Sue, I find it interesting that you remember the "Black Dutch" term from your childhood. I had always heard "Spanish" or "Portyghee" to explain darker skin found in the Thomas Family. Even Monroe Thomas tells us that he thinks the name may have been Tomas and have Spanish Heritage. http://www.blackdutch1.webs.com/ http://www.theotherside.co.uk/tm-heritage/background/flanders.htm Several years ago, I went to the big Melungeon Gathering to meet the other Co-Administrator of the Cowan Surname DNA Project - I felt that if she could pay $900 to test 9 Cowan men that I selected, that I could drive 90 miles and spend the money to attend the conference she was attending. I had in other genealogy programs had presenters that did sessions on Our Mixed Heritage, etc. Well, before I left the gathering, I knew that my shovel teeth, buckle Buttons and the Central Asian Crainal Rdge had meaning. http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/6412/melungeons.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melungeon Anyway, I am now treated for a modern version of Familiar Mediterranean Fever which Dr. Chris Morris, MD in Kingsport, TN thinks is something that many of the "mountain" people suffer with - like it has developed into a condition that is a result of their heritage. I will not go into all the details, but getting treatment has made a big difference in my life. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=familialmediterraneanfever The Cowan genetic markers came back with Central Asian Heritage and I know that the Minor line is often called "Black Dutch" and "Portyghee" so I felt that I had enough heritage on both sides of my tree to at least consider FMF. So I don't know if Melungeon is the correct term for the Thomas Heritage, but I know that from what I knew about my family nudged me to look for heritage reasons why I don't do milk products and hurt all over often feeling like I was fighting a round of flu. I take colchicine and when I feel a spell coming on, I up my dose. It is from a plant called the Autumn Crocus which grows in the Mediterranean. It sure has solved a lot of my medical issues. http://www.melungeonhealth.org/experiences.html I have added the links so as not to end up writing a book to answer the questions. If we could corner some of the older Thomas family members, we might be able to get some answers but I am afraid that many of them are unwilling to talk about it or have by now forgotten what they were told. I am blonde with blue/green eyes so I would have never thought about my heritage being what it have proven to be thanks to genealogy and the genetic signatures provided by relatives that are close enough to my tree to count. <g> I often feel that we will not get any farther back than the mountains of Western NC on this Thomas line, but the answers provided by the genetic signatures were worth the wait. This Jobe Thomas line, I have run into several others from the line, but over the years have lost contact with them - I know that one researcher said her mother had this huge rolled paper document that had all the family history on it, but she would not let her see if very often. Sure would like to get the members of this Thomas line to head to the mountains of Mitchell County, NC during the Silver Reunion that is set for July 26 and 27, 2008. I know that this is the same weekend of the Decoration at the Thomas Family Cemetery at Gouges Creek. For those that do not know the family line and are reading the post, the mother of Monroe Thomas was a Silver. Also this same weekend use to be the Stewart Family Reunon, but I have not seen them the last few years. Anyway, the Silver Reunion is an open reunion and we have a lot of information in the archives on this Thomas Family. Just make note of the date and if you desire more information, I will be glad to tell you all about it as well as post the announcement nearer time. The Thomas Line that we have been talking about has a rich mountain heritage and about every family that ties to modern day Mitchell County, North Carolina has a few in their tree. Sue is your father the one that use to take care of one of the older Thomas Cemeteries in Yancey County or the Roses Branch area?? At 06:56 PM 3/15/2008, you wrote: >I'm jumping in here to say that I'm sorry to hear that you have been ill, >and I hope that you are now well on the way to recovery, if not already! >Also, my grandmother, Susan Americus Thomas, was born in 1850 in Coosa Co., >AL, to John Q. Thomas and Amanda M. (Brown) Thomas. When I was just a small >child (Susan died in 1944, when I was 8 years old), I remember her saying >that we were "Black Dutch". Now, whether that means Melungeon or not, I >don't know. Have you heard of Black Dutch before? > >Sue (Johnson) Howard > >----- Original Message ----- >From: <SewzArt@aol.com> >To: <thomas@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2008 5:21 PM >Subject: Re: [THOMAS] Aaron THOMAS (1776-1883) > > > > Have been seriously ill don`t know if I answered or not. > > I am desc. from a son or grandson of Aaron Thomas and wfe Hunsaker. > > throughone Jobe Thomas who went to Knox Co. Ky. > > and either the father or the son "Jobe" Thomas fathered my grgrandmother, > > America Mecci, dau, of Barbara Barton Dugger. > > My grgrandmother went by "Dugger" all of her life but she was of this > > Thomas > > line. > > Have you heard anything about the Thomas line being Melungeon origin. > > Nat`l Geographic article many yrs. ago. about 1956 I think... > > Sue Engle Drake in Al. > > > > Laura Cowan Cooper - Kodak, TN lauracowancooper@comcast.net

