Volks, I think there is a Melungeon Mail List and webpage. Could some knowledgable person post the addresses/URLs , etc. -sysop Nancy, Thanks for posting the list of common Melungeon surnames. Please forgive my ignorance on the subject of Melungeon research, but for those of us who found names we are researching on your list, what should we do next to determine if our ancestors are among the Melungeon? Does anyone have suggestions on how to start this research. Thanks for your help. ==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== #7 "Roll Calls" or such by other names are to be called by the SYSOP ONLY. NO WARNINGS!! Each member is free to post their SURNAMES anytime they please.
Nancy, Thanks for posting the list of common Melungeon surnames. Please forgive my ignorance on the subject of Melungeon research, but for those of us who found names we are researching on your list, what should we do next to determine if our ancestors are among the Melungeon? Does anyone have suggestions on how to start this research. Thanks for your help.
Hello Nancy; Mayby i missed it, but what is Melungeon, and how/where can we search for it? I have several names that match the names you stated. Charles On 09-Jan-99, NMorri3924@aol.com wrote: > Here is a listing of common Melungeon surnames. Remember having one of > these names does not mean you HAVE MLGN ancestry, but it does mean that you > should look in to it. > Nancy S
The Melungeon mailing list is Melungeon-L@rootsweb.com or Melungeon-D@rootsweb.com for the digest form. Send to Melungeon-L-request@rootsweb.com and type in the word subscribe in the body of the letter. That's all. Donna
There is a new WYRICK family list. to subscribe send an email to wyrick-l-request@rootsweb.com Let the subject and body read SUBSCRIBE Send and you are in! This family has several branches in Southwest Virginia. Regards, Adam Hunley
Hi guys! I said 4 posts but am making it into 3, so this will be the last post for now. Here are some blood group studies and some medical information of importance to MLGN descendants. Nancy S THE MELUNGEONS: THE PIONEERS of the INTERIOR SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 1526-1997 by Eloy J. Gallegos On p. 80 of the above text, Eloy Gallegos provides a Table giving the Mean Measure of Divergence (MMD) of Melungeons from Other Populations taken from a 1990 study by James L. Guthrie. (THIS IS NOT DNA.) Dr. Gallogos stated (p.79) that, Overall, I believe the gene frequency approach taken to resolve Melungeon origins is the best available given the limited funding and time available for the project, however, it is equally important to support gene frequency studies with historical, cultural, linguistic, and archaeological information which might be obtained from the Melungeon group. Finally, a study of human values, traits of this group...etc, world-view, religious aspirations, motivational traits, eccentric and habitual behavior, and idiosyncrasies could be used in support of establishing Melungeon origins when compared to other world population groups. A perfect match meaning that a person is to be considered absolutely pure blooded, would equal 0.000. I believe that the most distant match indicating no connection whatsoever would be 0.999. POPULATION MMD Libya (Tripoli*) 0.017 Cyprus (Toodos-Greek) 0.017 Malta* 0.018 Canary Islands (Spanish) 0.019 Italy (Veneto) 0.022 Close Matches Portugal 0.024 Italy (Trentino) 0.026 Spain (Galacia) 0.027 U. S. Whites (Minnesota)+ 0.028 Ireland# 0.029 Italy 0.030 Sweden 0.030 Libya (minus Fezzan) 0.030 Germany 0.031 Britain 0.031 Greece 0.032 Netherlands 0.032 Wales 0.033 Corsica 0.034 France 0.035 Spain 0.036 U. S. Whites 0.036 England 0.040 Sicily 0.040 Iceland 0.041 Northern Ireland 0.042 Finland 0.046 Sardinia 0.051 Turkey 0.053 Cyprus 0.058 U.S. Blacks 0.189 Distant Matches Gullas (Blacks South Carolina) 0.222 Seminole, Oklahoma 0.241 Cherokee 0.256 Seminole, Florida 0.308 * The Arab/Berber (Moorish) component of the Spanish/Portugese of today. +Probably Swedes. Could reflect the Moorish in Swedes. # Married into Melungeon families in the S. E. U. S. Does not include Northern Ireland. In spite of the close corrolation between the Turks and the Melungeons, Dr. Gallegos, who is of Spanish/Portugese extraction, does not agree with Dr. N. Brent Kennedy on Melungeon origins. His book is aimed toward the Spanish/Portugese expeditions prior to the establishment of the English on the American continent in 1607. In the * above, he says that the Moorish component came through the Spanish/Portugese whose genes combined with the Moors, rather than from that group of people themselves. MEDITERREAN DISEASES WHICH MAY AFFECT MELUNGEON DESCENDANTS BECHETSYNDROME is a relapsing, multi-system inflammatory disease in which there are oral/genital ulcers. There may be inflammation of the eyes, joints, blood vessels, central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract involvement. Attacks last about a week to a month and recur spontaneously. Onset is usually between 20-30 years of age with symptoms ocurring up to several years after the onset. Twice as many men as women are affected. There is a genetic predisposition, with autoimmune mechansism and viral infection which may all play a part. Related disorders are Reiters Syndrome, Stevens Johnson Syndrome, and Ulcerative Colitis. JOSEPHS DISEASE is a disorder of the central nervous system with slow degeneration of particular areas of the brain. Lurching gait, difficulity in speaking, muscle rigidity, impairment of eye movement, are involved. Mental alertness and intellect are preserved. Josephs disease is inherited through autosomal dominant mode of transmission, which means that it takes only one parent with the marker for you to have a 50% chance of inheriting the disease. Type I, begins about age 20 years, Type II, about 30 years and Type III, Machados after 40 years. This disease is very similar to Parkinsons Disease. Medicines are L- dopa and baclofen. FAMILIAL MEDITERREAN FEVER is a hereditary genetically restricted disease commonly found among Jews originating from North African countries, Armenians, Turks and Arabs. Closely following the pattern of autosomal recessive inheritance (both parents must carry a recessive gene) , FMF is recognized by two independent manifestations: 1.) acute, short-lived painful, bouts of stomach pain, (may be followed by diahrrea); pleuritis, an inflammation of the lining of the body cavities, and/or some of its internal organs, which in its