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It’s been a couple of years since I’ve posted on this Forum and I am sorry I have not been more active until now.
The reason I am posting this thread is because I believe I may be of Melungeon ancestry and I needed some opinions on the subject.
I read as many of the threads on Melungeons on this Forum as I could in preparation of posting this thread. I noted that there are many different opinions on what makes one a Melungeon, for example, physical characteristics such as the “bump on the back of the head”, the “ridge on the base of skull”, “shovel teeth”, and “the second toe being longer than the big toe.” All of which, by the way, I happen to possess.
Another item of interest I found that supports (in my mind) my theory of having Melungeon ancestry is the fact that I’ve always been told that my maternal great-grandmother was a full-blooded Blackfoot Indian. This family legend is what first brought me to Saponitown two years ago.
The possibility that my great-grandmother was more likely a Saponi leads me now to the possibility that she was a Melungeon. She has always been a mystery to our family. Her daughter – my grandmother – claims not to know anything about her mother and flatly refuses to discuss her. Now I think I know why.
I’ve read on many different websites that Melungeons would change their names to more “English” names to avoid discrimination. Some websites say that they would even make up stories about being orphaned so that no one would know of their heritage.
Well, my great-grandmother’s name was Tennie York and she died around 1923 about two years after my grandmother was born. On the 1900 census, she was listed as an “orphan” living with a white family in Paragould, Arkansas. Tennie was also listed as being white, but could that have been a cover up of sorts? Maybe the Buchanan family that she was listed with were sympathetic with Melungeons so they took her in as a white person?
This would also explain why my grandmother refuses to discuss her mother with anyone. She was of course only about 2 years of age when her mother died, but she had several older brothers and sisters who would have known about their mother’s heritage so they could have told her that no one was to speak about their mother. Maybe my grandmother is still trying to protect her mother’s secret?
I plan to discuss this with my mom in the near future and get her opinion. She has the same problem trying to get information from her mother as well. I’ve not yet told her of my thoughts on Melungeon ancestry, but if she (as well as her sisters and brothers) has all the characteristics of a Melungeon as I do, I think I may be on the right track.
Sorry this post is so “all over the place” is because it’s late and I’m tired. I promise the next time I post I’ll be more coherent!
Thanks,
Blake
Have you tried DNA? You can do either AncestrybyDNA which provides an estimate of percentage of NA blood. Or, if you have straight male or female lines, you can try familytreeDNA.
Techteach
I know just bringing this this subject up is liking opening a giant can-of-worms, but I lean toward the purist approach to the Melungeon question. “Who are the Melungeons?” I take the opinions of Jack Goins on answering just who should be concidered Melungeon and of Melungeon descent. They were those folks and families living in the area of Blackwater Creek and Newman’s Ridge in present Hancock County TN. with the surnames Collins, Goins, Minor, Bunch, etc. Physical characteristics have nothing to do with it. JMHO.
Dan.
Blake, Hang in there!! My family has all the things you speak of but none of the last names match! But I am going to keep on digging. I am a little bit stubborn that way. Darlene
techteach wrote: Have you tried DNA? You can do either AncestrybyDNA which provides an estimate of percentage of NA blood. Or, if you have straight male or female lines, you can try familytreeDNA.
Techteach
Actually, I am planning on having an mtDNA and NA DNA test conducted soon. I have already had a Y-chromosome analysis done through Relative Genetics for another family site to which I belong. My predicted haplogroup is I1b with 100% confidence, which of course doesn’t give me answers on the NA/Melugeon connection. I am hoping that the mtDNA and NA DNA tests will, though.
I appreciate your reply.
Blake
Dan Akin wrote: I know just bringing this this subject up is liking opening a giant can-of-worms, but I lean toward the purist approach to the Melungeon question. “Who are the Melungeons?” I take the opinions of Jack Goins on answering just who should be concidered Melungeon and of Melungeon descent. They were those folks and families living in the area of Blackwater Creek and Newman’s Ridge in present Hancock County TN. with the surnames Collins, Goins, Minor, Bunch, etc. Physical characteristics have nothing to do with it. JMHO.
Dan.
Dan, I have read some of your past posts on the subject of physical characteristics and respect your opinion. Rest assured, I do not by any means consider myself to be of Melungeon descent simply because I have most of the “accepted” physical characteristics. I plan to have DNA testing done to determine my path.
By the way, I have contacted Jack Goins by email about joining his Melugeon DNA Research. He has requested that I send him copies of my genealogy charts back 4 generations so that he can determine if I belong in the “core” group of the study, or in the “related” group.
I appreciate your reply.
