Yes, I would be very interested to see that painting. There is some possibility that I may be descended from your Elisha's sister, Catherine, born 1760. My family has carried the Williams name since the 1790's when my ancestor, James Williams was born. But recent yDNA tests seem to indicate that our direct male line goes back to the Martins and not the Williams. We think that Catherine Williams may have had at least two sons by a Martin man but given them the Williams name. They lived in the area that is now Scott County, Virginia. And we have both photographic evidence and oral tradition that says we are of some type of mixed-race heritage. So, if I seem particularly interested in your story, these are the reasons. My Dad and I have been trying to unravel this mystery for over ten years now. Thanks, Randy Williams Blacksburg, Virginia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Feldhaus" <sf@feldhauslaw.com> To: <williams-dna@rootsweb.com> Cc: "Mr. Lawrence B. Feldhaus" <feldhaus@comcast.net> Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 8:00 PM Subject: Re: [WILLIAMS-DNA] Elisha Williams 1749(NC)-1811(TN) > Randy, > > Many thanks for those insights. We do have paintings of at least one of > Elisha's sons. I could send you a photograpgic copy of that if you are > interested. > > Regards, > > Steve Feldhaus > -----Original Message----- > From: "Randy Williams" <randywilliams@verizon.net> > > Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2007 19:08:35 > To:<williams-dna@rootsweb.com> > Subject: Re: [WILLIAMS-DNA] Elisha Williams 1749(NC)-1811(TN) > > > Thanks for your reply. Not sure whether you will find this relevant to the > discussion but it may be interesting to note that Elisha's brother, Isaac, > married a Nancy Bunch. She is the daughter of Henry Bunch, b. 1690, and > listed as a 'mulatto' landowner and slaveholder in NC records. > > Also note that the term 'mulatto' had a somewhat different meaning in the > 1700's. Rather than defining simply a black-white mixture, the term was > used > to classify a wide variety of mixed-blood peoples. So the Bunches and > others > could easily have been mixed-blood Indians and not Africans. Or some > combination of both, and/or other admixtures such as Turkish and > Portuguese. > The Lumbee and Melungeon groups would seem to fit this description. > > Do you have any photographs of your early Williams ancestors from this > Elisha line? > > Thanks, > Randy Williams > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Feldhaus, Stephen" <sf@feldhauslaw.com> > To: <williams-dna@rootsweb.com> > Cc: "Larry Feldhaus" <feldhaus@comcast.net> > Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 5:47 AM > Subject: Re: [WILLIAMS-DNA] Elisha Williams 1749(NC)-1811(TN) > > >> Randy, >> >> We have had no reason at all to suspect a mixed ancestry. I would note >> that Elisha Williams sent his oldest son, William Williams, to Harvard, >> where he graduated in 1798, and to Harvard Law School, where he >> graduated in 1801. William Williams' Harvard records show that he was a >> signer of Tennessee's Deed of Secession from the Union. Elisha Williams >> also send another son, my ancestor, Josiah Frederick Williams, to one of >> the first classes as the then newly formed University of North Carolina. >> Josiah Frederick Williams then married a prominent woman in Nashville, >> and most of their twelve children either were themselves, or were >> married to, leading citizens of Nashville in the middle of the 19th >> century. It seems to me that it is unlikely that any of this would >> have been possible in the South of that time had there been indications >> of black ancestry. I can only assume that since Elisha Williams' mother >> was described as a mulatto, and his father was white, he must have been >> quite light skinned, and that his children were even more so. >> >> Steve Feldhaus >> sf@feldhauslaw.com >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: williams-dna-bounces@rootsweb.com >> [mailto:williams-dna-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Randy Williams >> Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 10:15 PM >> To: williams-dna@rootsweb.com >> Subject: Re: [WILLIAMS-DNA] Elisha Williams 1749(NC)-1811(TN) >> >> Stephen and Larry, >> >> Also, I was just wondering if you had ever had any reason to suspect >> that >> you might have come from mixed ancestry before these recent findings. >> >> Thanks, >> Randy Williams >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Feldhaus, Stephen" <sf@feldhauslaw.com> >> To: <WILLIAMS-DNA@rootsweb.com> >> Cc: "Larry Feldhaus" <feldhaus@comcast.net> >> Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 10:39 AM >> Subject: [WILLIAMS-DNA] Elisha Williams 1749(NC)-1811(TN) >> >> >>>I just received word yesterday that my older brother, Larry Feldhaus, >>> has uncovered some most interesting and heretofore undiscovered >>> information about Elisha Williams (born in NC in 1749, died in TN >> 1811). >>> If Larry's research is correct, we now know who Elisha Williams' >> parents >>> were, as well as who his father's ancestors were. I haven't seen any >> of >>> the supporting source documents, or cross checked any of this against >>> the sources in my files, but Larry is a very careful guy, and I think >>> there is a high likelihood that he has finally cracked the mystery of >>> Elisha's parents. >>> >>> >>> >>> You can see all of Larry's work on his web site, >>> http://lfeldhaus.tripod.com/holthousefamilygenealogy/id13.html. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> WILLIAMS-DNA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >> the >>> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >>> >>> >>> -- >>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>> Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.12.10/976 - Release Date: >> 8/27/2007 >>> 6:20 PM >>> >>> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> WILLIAMS-DNA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> WILLIAMS-DNA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.12.10/976 - Release Date: >> 8/27/2007 >> 6:20 PM >> >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > WILLIAMS-DNA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > WILLIAMS-DNA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.12.10/977 - Release Date: 8/28/2007 > 4:29 PM >