acute stage may produce, stabbing pain in the side or affected cavity, possible fever of 101-103 degrees, similar to gallbladder/kidney stone attacks/inflammation, and short, dry cough and body pain similar to arthritis and fibromyalgia and 2.) nephropathic amyloidosis, which can lead to terminal renal failure even at a young age. In half of the people this disease appears before age ten. The gene for FMF is located on the short arm of chromosome 16, yet the exact nature of the disease remains unclear. Foggy-headedness (inability to think clearly) may also be a part of the symptoms because of inflammation of the brain lining which causes the brain to swell. Fatigue (severe) can also be a problem. Infertility and pregnancy loss in women with FMF is much more common than it is in the general population. The identification of FMF is based on clinical findings, family history, physical examination and laboratory results obtained from patients experiencing attacks. No specific diagnostic test is available. There are four gene mutations that cause FMF. The genes have been identified and I have heard that this should lead to the development of a blood test to identify the disease in people. Amyloidosis affects most untreated FMF patients. In its early stage it can be recognized by protein in the urine. The medicine colchicine which comes from a plant that grows in the Mediterrean and is also used to treat gout, is effective in controlling this disease. Colchicine treatment was first introduced in 1973 and in a dose of 1-2 mg/day on a continuous basis, has been found to prevent attacks in most patients and amyloidosis in all patients. Colchicine treatment has been shown to be safe and entirely suitable for FMF patients. Through genealogical research and coming across this medical information, I realized that I suffer with FMF. I asked my doctor to diagnose it, by giving me a short course of colchicine to see if it would work. He didnt think I had FMF but agreed to my wishes and within two hours of taking the first dose, I knew it was going to help. I believe that I have had this disease since about 8 years of age. It took 50 years to diagnose it. At first, I took 0.06mg once a day, and have increased that after 6 weeks to twice a day. My previously diagnosed FIBROMYALGIA is gone! I still have RA-like symptoms, but even those seem to be improving, however. If you take a few days worth of colchicine and your symptoms are not gone, then in my opinion you dont have FMF. If anyone has been diagnosed w/ fibromyalgia, arthritis, and/or have an unknown problem, I have a fuller version of the info on FMF. Pls e-mail me directly and ask for more info. SARCOIDOSIS is a disorder which affects many body systems. It is characterized by small round lesions of granulation tissue. The ones I have seen are about the size of a quarter and flat. Symptoms may vary with the severity of the disease. Fever, weight loss, joint pain, with liver involvement and enlarged lymph nodes are common. Cough and difficulty in breathing may occur. Skin disease marked by tender red nodules with fever and joint pain is a frequent manifestation. Onset is usually between 20 and 40 years. THALLASEMIA, a blood disorder which involves aenemia. If you have had a mysterious disease that physicians have had trouble diagnosing, and you have any of the above symptoms, it is imperative that you bring this to your physicians attention. The opinions in this post are strictly my own, but have been based upon my reading and research of various materials noted herein.
Here is a listing of common Melungeon surnames. Remember having one of these names does not mean you HAVE MLGN ancestry, but it does mean that you should look in to it. Nancy S Common Melungeon Surname List North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia ADAMS ADKINS ALLEN ALLMOND ASHWORTH * BARKER BARNES BASS BECKLER BELCHER BEDGOOD BELL BENNETT BERRY BEVERLY BIGGS BOLEN BOLLING BOLTON BOONE BOWLIN BOWLING BOWMAN BRADBY BRANHAM BRAVBOY BRIGER/BRIDGER BROGAN BROOKS BROWN BUNCH BULLION BURTON BUTLER BUTTERS BUXTON BYRD * CAMPBELL CARRICO CARTER CASTEEL CAUDILL CHAPMAN CHAVIS CLARK CLOUD COAL COFFEY COLE COLEMAN COLES COLLEY COLLIER COLLINS COLLINSWORTH COLYER COOPER CORMAN COUNTS COX COXE CRIEL CROSTON CROW CUMBA CUMBO CUMBOW CURRY CUSTALOW * DALTON DARE DAVIS DENHAM DENNIS DIAL DOOLEY DORTON DOYLE DRIGGERS DULA DYE DYESS * ELY EPPS EVANS * FIELDS FREEMAN FRENCH * GALLAGHER GANN GARLAND GIBSON GIPSON GOINS GOINGS GORVENS GOWAN GOWEN GRAHAM GREEN(E) GWINN * HALL HAMMON(D) HARMON HARRIS HARVIE HARVEY HAWKES HENDRICKS HENDRIX HILL HILLMAN HOGGE HOLMES HOPKINS HOWE HYATT * JACKSON JAMES JOHNSON JONES * KEITH(E) KENNEDY KISER * LANGSTON LASIE LAWSON LOCKLEAR LOPES LOWRY LUCAS * MADDOX MAGGARD MAJOR MALE MALONE(Y) MARSH MARTIN MAYLE MINARD MINER MINOR MIZER MOORE MORLEY MOSELY MOZINGO MULLINS * NASH NELSON NEWMAN NICCANS NICHOLS NOEL NORRIS * ORR OSBORN OSBORNE OXENDINE * PAGE PAINE PATTERSON PERKINS PERRY PHELPS PHIPPS PRINDER POLLY POWELL POWERS PRITCHARD PRUITT * RAMEY RASNICK REAVES REVELS REEVES RICE RICHARDSON RIDDLE RIVERS ROBERSON ROBERTSON ROBINSON RUSSELL * SAMMONS SAMPSON SAWYER SCOTT SEXTON SHAVIS SHEPHARD SHEPHERD SHORT SHORTT SIZEMORE SMILING SMITH STALLARD STANLEY STEEL STEVENS STEWART STROTHER SWEATT SWETT SWINDALL * TALLY TACKETT TAYLOR THOMPSON TIPTON TOLLIVER TUPPANCE TURNER * VANOVER VICARS VICCARS VICKERS * WARE WATTS WEAVER WHITE WHITED WILKINS WILLIAMS WILLIAMSON WILLIS WILSON WISBY WISE WOOD WRIGHT WYATT WYNN
Hi guys! I have enjoyed the ROAD stories very much as many of my Scots/Irish and English ancestors took all or part of the roads into KY. BUT, I am sending the following post with some theories on who was where and when. This is what I believe happened and there are quite a few who agree with me :-). This will come in four posts. I hope you will enjoy this and I hope it will be helpful to some of you searching for 'brick walls.' My family connection below was in the counties of Russell, Smythe, Bland, Scott, Lee and what is now Wise Co., VA. Nancy S Nancy Sparks Morrison Roanoke, VA 24015 USA Email nmorri3924@aol.com January 09, 1999 The opinions in this post are strictly my own, but have been based upon my reading and research of various materials noted herein. You may SHARE my work with anyone, but it is not to be sold or used for profit in any way, without my permission. Because there is so much information here, you may want to print out this material for future reference. Are you familiar with the