Lou Ann,   I recently discovered possible Lumbee ancestry in my Davis line. My ancestor Eli Davis (1802-1873) of Meriwether Co Ga. is claimed by several different descendants from related lines (not his own descendants) to have been an illegitimate child of his father by an Indian woman. But she was not only Indian (according to the story), but a slave as well! Since Eli's father Henry was from SC, I have presumed that she was probably Lumbee/Tuckahoe/"Tucky-Hoe" (also supposedly a branch of the Cherokee).   I have documented this much: Eli was indeed listed as one of the heirs of Henry in 1832, when Henry's estate was settled (Wilkinson Co. Ga.), and Henry's estate inventory did indeed list a female slave named "Mary" (Eli's mother was named "Mary/Yantis Dayhuff," according to the tradition). Not only that, but my cousin Jack Davis has done a DNA test, and although he has so far only tested the first 12 markers (doesn't say much, I know!), he does indeed match exactly at 12 markers to another proven descendant of Henry. So at least I know I am on the right track there. The final straw, so to speak is the one and only photo we have of old Eli, which shows unmistakable Indian features in his face! My cousin Jack Davis, who was the first to tell me this story, also mentioned the method of transmission of the tradition: Jack was told by his 1st cousin Billy Yarbrough, who was told by Jack and Billy's Aunt Annie Davis Reid (b.1891), who was told by her grandfather (my 3rd gr-gr. father) James Henry "Jim" Davis (1834-1918), who was a son of old Eli himself. As many will know, it is not often that we know the exact manner in which traditions like that have been handed down!   Another fact which lends credence to this tale is the fact that a few years prior to the death of Jack's father, another James Henry Davis (1903-1966), Jack got up the nerve to ask his father about the "Indian" tradition concerning Eli's parentage. The response was the predictable "Shet yo' mouf' an' doan' ask no mo' questions!" All of which inclines me to believe the story contains at least a kernel of truth! Otherwise, why would the family have been so reluctant to talk about it? It is after all a fact that the only version we have of the tradition was whispered from one generation to the next, and only to a select few! My own branch never had heard of it!   Hope you are well. Always nice to hear from you.   Terry --- On Thu, 7/8/10, Brondak@aol.com <Brondak@aol.com> wrote: From: Brondak@aol.com <Brondak@aol.com> Subject: Re: [LL] New Cousin in Florida To: lovelace@rootsweb.com Date: Thursday, July 8, 2010, 10:06 AM In a message dated 7/8/10 12:54:52 AM, jimmie.ryan@verizon.net writes: > I would not put it pass any of our > Loveless (Lovelace) clan if they were not more Cherokee blood then your > grandpa cuz Lou Ann, just look at where Lucinda was born in North Carolina > and the tribes around Rutherford. > Yes, my grandpa did also have Cherokee blood, but I have yet to pinpoint where it is. I think it is from his mother whose maiden name was Brooks and the Brooks are illusive.   Can't find the exact link to our Brooks, although I have found several families in the areas of both GA and AL where our Lovelesses were.   There's kind of a funny story in regard to the Cherokee in my grandpa's family.   Grandpa's brother married a girl who was 1/8 Cherokee.   At the time my grandpa was 18 and he was against this "mixed marriage".   I have a copy of a letter he wrote to a cousin in TX saying that.   Yet, when I was about 12 my grandpa told me that he had a Cherokee grandpa. I can picture the scenario of this 18 year old ranting about his brother's "mixed marriage" and his mother taking him by the ears and telling him to hush his mouth because he was also Cherokee, probably an eighth as well.    I wish that when I was twelve I had had the sense (or the courage) to ask for more information.   The question came about because I had asked my mother what nationality we were and she told me Black Dutch, but she had no clue what that meant, so I asked my Grandparents.   They told me it meant we were Cherokee.    My grandmother told me she had a Cherokee grandmother (I have found her) and my grandfather told me he had a Cherokee grandfather (the illusive one).    However, the message that came through to me loud and clear that day was that they really didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't pursue it.   Bad mistake.    The other funny thing about this, is that my grandfather was having such a fit about his brother marrying a girl who was 1/8 Cherokee and then he did the same thing. This tells me that he had definitely learned of his own heritage and had changed his mind about "mixed marriages". Lou Ann ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LOVELACE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message