>Looking for information on a George DEMPSEY (DEMPSY) who may have been >from Bertie or Halifax County. He was born about 1780. He married Mary >Polly BRIGANCE. He later moved to Sumner County, TN. I noticed in the >mid 1700s there was a George, William, and Melvin Dempsey in this county. >In the next 2 generations, these 3 names were also in Sumner County, TN. > I suspect the ones in Sumner County were named after the ones found earlier >in North Carolina. I have also been told of Indian ancestry, and I noticed >the DEMPSEY name in Bertie and Halifax counties is associated with Indian >and/or "Free Person of Color". William- I'm sorry I do not have any concrete information (at this time) - BUT - I would be very interested in anything you discover. I'm descended from a Dempsey POWELL (b. ca 1740, d. 1793) who is said to have married (ca 1765) a Nancy DEMPSEY (b. ca 1745 - d. ca 1775). Dempsey POWELL lived in Halifax Co., NC, then Wake Co., NC and his children moved to his land grant in Bedford Co., TN - not far from Sumner Co. (I have relatives there also.) I've been trying to find Nancy's family and some proof of their marriage. By the dates you suggest for George, he would be of age to perhaps be a nephew of Nancy - if they are related. I have not been able to discover many DEMPSEYs in either northern NC nor southern VA - so chances that our lines connect seem pretty good. If I discover anything on my end, I'll be sure to forward. I've put you in my DEMPSEY query base. Good luck - hope there's a break. Donna Warner Los Angeles, CA dwarnerla@aol.com