Laura, I remember that when I was in grammar school (this was in Clarksdale, Mississippi), everybody in my class had to tell what their ethnic background was. I had always said I was Swedish because I thought "Johnson" - which was my maiden name - sounded like a Swedish name So I asked my mother, and she told me that my grandmother (her mother) had always said that we were Black Dutch. Now at that time, I thought she was referring to the Gilbert surname, because we always called her "Grandmaw Gilbert", but in reality, that was her married name and her maiden name was Thomas, so I believe, now, that she might have been referring to the Thomas family as being "Black Dutch". Is that confusing enough?!! <lol> So, just for your info, the Thomas name is on my mother's side of the family, and the Cowan name (remember I'm related, though very distantly, to Betty Frazier and Becky who lives in Alaska) is from my father's side of the family Thanks for all your information on the Black Dutch and the links. I hope that you are feeling okay and are able to deal with this Familiar Mediterranean Fever. Sue (Johnson) Howard ----- Original Message ----- From: "Laura Cowan Cooper" <lauracowancooper@comcast.net> To: <thomas@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 2:32 PM Subject: Re: [THOMAS] Aaron THOMAS (1776-1883) > Sue, > > I find it interesting that you remember the "Black Dutch" term from your > childhood. I had always heard "Spanish" or "Portyghee" to explain darker > skin found in the Thomas Family. Even Monroe Thomas tells us that he > thinks > the name may have been Tomas and have Spanish Heritage. > > http://www.blackdutch1.webs.com/ > http://www.theotherside.co.uk/tm-heritage/background/flanders.htm > > Several years ago, I went to the big Melungeon Gathering to meet the other > Co-Administrator of the Cowan Surname DNA Project - I felt that if she > could pay $900 to test 9 Cowan men that I selected, that I could drive 90 > miles and spend the money to attend the conference she was attending. I > had > in other genealogy programs had presenters that did sessions on Our Mixed > Heritage, etc. Well, before I left the gathering, I knew that my shovel > teeth, buckle Buttons and the Central Asian Crainal Rdge had meaning. > http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/6412/melungeons.htm and > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melungeon > > Anyway, I am now treated for a modern version of Familiar Mediterranean > Fever which Dr. Chris Morris, MD in Kingsport, TN thinks is something that > many of the "mountain" people suffer with - like it has developed into a > condition that is a result of their heritage. I will not go into all the > details, but getting treatment has made a big difference in my > life. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=familialmediterraneanfever > > The Cowan genetic markers came back with Central Asian Heritage and I know > that the Minor line is often called "Black Dutch" and "Portyghee" so I > felt > that I had enough heritage on both sides of my tree to at least consider > FMF. > > So I don't know if Melungeon is the correct term for the Thomas Heritage, > but I know that from what I knew about my family nudged me to look for > heritage reasons why I don't do milk products and hurt all over often > feeling like I was fighting a round of flu. I take colchicine and when I > feel a spell coming on, I up my dose. It is from a plant called the Autumn > Crocus which grows in the Mediterranean. It sure has solved a lot of my > medical issues. > http://www.melungeonhealth.org/experiences.html > > I have added the links so as not to end up writing a book to answer the > questions. > > If we could corner some of the older Thomas family members, we might be > able to get some answers but I am afraid that many of them are unwilling > to > talk about it or have by now forgotten what they were told. I am blonde > with blue/green eyes so I would have never thought about my heritage being > what it have proven to be thanks to genealogy and the genetic signatures > provided by relatives that are close enough to my tree to count. <g> > > I often feel that we will not get any farther back than the mountains of > Western NC on this Thomas line, but the answers provided by the genetic > signatures were worth the wait. > > This Jobe Thomas line, I have run into several others from