term Melungeon? If you answer, Who or what are Melungeons, you are like most people. If you have been researching your family in the Cumberland Plateau of Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Tennessee, during the early migration years, you may be able to find them through a connection to this group of people who are only now being researched with unbiased eyes. The Melungeons are a people of apparent Mediterranean descent who may have settled in the Appalachian wilderness as early or possibly earlier than 1567. (The Melungeons: The Resurrection of a Proud People; N. Brent Kennedy, Mercer University Press, Macon, GA, USA, 1997; introduction, p. xiii) The Mediterrean includes areas of North Africa, southern Europe and Central Asia. According to Dr. Kennedy, the Melungeons were a people who almost certainly intermarried with Powhatans, Pamunkeys, Creeks, Catawbas, Yuchis, and Cherokees to form what some have called, perhaps a bit FANCIFULLY, a new race. Dr. Kennedy does not believe that we can call the Melungeons a race.. No dictionary definition of race fits with what we know of the Melungeons and recently, The American Anthropological Association, declared that race, was an inaccurate, artificial way of defining a people and was no longer of any value. Certain surnames are associated with this highly interesting group of people. I am sending a copy of those names in the next post. Be aware, however, that many people bearing these surnames, even if they come from the Appalachian area, are NOT connected to the Melungeons. The surnames are to be used as an INDICATOR of POSSIBLE Melungeon ancestry. Also, note that many Melungeon women out-married, carrying the heritage with them, but not the names. Not having one of these names DOES NOT mean that the family was not of Melungeon descent. Finding out about the Melungeons and my possible connection to them is the MOST fascinating thing I have EVER run into in my 20 years of genealogical research. The so-called, Melungeons were discovered in the Appalachian Mountains in 1654 by English explorers and were described as being dark-skinned, reddish-brown complexioned people supposed to be of Moorish descent, who were neither Indian nor Negro, but had fine European features, and claimed to be Portuguese. (Louise Davis, The Mystery of the Melungeons. Nashville Tennessean, 22 September, 1963, 16.) In April of 1673, James Needham, an Englishman and Gabriel Arthur, possibly an indentured servant came with approximately eight Indians, as explorers to the Tennessee Valley. There, Needham described finding hairy people .... (who) have a bell which is six foot over which they ring morning and evening and at that time a great number of people congregrate togather and talkes in a language not English nor any Indian dialect that the accompanying Indians knew. And yet these people seemingly looked European. Needham described them as hairy, white people which have long beards and whiskers and weares clothing. This bell seems to me to speak of a Latin influence among these people. Other, later explorers, found people who lived in log cabins with peculiar arched windows. Dr. Kennedy says that by the late 1700s they were practicing the Christian religion. These people claimed that they were descended from a group of Portugese who had been shipwrecked or abandoned on the Atlantic coast. (Byron Stinson, The Melungeons, American History Illustrated, November, 1973:41) The term they used was Portyghee. In other documents, some of these peoples were also described as having red hair and others with VERY distinctive blue or blue/green eyes. This description leads me to believe that these people were not Native American Indians. Altogether they must have been a striking looking people. Most Americans have been taught in school about the Lost Colony and Jamestown in 1607, Plymouth in 1620, with a few Spaniards and a smattering of Viking thrown in for good measure. Where did these people come from? First of all, as the mixed- ancestry descendents of native Americans as well as other ethnic identities, many Melungeons will find this question to be offensive-- many of their true ancestors were ALREADY here, prior to contact with European and African in-migrants, the Official Voice of the Second Union Planning Committee says. But recent research is giving an interesting answer to that question. Again, from the Official Voice of the Second Union Planning Committee comes the answer to this question. They are a sizable mixed-ethnic population spread throughout the southeastern United States and into southern Ohio and Indiana. While the term Melungeon is most commonly applied to those group members living in eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, eastern Tennessee, and southern West Virginia, related mixed-ancestry populations also include the Carmel Indians of southern Ohio, the Brown People of Kentucky, the Guineas of West Virginia, the We-Sorts of Maryland, the Nanticoke-Moors of Delaware, the Cubans and Portuguese of North Carolina, the Turks and Brass Ankles of South Carolina, and the Creoles and Redbones of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. >From the same source we find that new evidence or rather old evidences re- examined without prejudice, show a significant Spanish and Portuguese presence in sixteenth-century America, including the large South Carolina coastal colony of Santa Elena, as well as five outlying forts in what is now present day South Carolina, North Carolina, north Georgia, and east Tennessee. Additionally many of the Spanish and Portuguese newcomers were so-called Conversos, - that is, ethnic Jewish and Moorish people who had converted to Catholicism prior to or during the Spanish Inquisition. Evidence is also strong (see the work of English historian David Beers Quinn) that in 1586 Sir Francis Drake deposited several hundred Turkish and Moorish sailors, liberated from the Spanish, in present-day Central America, on the coast of North Carolina at Roanoke Island. No trace was found of these people when later English vessels dropped anchor for re-supplying. If you believe the Bering Strait migration of the Native American Indians and you consider that most sixteenth century Turkish sailors were of central Asian heritage, thus making them literal cousins to the Native Americans they would have encountered, you will see that they would have had little trouble fitting in. There is more evidence of Karachi, and Kavkaz Turkish, and Armenian, textile workers, artisans