Help with the Hunt's of the Northampton county,nc/Greensville county, va area

Hello. I’ve been spending the last 3 years or so researching to find where our surname, Hunt comes from. We’ve been told that some one back in our family tree was Native American. For a long time I was under the assumption that it was quite far back down the line. We were raised as black. I remember being asked several times by different people through my life time what race I am. My dad has red hair and reddish skin. My sister also has red hair. There are a lot of strong features in our family that point to the possibility that the our native american ancestry may not be as far back as we thought.

So, here’s what information I have. My father and some of his siblings told us that his grandfather (my great grandfather) was full indian, and that he had long straight hair down his back. And that his wife (first wife, she died young) was biracial, half black and half white.

I know that my great grandfather’s name was George Hunt. His wife’s name was India, listed in census reports. My family calls her Indy. Her last name may have been Garris. Indy died young when my grandfather was a little boy, 9 years old, I believe. George remarried to Ida Scott.

there is an article I have saved, I’ll try to find it and link to it.

http://boards.ancestry.com.au/topics.ethnic.melungeon.melungeon/1815/mb.ashx

In this article, under “The Portuguese Settlement” topic, it talks about the fading remnants of a “Portuguese” settlement, so it was called, in Gaston, NC. Legend was told that those were Portuguese people, but they were actually Native American, most likely of either or both the Saponi or Nottoway tribes.

This quote I found interesting:

The 1910 Federal Census for Gaston”>Gaston Township listed the following heads of families and their members’ race as “Ot” for “Other”, with the notation in the margin “Portuguese”. All these families lived along River Road, and their relative further down the road, who were enumerated by a different census taker, were listed as Black or Mulatto.

I found it interesting that in the 1910 George and Ida lived on River Rd. They are listed as mulatto. What I dont know is if these were Ida’s people, or George’s people. Or both.

George lived from 1860-1926. I do know that his father’s name was James, as this was on his death certificate.

There are some people that i’m related to who are also researching this line on ancestry.com. i haven’t had a subscription to ancestry for a couple months now, but last time I did I didn’t find enough evidence to satisfy myself that the James Hunt they had found matched the George Hunt that I have on my census. I never saw any documentation where George Hunt and the James Hunt they found were together at all. I don’t know any of George’s siblings, so I didn’t see any of his siblings linked to this James. There was more than one James Hunt in the area, so I feel the need to be sure I have the right James.

It would seem to me that George and India fell out of the sky into Northampton County for the 1880 census and had been around ever since. They were listed as married, with one child named Sue, living with some one named Pollard. I can’t find anything at all whatsoever of either of them before this. They are always listed as mulatto. My grandfather, Waverly, and his siblings were listed as mulatto as well. George’s second wife and all their children are also listed as mulatto.

Right now all I have to go by are pictures. My grandfather, Waverly and his siblings look very Native American. Their hair is bone straight. Some of them have characteristic eye folds, and high cheek bones. Some of my dad’s siblings have these features as well.

I have a picture of a George Hunt from one of my aunts. I think she thinks it was her grandfather. but I’ve since found out that their was a George Hunt, Jr and I think this may be him and not my great grandfather.

I just wish I could find out if he definitely was native american or not, and if so, what tribe it could have been.

any help with this would be much appreciated. 🙂 if I remember anything else I’ve found I”ll post it.