the line, but > over the years have lost contact with them - I know that one researcher > said her mother had this huge rolled paper document that had all the > family > history on it, but she would not let her see if very often. > > Sure would like to get the members of this Thomas line to head to the > mountains of Mitchell County, NC during the Silver Reunion that is set for > July 26 and 27, 2008. I know that this is the same weekend of the > Decoration at the Thomas Family Cemetery at Gouges Creek. For those that > do > not know the family line and are reading the post, the mother of Monroe > Thomas was a Silver. Also this same weekend use to be the Stewart Family > Reunon, but I have not seen them the last few years. Anyway, the Silver > Reunion is an open reunion and we have a lot of information in the > archives > on this Thomas Family. Just make note of the date and if you desire more > information, I will be glad to tell you all about it as well as post the > announcement nearer time. > > The Thomas Line that we have been talking about has a rich mountain > heritage and about every family that ties to modern day Mitchell County, > North Carolina has a few in their tree. > > Sue is your father the one that use to take care of one of the older > Thomas > Cemeteries in Yancey County or the Roses Branch area?? > > At 06:56 PM 3/15/2008, you wrote: >>I'm jumping in here to say that I'm sorry to hear that you have been ill, >>and I hope that you are now well on the way to recovery, if not already! >>Also, my grandmother, Susan Americus Thomas, was born in 1850 in Coosa >>Co., >>AL, to John Q. Thomas and Amanda M. (Brown) Thomas. When I was just a >>small >>child (Susan died in 1944, when I was 8 years old), I remember her saying >>that we were "Black Dutch". Now, whether that means Melungeon or not, I >>don't know. Have you heard of Black Dutch before? >> >>Sue (Johnson) Howard >> >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: <SewzArt@aol.com> >>To: <thomas@rootsweb.com> >>Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2008 5:21 PM >>Subject: Re: [THOMAS] Aaron THOMAS (1776-1883) >> >> >> > Have been seriously ill don`t know if I answered or not. >> > I am desc. from a son or grandson of Aaron Thomas and wfe Hunsaker. >> > throughone Jobe Thomas who went to Knox Co. Ky. >> > and either the father or the son "Jobe" Thomas fathered my >> > grgrandmother, >> > America Mecci, dau, of Barbara Barton Dugger. >> > My grgrandmother went by "Dugger" all of her life but she was of this >> > Thomas >> > line. >> > Have you heard anything about the Thomas line being Melungeon origin. >> > Nat`l Geographic article many yrs. ago. about 1956 I think... >> > Sue Engle Drake in Al. >> > >> > > > Laura Cowan Cooper - Kodak, TN > lauracowancooper@comcast.net > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > THOMAS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message

Sue, I'm descended from the Thomas family that lived in Carter co. Tn, Yancey co. N.C., Mitchell co. N.C., Avery Co. N.C., and Swain co. N.C. Charlie Thomas born about 1885 in Carter co. Tn, and died around 1937 in Swain co. N.C. John Thomas born about 1860 , married Nancy whitehead in 1880 in Carter co. Tn, lived at Shell creek in Carter Co. Tn, and have been told that he died around 1920 and is buried at a Gouge Cemetery near buladeen in Mitchell co. n.c. Also seeking information on Strawberry Thomas born 1840 in North Carolina, lived in Carter Co. Tn, married first to a Woman by the last name of Phillips, and his second wife was modena Perry Whitehead, they eventually settled at Cranberry in Avery Co. N.C., where Strawberry Thomas died in 1911. I have been told that the Thomas Family was mixed with indian ancestry.... My grandfather Charlie Thomas was a dark complexioned man.... Jeff Beard --- Laura Cowan Cooper <lauracowancooper@comcast.net> wrote: > Sue, > > I find it interesting that you remember the "Black > Dutch" term from your > childhood. I had always heard "Spanish" or > "Portyghee" to explain darker > skin found in the Thomas Family. Even Monroe Thomas > tells us that he thinks > the name may have been Tomas and have Spanish > Heritage. > > http://www.blackdutch1.webs.com/ > http://www.theotherside.co.uk/tm-heritage/background/flanders.htm > > Several years ago, I went to the big Melungeon > Gathering to meet the other > Co-Administrator of the Cowan Surname DNA Project - > I felt that if she > could pay $900 to test 9 Cowan men that I selected, > that I could drive 90 > miles and spend the money to attend the conference > she was attending. I had > in other genealogy programs had presenters that did > sessions on Our Mixed > Heritage, etc. Well, before I left the gathering, I > knew that my shovel > teeth, buckle Buttons and the Central Asian Crainal > Rdge had meaning. > http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/6412/melungeons.htm > and > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melungeon > > Anyway, I am now