and servants who were brought in by both the English and Spanish into sixteenth century Virginia and other areas.This seems to lend support to previous claims of Melungeons to be of Turkish origin. These people survived by blending into the surrounding groups of peoples. Over time, they were put in to one of four permissable, inflexible and artificial racial categories: White (northern European), black (African), Indian, or mulatto, a mix of any of the first three. By the time that the first U.S. census was conducted, there had been 200 years of admixture and cultural fusing. This ensured that the story would remain hidden and buried, and that no amount of the census research could ever tell the story accurately. Traditional genealogy can not be used to find these people. There are are no written records, no censuses, no marriage or death notices. Dr. Kennedys interest in the Melungeons began with an illness that took him to the emergency room in Atlanta, Georgia where he was diagnosed with erythema nodosum sarcoidosis. In researching his own illness, Dr. Kennedy found that it is a disease of primarily Middle Eastern and Mediterrean peoples, although it is not unknown among the Irish and Scandanavians. He later discovered it was equally common among the Portuguese immigrants of New England, and both southeastern Blacks and Caucasians of seemingly unrelated backgrounds. He was told that he would just have to wait to see if he lived or died. How could a southerner, of Appalachian roots, have a Mediterrean disease? It was this question that Dr. Kennedy set out to answer, by tracing his family background, and in the process he rediscovered his heritage. His book, mentioned earlier, is not about historical research, but his familys genealogy and theoretical problem solving. There are some physiological characteristics which are called ethnic markers, that seem to be passed on through the lines of some Melungeon descendants. There is a bump on the back of the HEAD (not the neck) of SOME descendants, that is located at mid- line, just ABOVE the juncture with the neck. It is about the size and shape of half a golf ball or smaller. If you cannot find the bump, check to see if you, like some descendants, including myself, have a ridge, located at the base of the head where it joins the neck, rather than the Anatolian bump. This ridge is an enlargement of the base of the skull, which is called a Central Asian Cranial Ridge. My ridge is quite noticeable. It is larger than anyone elses that I have felt, except my fathers. I can lay one finger under it and the ridge is as deep as my finger is thick. Other ridges are smaller. To find a ridge, place your hand at the base of your neck where it joins your shoulders, and on the center line of your spine. Run your fingers straight up your neck toward your head. If you have a ridge, it will stop your fingers from going on up and across your head. ONLY people who live/d in the Anatolian region of Turkey or Central Asia also have this bump/ridge. See the following diagram for the site of both the ridge and bump. Back of Head \\\\\\\\|//////// hair ears ( ___x___ ) ears x marks the bumps location \valley / the ridge is the line __ shown \ / neck / \____shoulders There is also a ridge on the back of the first four teeth - two front teeth and the ones on either side (upper and lower) of some descendants. If you place your fingernail at the gum line and gently draw (up or down) you can feel it and it makes a slight clicking sound. The back of the teeth also curve outward rather than straight as the descendants of anglo-saxon parentage do. Teeth like these are called Asian Shovel Teeth. Many Indian descendants also have this type of teeth. The back of the first four teeth of Northern European descendants are straight and flat. An example of northern European teeth would be similar to this diagram: \l Shovel teeth look like this diagram. Back of teeth )/ front of teeth, straight. SOME Melungeon descendants have what is called an Asian eyefold. This is rather difficult to describe. At the inner corner of the eye, the upper lid attaches slightly lower than the lower lid. That is to say that, it overlaps the bottom lid. If you place your finger just under the inner corner of the eye and gently pull down, a wrinkle will form which makes the fold more visible. Some people call these eyes, sleepy eyes, dreamy eyes, bedroom eyes. Many Indian descendants also have these kinds of eyes. Some families may have members with fairly dark skin who suffer with vitiligo, a loss of pigmentation, leaving the skin blotched with white patches. Some descendants have had six fingers or toes. There is a family of people in Turkey whose surname translated into English is Six Fingered Ones. If your family has an Indian Grandmother(father) myth which you have been unable to prove, an adoption story that is unprovable, or an orphan myth, and they have been hard to trace and they lived in NC, TN, KY, VA, WV areas in the early migration years or if they seem to have moved back and forth in these areas and if they share any of the mentioned surnames and characteristics, you MAY find a connection here. Some descendants do not show the physical characteristics and of course, there are many people with the surnames who are not connected to this group. Now, if I have piqued your interest, here is a URL for the Melungeon Homepage, designed and hosted by Darlene Wilson, that I have found which has a lot of information on the Melungeons. There is also a guestbook/forum on this list where you can place your queries and read those of others: http://pluto.clinch.edu/appalachia/melungeon/ Be sure and read all the pages and connected links! This is NOT a genealogy page, but carries Melungeon information and research. Darlene is NOT a genealogist and she has not set up this site to handle queries to her. She is a researcher and a doctural candidate with a very busy schedule. There is excellent documentation on this interesting group and it will give you the necessary information so that you can more easily understand the Melungeons, and their reasons for doing what they did. What I am giving you summarizes some but NOT ALL the information. Dr. N. Brent Kennedys book, The Melungeons: The Resurrection of a Proud People, both a genealogy and theoretical search for answers, is a must read for anyone who is connected to this group. Most bookstores can order this book in paperback for you. >From some information in Dr. Kennedys book and information from the