckton Sparks. She was born about 1833 in Lower Canada (Quebec), married James Monckton about 1852 in Bradford, was widowed about 1863, remarried James Sparks about 1865, & died between 1871 & 1881. It's her family that's the mystery. Her parents were Joseph & Mary (Vallad) Harrington or Herrington (not sure which is the original spelling). The earliest record I have of them is the 1861 West Gwillimbury census, where Joseph is described as a 54 yr old labourer, born in Upper Canada, Wesleyan Methodist, & mullatto. His wife Mary was born in Lower Canada & not mullatto (so presumably, white). All the children living with them in 1861 were also described as mullatto, but the children who were married & on their own elsewhere in the census were NOT listed as mullatto. In 1871 Joseph was dead, & his widow Mary was living with her son Francis or Frank Harrington, who was described as a 27 yr old plasterer, born in Ontario, Wesleyan Methodist, & African. But his siblings, living elsewhere on the 1871 census, are not listed as African or mullatto. They all had various origins including French, Scottish, English, Irish. Several of their origins matched their spouses' origins, which I found suspicious. Mary (Vallad) Harrington remarried an Irishman named James Tegart in 1875, but on the 1881 census she's again living with her son Francis, listed as a widow, under the name Harrington. Also on the 1881 census, Francis (Frank) Harrington called himself English. All his children were listed as "English" as well. He died in 1894. There is a Joseph Harrington buried in Emmanuel United Church Cemetery in Tecumseth, who died August 13, 1863 aged 67, a native of Scotland. This fits with my Joseph, except for the Scotland part, because I don't see how anyone mullatto or African could be from Scotland. Although a few of his children sometimes listed themselves as Scottish in various places, so I'm wondering if the Scotland was a "cover" for being black? Or maybe he really was Scottish, but how can someone Scottish be confused with someone mullatto or black? I would like to figure out what the 1861 census-taker meant by "mullatto", & why only one of the children called themselves "African" in 1871, & how the census-taker missed that the others were black or partly black, no matter what they said they were. Apparently there was a black settlement in Oro, where some Harringtons/Herringtons were at some point, but I'm not sure what that means in relation to these Harringtons. As much as I've managed to piece them together so far, these are "my" Harringtons (I'm kind of excited & very curious to discover I may be partly black, as I've always thought I was "so white I was pink"!): Joseph Harrington, born about 1807 (in Upper Canada?), died between 1861 & 1871 Mary Vallad, born about 1814 in Lower Canada, died Essa Twp. 1894 Mary Harrington, born about 1833 Lower Canada, married before 1853 in Bradford to James Monckton, married about 1865 in Bradford to James Sparks, died between 1871 & 1881 Joseph Harrington, born 1838 Upper Canada, married Hannah Wates Francis Harrington, born 1839 Upper Canada, married Sarah Ann Rose, died 1894 Jane Ann Harrington, born 1840 Upper Canada, married 1858 John Sebastian Melissa L. Harrington, born 1844 Upper Canada, married Jonathan Palmer George E. Harrington, born 1854 Upper Canada Can anyone offer any suggestions on how I might solve this mystery? If only the 1851 Simcoe census survived! I keep running into obstacles that census would have solved.... Colleen Andrews ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CAN-ONT-SIMCOE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message --------------------------------- Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links.

Colleen, In reply to you ? "mulatto". I did my DNA and found the same. I did see on a census from Hawaii that stated Mulatto =not native. Has any one else seen that? Lady Patricia > HI Colleen > > Don't count out Scotland....I did my dad's DNA, (a man who was born & > bred in Scotland, from proudly white parents, my way of saying they were > prejudiced) and my own DNA, I am that "pure white" and my dad is White, > African & Native American. So even though people come from a "White" > country back in the early years there were other ethnic groups in the > mix..... > > Colleen Andrews <andrews.colleen@gmail.com> wrote: > I'm hoping some of you can help me solve a mystery. I think my > gr-gr-gr-gr-grandmother was Mary (Harrington) Monckton Sparks. She was > born > about 1833 in Lower Canada (Quebec), married James Monckton about 1852 in > Bradford, was widowed about 1863, remarried James Sparks about 1865, & > died > between 1871 & 1881. It's her family that's the mystery. > Her parents were Joseph & Mary (Vallad) Harrington or Herrington (not sure > which is the original spelling). The earliest record I have of them is the > 1861 West Gwillimbury census, where Joseph is described as a 54 yr old > labourer, born in Upper Canada, Wesleyan Methodist, & mullatto. His wife > Mary was born in Lower Canada & not mullatto (so presumably, white). All > the children living with them in 1861 were also described as mullatto, but > the children who were married & on their own elsewhere in the census were > NOT listed as mullatto. > In 1871 Joseph was dead, & his widow Mary was living with her son Francis > or > Frank Harrington, who was described as a 27 yr old plasterer, born in > Ontario, Wesleyan Methodist, & African. But his siblings, living elsewhere > on the 1871 census, are not listed as African or mullatto. They all had > various origins including French, Scottish, English, Irish. Several of > their origins matched their spouses' origins, which I found suspicious. > Mary (Vallad) Harrington remarried an Irishman named James Tegart in 1875, > but on the 1881 census she's again living with her son Francis, listed as > a > widow, under the name Harrington. Also on the 1881 census, Francis (Frank) > Harrington called himself English. All his children were listed as > "English" as well. He died in 1894. > There is a Joseph Harrington buried in Emmanuel United Church Cemetery in > Tecumseth, who died August 13, 1863 aged 67, a native of Scotland. This > fits with my Joseph, except for the Scotland part, because I don't see how > anyone mullatto or African could be from Scotland. Although a few of his > children sometimes listed themselves as Scottish in various places, so I'm > wondering if the Scotland was a "cover" for being black? Or maybe he > really > was Scottish, but how can someone Scottish be confused with someone > mullatto > or black? > I would like to figure out what the 1861 census-taker meant by "mullatto", > & > why only one of the children called themselves "African" in 1871, & how > the > census-taker missed that the others were black or partly black, no matter > what they said they were. Apparently there was a black settlement in Oro, > where some Harringtons/Herringtons were at some point, but I'm not sure > what > that means in relation to these Harringtons. > As much as I've managed to piece them together so far, these are "my" > Harringtons (I'm kind of excited & very curious to discover I may be > partly > black, as I've always thought I was "so white I was pink"!): > > Joseph Harrington, born about 1807 (in Upper Canada?), died between 1861 & > 1871 > Mary Vallad, born about 1814 in Lower Canada, died Essa Twp. 1894 > Mary Harrington, born about 1833 Lower Canada, married before 1853 in > Bradford to James Monckton, married about 1865 in Bradford to James > Sparks, > died between 1871 & 1881 > Joseph Harrington, born 1838 Upper Canada, married Hannah Wates > Francis Harrington, born 1839 Upper Canada, married Sarah Ann Rose, died > 1894 > Jane Ann Harrington, born 1840 Upper Canada, married 1858 John Sebastian > Melissa L. Harrington, born 1844 Upper Canada, married Jonathan Palmer > George E. Harrington, born 1854 Upper Canada > > Can anyone offer any suggestions on how I might solve this mystery? If > only > the 1851 Simcoe census survived! I keep running into obstacles that census > would have solved.... > > Colleen Andrews > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CAN-ONT-SIMCOE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > --------------------------------- > Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web > links. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CAN-ONT-SIMCOE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >