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It is so interesting to find this forum. I see that I have some cousins here.
Here is where I come from, so to speak:
My grandfather Ivan Ralston, son of William Alfred Ralston, son of Millen Ralston, son of John Ralston Jr and Nancy McLane, son of John Ralston Sr.
And,
My Millen Ralston married Eliza Sinkey, daughter of Matthew Sinkey and Nancy Huston, Matthew son of William Sinkey and Mary McCartney and Nancy, daughter of Andrew Huston and Elizabeth Green.
Now, my family lore is real diluted because when Ivan died in 1939, my grandmother (100% Irish) left Iowa and joined her family in Detroit. But, she always told me the Ralston’s had Indian in them and she was told Cherokee. When I was younger I often had NA’s ask me if I were Cherokee. We were always under the assumption that only one ancestor had been NA. I have tried to read all of the Sinkey-Ralston posts and am getting an impression someone has found out otherwise?
The person who put the Blackfoot Indian tombstone on Nancy McLane’s grave is my Ivan’s brother Harold’s son, Alfred Ralston. If you do not know. I had done a lot of Ralston research in the early 1990’s and he assumed from family lore she was Blackfoot. I disagreed and was concerned that she was truly Shawnee after some research into Beaver County. Has anyone found out more for sure?
I have a bad photocopy of Millen/Mellen Ralston out of a book titled Early Life of Slippery Rock by William A Ralston (not my Wm A). Mellen has very dark colorings. But family lore always told he was a Pony Express Rider which I ended up proving not to be the case; although, he was one of the first mail carriers in Iowa.
I also wanted to say that I was told my ggrandfather Wm A would not talk about his Ralston family and he had a problem setting fires. He was embarrassed about the NA blood.
Also, do you know that John Ralston JR had a first wife and her name was Susan MaWha and she was the dau. of Andrew and Elizabeth Huddlestone MaWha. She died in 1832 and had two sons- Robert and John III. One of my cousins thought maybe she had been NA and that Nancy McLane was not.
Jennifer
Hi, Jennifer,
Yes, there are a few cousins on this site. I am one, related twice over. Lance Edwards is related as is Deb.
I am descended from James Alexander Ralston, brother of Mellon, and Elizabeth Sinkey, sister of Eliza. And yes, several of your cousins believe that we have NA through two lines – Sinkey and Ralston. Deb’s lore is that it comes through the Ralstons, while my family says that it comes through the Sinkeys. I believe that both are true. I believe that Nancy McLane was NA as were the Greens who are the Sinkey ancestors. My grandmother told my aunt that the family was Sauk and Fox but I believe that they were Shawnee who went to Iowa and lived among the Fox in eastern IA. One of your cousins remembers some of the words they spoke, and I found them in an online Shawnee dictionary. The Fox spoke a very similar language, but his memories were Shawnee versions. Also, although there were Fox in PA, each place that they were found in has a Shawnee town nearby, WV, OH, and PA.
I do not know about Susan MaWha. I have read conflicting information online, that MaWha is a name that was changed to hide its Scottish origin. I have also read of it being NA. I guess that I have the assumption that she was white. While not proven, this assumption is based on the fact that Susan’s two sons returned to PA. Elim, who came to IA with John, Jr., married a NA woman whose name was McClennon. Bill Childs, on this forum, found an ancestor who could be our Andrew Huston, whose line includes a McCallum. I have come to believe that these three were all related names and that they were indeed related, although, again unproven.
If you wish to send me an email, we can exchange information.
Techteach
Techteach & Journeybooksm,
I see that both of you have done Ralston research. Have you run across any Ralstons in the Susquehanna Co., PA area?
This is my husband’s line. This is a brick wall I have been trying to crack for several years. His father was William Arthur (1919-1985), whose parents were Earl & Viola. I have seen Earl’s birth place as NY & PA. From what I have gathered from census Earl’s mother was named Anna, born in Cananda. That is as far as I have been able to get. My husband has no other info as his father left when Jim was young.
Painted Horse,
I will check my book, “The Golden Threads” when I have time. I teach tonight, so it might not be tonight. The book has a section on Ralstons. My Sinkeys were from near your Ralstons, as was a David Ralston. However, my Ralstons started off in the east and moved to western PA, in Butler and Westmoreland counties. I would not doubt that there is a connection with this David, as they all end up together and married in IA, via OH for the Sinkeys. Doubtless a connection with your line too. I think most Ralstons in PA are connected.
Techteach
PS: There is a Sharp in the Ralston family. My gggggrandmother was a Sharp (not sure about the e). The family was the family who started Sharpsville, PA. She was supposedly a captive of the Indians for 4 months.
I hope there is a connection somewhere for Earl. I have only found him on the 1910 census with his mother. Cannot locate him on 1900. He was born abt 1899.
My Sharpes are from VA. Married Throckmortons.
Noticed that you also had Steeles. Mine are from Chester PA and some ended up in Catawba, NC.
It still might be the same Sharps. I think that mine originated in VA too. It has been a while since I read that information. I may have the wrong town that her brother founded though.
Steele is in my grandfather’s line. The two lines do not converge (except for a tantilizing possibility that Bill Childs found a few years ago) until my grandmother. In fact, my grandfather’s line participated in one of the NA massacres of family in my grandmother’s line.
Techteach
PS: I found my Ralston book but will not have time today to look. However, if you can give me some questions, maybe I can look. I am fairly certain that at least some of the Sharp story is there.
I have not heard of any Ralstons I’m connected to in Susquehanna County, PA.
There were a number of Ralston families in PA and I haven’t gone far back enough to connect them.
Good luck!
Jennifer
Not sure the best questions to ask, since I don’t know much about them.
So I will just put here what I know.
William Arthur Ralston born 1-14-1919. His parents Earl Ralston born abt 1899 and Viola Wellman born abt 1903. Either Earl died or they divorced because Viola later married an Oscar Thompkins and lived in Mountanville NY.
I can find Earl on the 1910 census for Susquehanna PA in the house with his mother Anna born about 1871 in Canada. Also in house are Myrtle, Dora and Leon. Anna is listed as head and married. Where is husband?
Earl shows on 1920 census with Viola and William. Next door to possibly Viola parents Arthur and Hattie. Susquehanna PA. Also on the same page is Annie, Dora, Leon and Myrtle. Anna is also mentioned as head and married.
As far as we know there is no other family members to ask about this. I hope to one day find his people.
I am sorry. I checked “The Golden Threads.” No Ralston listed in that book is from that far north in PA. This family is earliest found in Chester County and move west to Butler, Mercer, and Westmoreland counties. Does not mean that there is not a connection, but it is not in that book nor on my genealogy.
Techteach
Thank you so much for checking. I will find out more about them one of these days.
After you said that far north, I pulled up a map of counties for PA. After seeing where it is located, it now makes more sense of Viola ending up living in New York.
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