Second Union Planning Committee, you can see the necessity for these people to hide. These proud, strong, courageous, people were discriminated against by their Scots-Irish and English neighbors as they moved into the areas where the Melungeons lived. They wanted the rich valley lands occupied by the Melungeons they found residing there. They practiced RACIAL discrimination against the Melungeons because they were darker skinned than their own anglo-saxon ancestors and because this helped them obtain the lands they coveted. In a society where slavery was an accepted way of life, where genocide against the American Indian was government policy, hiding was sometimes the only way to survive. This discrimination carried into the 1940s-50s and perhaps even longer, because of the work of a man named Walter A. Plecker, who was the state of Virginias first Director of Vital Statistics and an avowed racist. Some Germans say that it was he, who first gave them the idea of eugenics, that was used during WWII to help exterminate 6 million Jews. Plecker labeled the Melungeons, calling them mongrels and other worse terms - some were labeled FPC - Free Person of Color in Virginia. This in turn led to their children being labeled as Mulatto (M) and both of those terms came to mean BLACK. (There is information on Plecker and the letters he wrote to all the counties in VA and the surrounding states to marginalize and discriminate against the Melungeons on the Melungeon Homepage. Check under the Archives section.) Some Melungeon families married white, some black, some Indian, some a combination. But for all of them, the terms led to rulings in which they couldnt own property, they couldnt vote, and they couldnt school their children. Is it any wonder that they became ANYTHING else in order to do these things? They hid their backgrounds with the Indian myth, with the orphan myth (my family are all dead) , and the adopted myth, and they changed either the spelling of their surnames or they picked an entirely new name, moving many times, anything to distance themselves from their Melungeon heritage. They became Black Dutch, Black Irish, Black Scot or Swede, or some other combination to hide their otherness. Is it any wonder they are so hard to find? They deliberately made it so, in order for their descendants to have a better life than they had had. I have a Ramey family that I have traced to France where they were the Remy family. This Ramey family is also considered to be Melungeon. I will be glad to share the information I have on them. I also have some one name lines that married into some of my other lines. The names considered to be Melungeon are Thompson, Wood, and possibly Smith, and Belcher. I would love to talk with anyone who shares these surnames and locations. The closest Melungeon family, for whom I have searched the longest, were Collinses that were connected with the Cunningham family. It took me twenty years of searching to find only this little bit of information on them. I have this: 1. William Cunningham m. Susan Wood (prob Melungeon, too) abt 1770 2. John Cunningham m Nancy Crump in 1794 in Washington Co., VA 2. Mary Ann Cunningham m. John Hutton in 1791 in Washington Co., VA 2. Elizabeth Cunningham m. John Dickenson in 1796 in Washington Co., Va. 2.William Cunningham, Jr. b. abt 1777, d. aft 1850, prob. in Johnson Co.,KY m. 1810, Washington Co., VA, Rachel Ann Elizabeth Countiss, b. May 05, 1791 in MD, dtr of Peter G. Countiss and Mary Burrt. 3. Maca/Macha Cunningham b. abt 1826 m WILL COLLINS, d. 1848-1850 4. MARY COLLINS b. abt 1843 in the Scott, Russell, Lee Co.,VA area that is now Wise Co., VA, was a partner of Abraham Musick b. abt 1836 in VA, d. bef May 15, 1914, son of James Musick and Mariah Shell. 5. Mary Arminta Musick 4. RACHEL COLLINS b. Jan. 01, 1844 inKY, d. May 15, 1914 m. Abraham Musick of above. 4. CHARLES COLLINS b. abt 1848 4. CHRISTOPHER COLLINS b. abt 1850 I have information on other Cunningham siblings, the Countiss family, as well as the Musick line back to the immigrant founding father. I dont have all that information up on my familys webpage, which was set up by my cousin Harold Sparks, yet, but I do have some information on my greatgrandmother Mary Arminta Musick Hager whose mother was Mary Collins. The address is: http://www.awod.com/gallery/rwav/sparky On the first page, click continue and on the second page, scroll down until you come to the words Nancys Corner , Click and my picture will come up. Further down that page is a listing of all the surnames that I am researching. Please be sure to contact me if you see any common surnames. If you feel that any of this information applies to you, then please join a group of us, searching our Melungeon roots on a mailing list that began when MaryK Goodyear learned that she might have Melungeon heritage and wanted to find out more. We will be forever grateful to MaryK for starting this list. We share genealogy, folklore, cultural likenesses, even a recipe now and then. We are a friendly group who has come to feel like family. We have a lot to offer. To join, send an e-mail to: Melungeon-L-request@rootsweb.com or Melungeon-D-request@rootsweb.com In both the subject and body boxes put: subscribe You will receive a letter saying you have been subbed and giving directions for posting the list. Send in your family info and let us see if we can help you. I know that you will be able to help someone as well! I will look forward to hearing from you and seeing you on the list. There is also a Melungeon chat list for more cultural, social gathering and getting to know one and other, that you might enjoy. Pam Cresswell can give you directions for subbing this list. Visit her URL at: http://cresswells.com/alhn/melung/index.html Here are several other sites with Melungeon queries and information: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/3778/ http://www.clinch.edu/appalachia/melungeon/mel_nmr.htm http://www2.privatei.com/~bartjean/mainpage.htm Nancy S
Lee Co. Diane Taylor wrote: > I am new to your list and do not know where to ask this question so here > goes: > Does anyone out there know what County, Pennington Gap is in? Thanks so > much, Diane > > ==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== > #2 A large database of SURNAMES and the researcher's email address can be found at > http://www.fortunecity.com/millennium/quarrybank/194/swabc.htm > You may have your SURNAMES included by posting them and your address to the > LIST and NOT to the sysop/owner.