Blake
granny8 wrote: Blake, Hang in there!! My family has all the things you speak of but none of the last names match! But I am going to keep on digging. I am a little bit stubborn that way. Darlene
Granny,
Thanks for the words of support. I will keep digging, too.
Thanks,
Blake
Blake; That sounds great. Good luck on that. I have those characteristics too, but I’m not related to the Melungeons. Just neighbors.
Dan.
I should also add that my maternal grandfather was a Barnes, which is another surname I have found that has “possible” Melungeon ancestry.
My grandfather’s family originated in North Carolina in the early 1700s around the Bertie and Northampton County areas. Around 1810 the family was located in Trigg County, Kentucky and eventually ended up in the Ripley County, Missouri around 1920. My grandfather was born in 1921.
Again, coincidence on the states (NC/KY) even though none of these counties are near the Cumberland Gap area.
I have attached a photo of my grandfather, Blake Baker Barnes and also one of my g-great grandfather Joseph Futrell Barnes, Sr. It appears to me that both look like they have some NA blood in them, especially old Joe.
Just another mystery for me.
Blake
There was a good post recently pretty much debunking the ‘Melungeon physical traits,’ which seemed believable to me. I’ve got some of those traits, but I got them from my dad, whose lineage was out of the Balkans, so I’ve always felt a little skeptical. If you search on the word ‘melungeon’ using our search feature at top, it should come up.
Northhampton and Bertie counties were last known addresses for both Saponi and Tuscarora people. The ‘Portugeuse Settlement’ in Northhampton has good documentation for its links to Fort Christanna (search the forum for info on that). Before the remnants of the Saponi nations went to Fort Christanna in Brunswick county, VA they spent ten years in Bertie County. There’s a Saponi Creek that runs in between Northhampton and Bertie Counties.
Those Tuscarora who remained in NC were last noted in Bertie County. Your family photos do indeed look familiar, a lot like the Indians in my family (http://www.saponitown.com/Blackfoot.htm. Happy hunting.
Linda wrote: There was a good post recently pretty much debunking the ‘Melungeon physical traits,’ which seemed believable to me. I’ve got some of those traits, but I got them from my dad, whose lineage was out of the Balkans, so I’ve always felt a little skeptical. If you search on the word ‘melungeon’ using our search feature at top, it should come up.
Northhampton and Bertie counties were last known addresses for both Saponi and Tuscarora people. The ‘Portugeuse Settlement’ in Northhampton has good documentation for its links to Fort Christanna (search the forum for info on that). Before the remnants of the Saponi nations went to Fort Christanna in Brunswick county, VA they spent ten years in Bertie County. There’s a Saponi Creek that runs in between Northhampton and Bertie Counties.
Those Tuscarora who remained in NC were last noted in Bertie County. Your family photos do indeed look familiar, a lot like the Indians in my family (http://www.saponitown.com/Blackfoot.htm). Happy hunting.
Linda,
Thanks so much for your post.
I didn’t know that Bertie and Northampton Counties were once homes to the Saponi and Tuscarora people. That makes my family research even more interesting. Perhaps my grandfather and grandmother both descended from the same people! Wow.
Now I’m really looking forward to my DNA testing.
Speaking of NA DNA testing, has anyone on this forum ever had such testing done? Does it tell you what your percentage (if any) of NA blood you have? Does it give you an idea as to where your NA roots begin?
Thanks,
Blake
Lisa Alther, who is Brent Kennedy’s cousin, has written an excellent book on her search for her Melungeon roots. This is her first nonfiction work (copyright 2007). It is a “must read” for anyone seriously interested in researching his or her Melungeon ancestors. Lisa Alther reveals both her own and her immediate family’s DNA testing results. She finds these results both astounding and provocative. “Kinfolks, Falling off the Family Tree: The Search for my Melungeon Ancestors” is a well-researched, beautifully written, and fascinating look at this mysterious subject.
Blake Slayton wrote:
I didn’t know that Bertie and Northampton Counties were once homes to the Saponi and Tuscarora people. That makes my family research even more interesting. Perhaps my grandfather and grandmother both descended from the same people! Wow.
Now I’m really looking forward to my DNA testing.
Speaking of NA DNA testing, has anyone on this forum ever had such testing done? Does it tell you what your percentage (if any) of NA blood you have? Does it give you an idea as to where your NA roots begin?
Thanks,
Blake
Blake,
I thought you might like reading this DNA conversation that took place here not too long ago.
It starts with Roca’s post #99 on pg.7 and goes on. I found spilleddi’s posts #106 and #108 extremely interesting and informative.
http://www.saponitown.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1707&page=7
I enjoy your avatar 😀 😀 and thanks for sharing your pictures with us.
With regards to Melungeons, the best website around that is just full of historical documents, no hearsay and crazy diseases etc etc.
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