This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Ward, Ross, Childers, Hart Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.texas.counties.bell/551.1197.1285.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Lthat therre must be a connectionee, Five years ago you wrote someone that there muct be a connection. You also are connected to me as I descend from Mary Emma Childers Hart known to me as Mama Hart. Mama Hart took special care of her tintypes and wrote handwritten notes as to our family back ground. Cherokee ancestry has ben told in the familysince I was a little girl. How ever from reading old notes I don't think Mama Hart ever knew of he exiatance of Sarah Elixsbeth Ross. Her daughte Mary Jane is clearly Indian in her tintype picture, and she probally is part Cherokee as the tradition, but I don't thinkMama Hart knew of her exostance and all her satements that her grandmother Mary Jane Ward /sturelixabeth Ross had left the tribe and sinc theydidn't go back to the tribe I don't think we can ever prove Cherokee blood on the Ross side. Mama Hart was so insistant that Mary Jane Ward was part Cherokee that I feel she definately was difinanatly wasfrom the WArd side. definant! ly of the Cherokee Wards although we may never prove it. I have a problem you may can help me with. In one old paper Mama Hart Hart makes the statement that Papa Hart( Jacob Tipton Hart) was also part Indian. I have studied the tintype picture of Jonathon, commonly called John J. Hart and he really does look part Indian. Nowing to proce Mary Jane of of the Chief John Ross line that all of us are hesitant tooeven work an Indian line. Some of us may build up our courage later on so do you have any comments on posssible Indian ancestry severaloof us are battered and blue trying toti to the Chief John Ross line that I doubt if anyof us try indian linage again, but do have any thought on the possibilitdo you descy of indian blood in the backgro.nd of Papa Hart. Do you descend from Wyatt Hart. I can't place you. JoWard