I am new to your list and do not know where to ask this question so here goes: Does anyone out there know what County, Pennington Gap is in? Thanks so much, Diane
This is a great story. I love these stories. They tell so much of the lives of our ancestors. As valuable as a birthday or place. From: "J. R. Carpenter Jr." <gra_jrc@shsu.edu> To: ehoward@conknet.com I got to thinking about sonme of the stuff you have posted, especially on how people got here. I posted this some time back to the Surber-L list. It echoes what you have said about the horrible sea voyages. You may wish to post it to the SWVA list, even though it is about a voyage to Pennsylvania. My Surbers did end up in SWVA, as you know from my conversations with you and postings to the list. Use it if you wish... Rick - - - - - Goetschy. They were on the ship Mercury with the Surbers. Maurice was a disgraced pastor in Canton Zurich who fathered an illigitimate child with a church maid. He was relieved of duties, but tried to remain living with his family in Zurich city. He was a teacher, but his past was apparently a heavy burden. When John Conrad Wurtz was trying to get Maurice's daughter Anna Goetschy to marry him and migrate to America, the whole Goetschy family joined in. A large group of Zurichers set out on boats on 4 Oct 1734 from Wallisellen, Switzerland, originally for "Carolina." After many tribulations, among them assaults and robberies by soldiers, extortion by customs people, etc, they made it down the Rhine to Rotterdam. Maurice Goetschy had appointed himself leader of this group. Many were not pleased with him and the "counsellors" and "stewards" he appointed. Some complained bitterly about mistreatment. It was only in Rotterdam that Goetschy decided that the group was going to Pennsylvania rather than Carolina. Pennsylvania was closer. This was all from an account by Ludwig Weber, who was with the group, but had had enough, and he turned back for home after reaching Rotterdam. He says that he heard they left on 24 Feb 1735. Some little groups joined this main group at various times. I do not know when the Surber family first joined in. John Henry Goetschy's letter to Deacon Werdmiller, the assistant at St. Peter's Church in Zurich, tells a harrowing tale of the sea voyage and the landing, but ends with a young man's somewhat boastful optimism for the future: To Rev. Mr. Werdmiller at Zurich, 7-21-1735 Very reverend, very learned Mr. Deacon: I, the most submissive servant of my highly revered and very learned Mr. Deacon, cannot forbear to report to your reverence how we are getting along. After we had left Holland and surrendered ourselves to the wild tempestuous ocean, its waves and its changeable winds, by God's great goodness towards us and a fair wind, we reached England within 24 hours. After a lapse of two days we came to the Isle of Wight and to a little town called Cowes where our captain supplied himself with provisions for the long ocean voyage and we secured medicines against this wild sea. Then we sailed away from there under God's providence with a good east wind. When we had left the harbor and saw this dreadful sea, we had a favorable wind only for the following day and the following night. Then we had to endure a terrible storm and the awful roaring and raging of the waves when we came into the Spanish and Portuguese Ocean. For 12 weeks we were subjected to this misery and had to suffer all kinds of severe and dangerous storms and terrors of death, which seemed to be even more bitter than death itself. In addition we were subjected to all kinds of evil diseases. The food was bad for we had to eat what they call galley bread. We had to drink stinking muddy water full of worms. We had an evil tyrant and rascal for captain and first mate, who regarded the sick as nothing more than dogs. If one said, "I have to cook something for a sick man, " he replied, "Get away from here or I will throw you overboard. What do I care for your sick devil?" In short, misfortune is everywhere upon the sea. We fared no better. This has been the experience of all who have come to this land and even if a king travelled across the sea it would not change. After we had been in this distress long enough, God the Lord brought us out and showed us the land which caused great joy among us. But three days passed, the wind being contrary, before we could enter the river. Finally, a good south wind came and brought us in one day through the glorious and beautiful Delaware, which is a little larger than the Rhine, but not by far as wild as the latter because this country has no mountains, to the long-expected and desired city of Philadelphia. When we reached here, our dearest father, because of the long and tedious journey and the hardships so unbearable to old people, was very sick and weak. On the last day when we were before Philadelphia, the elders of the reformed congregation came aboard to him and showed their great joy over him. They spoke with him as their pastor who had been appointed to that position by the ruling persons in Holland, as was shown by his testimonials which he had with him. They discussed one or other church affair with him and showed their great joy. He spoke heartily with them as if he were well. On the following day, they came and took him ashore, but when he reached the land, he was so exhausted by his illness that he could not walk alone but was carried in a chair to the house assigned to him. When they arrived, the wished to talk with him about some subject or other. Of his own people none were with him but mother, the children were yet on the ship on the water. Then he said, "It is so dark before my eyes. Let me lie down and sleep." As they did not want him to sleep in that room, since people were coming in continually and he would have been unable to sleep, they carried him up to the bedroom. In the middle of the stairway he sat down, lifted his hands to his heart and his eyes to heaven, heaved a sigh, and died. On the third day, a very distinguished funeral took place in the principal English Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia with a large attendance of people. All the members of the Consistory of the Reformed Church and very many of the congregation were present. Now we, his wife and eight poor forsaken orphans are in a strange land among strange people who do not know us, poor and without comfort. We therefore commend ourselves most submissively to all those in Zurich to whom our misfortune may become known and whose hearts may be touched in order that they may graciously grant us their assistance. It can easily be sent into this country if they will only send it through Mr. Wilhelmius at Rotterdam, for which I ask most humbly for the sake of the merciful Jesus. Very Reverend Mr. Deacon, when I showed my testimonials and the people saw that I had been engaged in study, they almost compelled me to preside over the congregation as well as I could. Hence through the goodness of God I preach twice every Sunday and teach two catechetical lessons. For this I make use of the books which I brought with me and through good diligence I am enabled, thank God to perform this service in such a way that each and every person is well satisfied with me. Now the first Sunday I preach in Philadelphia both in the forenoon and in the afternoon and always give catechetical instruction; on the second Sunday, at Skippack which is a very large congregation, a sermon and catechetical instruction in the forenoon; in the afternoon at Old Goshenhoppen, two hours from Skippack, a sermon and catechetical instruction. It is also a pretty large congregation, as large as any in the canton of Zurich. On the third Sunday I preach at New Goshenhoppen in the forenoon and have catechetical instruction there; in the afternoon at Great Swamp which is also one of the large congregations. All this I can do through the strength given me by God's spirit to the great satisfaction of the people. I expect to be ordained next Christmas by the English Presbyterians in order that I may be able to minister the communion, unite people in marriage and baptize the children. With the help of God. I intend to do this. I would be able to do this all the better and put forth greater efforts for the souls of abandoned and confused people, if I had my library which is in charge of Mr. George Kromer. I therefore ask your reverence most humbly, if at all possible, to send it to me very quickly, not only for my sake and the large number of poor orphans left by my sainted father, but also for the sake of the many thousands strayed and shepherdless sheep who go about in error and in a destitute condition, yea for the sake of the many heathen who thereby might be led to the Lord Jesus, as has already been done. Given on the 21st of July Henry Goetschius, Philadelphia in Penna. The account of Ludwig Weber (p. 6-20) and the letter from Henry Goetschy (p. 27-29) is from "The Goetschy Family and The Limping Messenger" by Ruth and William Heidgerd, Huguenot Historical Society, New Paltz, NY, 1968.