treated for a modern version of > Familiar Mediterranean > Fever which Dr. Chris Morris, MD in Kingsport, TN > thinks is something that > many of the "mountain" people suffer with - like it > has developed into a > condition that is a result of their heritage. I will > not go into all the > details, but getting treatment has made a big > difference in my > life. > http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=familialmediterraneanfever > > The Cowan genetic markers came back with Central > Asian Heritage and I know > that the Minor line is often called "Black Dutch" > and "Portyghee" so I felt > that I had enough heritage on both sides of my tree > to at least consider FMF. > > So I don't know if Melungeon is the correct term for > the Thomas Heritage, > but I know that from what I knew about my family > nudged me to look for > heritage reasons why I don't do milk products and > hurt all over often > feeling like I was fighting a round of flu. I take > colchicine and when I > feel a spell coming on, I up my dose. It is from a > plant called the Autumn > Crocus which grows in the Mediterranean. It sure has > solved a lot of my > medical issues. > http://www.melungeonhealth.org/experiences.html > > I have added the links so as not to end up writing a > book to answer the > questions. > > If we could corner some of the older Thomas family > members, we might be > able to get some answers but I am afraid that many > of them are unwilling to > talk about it or have by now forgotten what they > were told. I am blonde > with blue/green eyes so I would have never thought > about my heritage being > what it have proven to be thanks to genealogy and > the genetic signatures > provided by relatives that are close enough to my > tree to count. <g> > > I often feel that we will not get any farther back > than the mountains of > Western NC on this Thomas line, but the answers > provided by the genetic > signatures were worth the wait. > > This Jobe Thomas line, I have run into several > others from the line, but > over the years have lost contact with them - I know > that one researcher > said her mother had this huge rolled paper document > that had all the family > history on it, but she would not let her see if very > often. > > Sure would like to get the members of this Thomas > line to head to the > mountains of Mitchell County, NC during the Silver > Reunion that is set for > July 26 and 27, 2008. I know that this is the same > weekend of the > Decoration at the Thomas Family Cemetery at Gouges > Creek. For those that do > not know the family line and are reading the post, > the mother of Monroe > Thomas was a Silver. Also this same weekend use to > be the Stewart Family > Reunon, but I have not seen them the last few years. > Anyway, the Silver > Reunion is an open reunion and we have a lot of > information in the archives > on this Thomas Family. Just make note of the date > and if you desire more > information, I will be glad to tell you all about it > as well as post the > announcement nearer time. > > The Thomas Line that we have been talking about has > a rich mountain > heritage and about every family that ties to modern > day Mitchell County, > North Carolina has a few in their tree. > > Sue is your father the one that use to take care of > one of the older Thomas > Cemeteries in Yancey County or the Roses Branch > area?? > > At 06:56 PM 3/15/2008, you wrote: > >I'm jumping in here to say that I'm sorry to hear > that you have been ill, > >and I hope that you are now well on the way to > recovery, if not already! > >Also, my grandmother, Susan Americus Thomas, was > born in 1850 in Coosa Co., > >AL, to John Q. Thomas and Amanda M. (Brown) Thomas. > When I was just a small > >child (Susan died in 1944, when I was 8 years old), > I remember her saying > >that we were "Black Dutch". Now, whether that > means Melungeon or not, I > >don't know. Have you heard of Black Dutch before? > > > >Sue (Johnson) Howard > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: <SewzArt@aol.com> > >To: <thomas@rootsweb.com> > >Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2008 5:21 PM > >Subject: Re: [THOMAS] Aaron THOMAS (1776-1883) > > > > > > > Have been seriously ill don`t know if I answered > or not. > > > I am desc. from a son or grandson of Aaron > Thomas and wfe Hunsaker. > > > throughone Jobe Thomas who went to Knox Co. Ky. > > > and either the father or the son "Jobe" Thomas > fathered my grgrandmother, > > > America Mecci, dau, of Barbara Barton Dugger. > > > My grgrandmother went by "Dugger" all of her > life but she was of this > > > Thomas > > > line. > > > Have you heard anything about the Thomas line > being Melungeon origin. > > > Nat`l Geographic article many yrs. ago. about > 1956 I think... > > > Sue Engle Drake in Al. > > > > > > > > Laura Cowan Cooper - Kodak, TN > lauracowancooper@comcast.net > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to THOMAS-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping