This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: SueRoten Surnames: Wroten, Roten, Roughton, Roden, Rotin, Wroughton Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/topics.ethnic.afam.ms/1469/mb.ashx Message Board Post: American surnames going back to the Colonial era often have Portuguese origins. In the 1640's, Brazilian "Conversos" (former Jews) from Portugal, played a role in the marketing of slaves. Because Spanish and Portuguese "New Christians" or "Conversos" became involved in slave trading and massive agricultural businesses that found their way onto American shores, someone with Southern ancestry might follow history back far enough to find Jewish ancestry. Keep in mind that to some Jews it is very offensive and not historically accurate to imply that Jews were the "main" slave merchants. For example, the surname "Roten" may have originally been Jewish. If the name originated from the old Sephardic name "Rotin", it was eventually Anglicized to Wroughton, Wroten, etc. Many African Americans bear the Wroten name and are searching for their ancestral roots. Wroten/Roten family lines have left records of having household and agricultural slaves, perhaps just a few but enough to have left a legacy within the African American community. The pattern, in which they kept housekeeping slaves, resembles that of ancient European Sephardic Jews (Spain, Portugal, England). The first African Americans came to the colonies as Indentured Servants and in the early colony of Virginia were comfortable intermarrying with Native Americans. The Portuguese, who made their way very early to the Appalachian Mountains, were also comfortable intermarrying with African Americans and Native Americans. Native Americans intermarried with Africans because they often found themselves living on the same plantation as slaves. And on occasion, the Jewish, Dutch, English, French and Spanish landowners took slave women as their wives or concubines. Sue www.oceanhose.com 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.