Sue, < Felix Walker's article is entitled "Narrative of His Trip with Boone from Long Island to Boonesborough in March 1775." Can anyone tell me where Long Island was? He says they "put off from Long Island, marked out our track with hatchets, crossed Clince and Powell's River, over Cumberland mountain and crossed Cumberland River...." Even with all these clues, I still haven't been able to find it on a map! >> I believe that is the Long Island on the Holston at Kingsport, TN. TN Eastman has a chemical plant there. You won't find it on a map, unless it is a very old map. Long Island was a "sacred ground" for the Cherokee. Someone may know better. -eddie
Billie & All, Yes, this is a good question. I have long wanted to discuss the commonly called Indian & slaves but for fear it would explode. Some people have trouble not getting emotional or self-righteous (I can't for the life of me understand how anyone can be self-righteous in this wicked generation, but they do. <g> ) I don't know that the Indians stole it. I know they fought each other until it was too late. I think there is room to discuss this within the objectives of the List. I may live to regret it. <g> I'm no expert on Indian legends. I am very much opposed to judging other generations. There is plenty in this ONE to keep me busy. -sysop From: Geneio@aol.com Date sent: Fri, 8 Jan 1999 12:33:24 EST To: ehoward@conknet.com Subject: Re: Pioneer Roads Eddie, I am a descendent of William Hardin, founder of Hardisburg, Ky. I don't know if he would be early enough to be a "longhunter" or not. I have been reading every post and enjoying them immensely but so far have not found an answer to my main question, which is "if the white settlers stole the land from the indians, who did they steal it from"? I once read an article in which an old indian chief related that his grandfather had told him that they came " in big canoes from far across the water". Does anyone know anything about this? I hope this is not off-topic, seems like it would fit in. Billie in Oklahoma
I enjoyed the article on the Wilderness Road; I have photocopy of an eyewitness account by Felix Walker who in Feb 1775 accompanied Capt William Twitty (my grx3 grandfather), Samuel Coburn, James Bridges, Thomas Johnson, John Hart, Wm Hicks, and James Peeke, who, under the direction of Daniel Booone, had been hired to cut a trace into Kentucky. During their journey, on March 25 1775 the party was fired upon by Indians while they were asleep. William Twitty was shot in both knees and died the third day afterwards. According to Mr. Walker's account, the body servant of Wm Twitty, a black man, was killed during the attack. Mr. Walker mentions Col. Richard Henderson several times: "We proceeded to the Watawgo River, a tributary stream of Holsteen, to the residence of Col. Charles Robertson, now in the State of Tennessee, where a treaty was held by Col. Richard Henderson and his associates, with the Cherokee tribe of indians, for the purchase of that section of country we were going to visit, then called the Bloody Ground, so named from the continual wars and quarrels of the hunting parties of indians of different tribes who all claimed the ground as their own, and the privilege of hunting game, who murdered and plundered each other as opportunity afforded." Later on he says "Col. Richard Henderson. being the chief proprietor in the purchase of the bloody ground (indeed so to us) acted as Governor, called an assembly in May 1775, consisting of 18 members, exclusive of the speaker, passed several laws for the regulaton of our little community, well adapted to the policy of an infant government. This assembly was held under two shade trees in the plains of Boonsborough. This was the first feature of civilization ever attempted in what is now called the Western Country." Felix Walker's article is entitled "Narrative of His Trip with Boone from Long Island to Boonesborough in March 1775." Can anyone tell me where Long Island was? He says they "put off from Long Island, marked out our track with hatchets, crossed Clince and Powell's River, over Cumberland mountain and crossed Cumberland River...." Even with all these clues, I still haven't been able to find it on a map! thanks! Sue
Greetings from my igloo in Indiana... I'm looking for information on Williamson and Elizabeth (MCCLOUD) PAGE. he was from Lee Co., VA, she from Iowa. I have extensive McClouds in my family but she is the first I know of from Iowa. Wmsn and Elizabeth Page had 10 children: Williamson, Stephen, Andrew, Chelsey, Jeremiah Jasper, Demerius, Mary Eleanor, nancy, Elizabeth, and Robert. Could use some help with Williamson's parents, and most especially Elizabeth's. Kerry Hendricks County, IN
What a great sideline...can anyone document this!! LOL, :-) Sharon -----Original Message----- From: Edgar A. Howard <ehoward@conknet.com> To: SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com <SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 12:16 AM Subject: Re: Pioneer Roads That was a great article on the Wilderness Road. This List has great info. And the best members. I had one question. For those who need lessons, this is how one humbly questions another's work.<g> << When Judge Henderson of N.C. traded a bunch of junk to the Cherokees for land in Ky., he hired Daniel Boone to recruit men and clear a road >> I don't know about the "bunch of junk" part. Somewhere I read that the Cherokee chief got a large amount of cash. I don't know that it was gold. The best part was that after the chief sold legal title to most of KY, he mentioned as Boone loaded up to leave that the Shawnee may take exception to who owns the land. In other words the deed was worthless and the Cherokee just pulled a fast one on the poor, dumb white man. <g> Boone fought the Shawnee for years over KY. Can anyone document the facts?? -eddie, sysop
You who are putting up new web sites or who are updating them for the new year -- Do you know what the largest single complaint is about the dozens of new websites offered to genealogical researchers? Not citing sources!! Results of a recent poll on using internet rescues put this complaint on the top of the list! It also is the biggest single factor in rejecting sites nominated for the prestigious Siggy award from USIGS. No citing -- no citation. John Gideon, who chairs the Siggy award committee, calls attention to the problems of not citing sources in an article in the latest Signal, biweekly newsletter of USIGS. <A HREF="http://www.usigs.org/signal/99-01-1.htm#lincoln">Click here: USIGS SIGNAL January 1, 1999</A> or try http>//www.usigs.org/signal/signal.htm I for one deeply appreciate all of you who have directed me to your websites, especially those USGenweb pages for individual counties. On many I have found some great information, and some great clues. But I too have been frustrated by the lack of documentation. A great New Year's Resolution, everybody? No longer sighting uncitely sites -- we can say we "sank same!" love joan
That was a great article on the Wilderness Road. This List has great info. And the best members. I had one question. For those who need lessons, this is how one humbly questions another's work.<g> << When Judge Henderson of N.C. traded a bunch of junk to the Cherokees for land in Ky., he hired Daniel Boone to recruit men and clear a road >> I don't know about the "bunch of junk" part. Somewhere I read that the Cherokee chief got a large amount of cash. I don't know that it was gold. The best part was that after the chief sold legal title to most of KY, he mentioned as Boone loaded up to leave that the Shawnee may take exception to who owns the land. In other words the deed was worthless and the Cherokee just pulled a fast one on the poor, dumb white man. <g> Boone fought the Shawnee for years over KY. Can anyone document the facts?? -eddie, sysop
I wanted to forward this wonderfully informative, historical thesis to all of you. I knew that most of you would really enjoy it and would be able to relate it to your own ancestoral research. I want to thank her so much for taking the time to share it with us!! Diana Kinzer Heath .....Garnett Lee Hearl Abingdon, Va. on the Wilderness Road........ THE WILDERNESS ROAD THROUGH SOUTHWEST VA. I read with interest the recently posted speech about the GREAT WAGON ROAD from Pa to N.C. and southwestward and the comment about how busy it was so I decided to bring some attention to a fork in that road at Salem, Virginia, where the Wilderness Road to Kentucky and beyond started.. The first recorded use of this road I have found is in the journal of Dr. Thomas Walkers exploratory trip to Kentucky in 1749.. He was not the first to follow this trail, longhunters and Indian traders had followed this old buffalo path long before Walker.. Sinclair and Stalnaker had followed the trail to where they settled on the Holston waters in present Smyth County, Va., miles from any other settlers.. The Wilderness Road crossed the rugged mountains near Pulaski and Christiansburg and as soon as the first settlers arrived along the river, Engles ferry was established and those moving farther west could cross the river without fear of losing their belongings. >From Abingdon (Wolf Hills), the road followed the trail known as Reedy Creek road to present Kingsport, Tenn.. I can look from the hill where I live and see part of that old road today..and I can walk through the woods and find places where the banks are eight or ten feet high where the pioneer wagons wore the earth away. Daniel Boone has received much credit for blazing this trail through the wilderness but the truth is that the road from Roanoke to Kingsport was well worn before Daniel Boone ever came through Southwest Virginia.. At Kingsport the road crosses the Holston River and turns northwest toward a gap in Clinch Mountain and into Powell Valley and on to Cumberland Gap leading into Kentucky... The first settlers probably had to take their wagons apart to get them into Ky through Cumberland Gap. When Judge Henderson of N.C. traded a bunch of junk to the Cherokees for land in Ky., he hired Daniel Boone to recruit men and clear a road from Powell Valley into the lands of Ky and to build a fort for the settlers he was recruiting to move from N.C. to his settlement.. Again, Daniel Boone has been given credit for building a part of the road to Ky. but Henderson and the pioneers with him were forced to leave their wagons in Powell Valley because the road was hardly more than a bridle path through the woods.. When the government decided to build a wagon road through Cumberland Gap, it is said that Daniel Boone expected to be in charge of the work but didn't get the job..When that road was opened about 1800 it was immediately filled with wagons, livestock and barefoot children moving west. Recently a tunnel was bored through the mountain and a super highway built beneath the land those hardy pioneers trod.. . From: G. Lee Hearl <glh@naxs.com>
In a message dated 1/7/99 11:18:03 PM Central Standard Time, ehoward@conknet.com writes: << that the Shawnee may take exception to who owns the land. In other words the deed was worthless and the Cherokee just pulled a fast one on the poor, dumb white man. <g> Boone fought the Shawnee for years over KY. Can anyone document the facts?? >> I cannot document any fact on who paid whom for Kentucky. But I can verify theater the Cherokee did not "own" Kentucky. It was soft of like the village green for many Indian ribs -- they all hunted there. There is a persistent explanation for this that crops up from time to time. That there was something that was "unhealthy" -- besides warring Indian s-- in Kentucky, the reason that the tribes for centuries had given up making their homes there. Some anthropologists claim to have found evidence in bones of prehistoric residents that led them to credit this story. Now I expect all modern-day Kentuckians to rise up and deny that -- but that is a story. My ancestors went over the mountains from Southwestern Virginia to find a home in Kentucky before eventually moving on to God's country - Texas. love joan