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This is to Forest Hazel and others who might know.
Forest, I saw your web page and you mention “Portuguese Indians”. Do you mean to say a group of Purtuguese came and settled with the Indians, or that the Indians became afraid to say they were Indian, so they started calling tehmselves “Portuguese”? If they were Portuguese, why do they all have Brittish surnames?
I got interested in this because I found Saponi on lands of Gov. Spotswood and about 1740 were booted off the land because they stole some pigs I think, or started a forest fire. This hapened near the Germanna settlements and some prominent Germanna settlers were surnamed Wayland (one of their main families), which was the surname of an ancestor of mine who later clerk of that Melungeon Church, Stoney Creek Primitive Baptist. Melungeons have a tradition of being Portuguese also.
What is the connection between these Portuguese Indians you mention on your webpage and the Melungeons? What is Gov. Spotswood’s connection to the Saponi living (as free men, not slaves) on his lands near that Germanna Settlement?
thanks for your time
vance
Vance,
This is Crystal and I am from the Portuguese Settlement. I believe I can speak for Forrest as well when I answer your queery. The Portuguese race didn’t become part of the settlement until 1923 when the settlement changed their race through the State Legislature. The Core families of this settlement have been documented as being on the same lands since the mid 1700’s. Always being listed as FPC until the racial lines became more distinct. They crossed over to Colored, Mulatto, Black and then Portuguese. It wasn’t until the official papers regarding their race that they were given the right to vote and attend school in which they established the “Bethany School” located on Cal Floyd Road in Gaston. There has been no proof of this settlement ever being descended from the Portuguese that were shipped in to work the Canal System.
One has to remember that the racial title of Portuguese were used just as the word Mulengeon, Brass Ankles, Guineas, etc. It was a descriptive term, not a race designation.
Thanks Crystal —
Is there any known relationship between the surnames/families at this “Portuguese Settlement” where you live and the Melungeon families of NE Tn/SW Va? They also say they have”Portuguese” as I understand it.
thanks for your response. Maybe someday I’ll get to visit Virginia and see all the places everyone is talking about.
vance
Not any connection to the Melungeons as far as I can tell.
Also, the earliest designation that I am aware of for them being Portuguese, btw, is in the 1910 Census, when the enumerator listed the race of about 17 households as “Ot” (Other) and wrote the word, “portuguese” in the page margin.
Forest, I have ancestors with the Wayland surname. Wayland was a surname of the Germanna Colony, brought to America as indentured (I think but I am not sure) servants by Gov. Spotswood and they lived in the second Germanna settlement. I believe their date of arrival was about 1720 give or take a few years. From what I read, this was on the Rapidan River and was very near Gov. Spotswood’s lands.
This is the same area where there were Saponi accused of stealing hogs and/or starting forest fires about 1740 give or take a few years. From what I understand these Saponi were employees of Gov Spotswood at some point. My Wayland ancestors are at Stoney Creek Primitive Baptist church in the late 1790s (arriving there in 1797) until 1815 when they left for Arkansas and we can document that some are in Indian Territory (Oklahoma) by 1828.
That is my interest in finding a connection between the Saponi and the Melungeon settlements. Searching is like finding a needle in a haystack it seems. 🙂 thanks for your time.
vance
vance hawkins wrote: Thanks Crystal —
Is there any known relationship between the surnames/families at this “Portuguese Settlement” where you live and the Melungeon families of NE Tn/SW Va? They also say they have”Portuguese” as I understand it.
thanks for your response. Maybe someday I’ll get to visit Virginia and see all the places everyone is talking about.
vance
I too am curious about this…as my Gibson’s lived in this area before removing to TN, KY, VA & WV. I would appreciate insight from anyone who knows something of this settlement.
Shirley
Hey shirl…thanks for bringing this thread forward….I raise my hand high in the askign also…we have many family members who were members of that very Stoney Creek Church…they flitted in and out of that congregation for many years…some being accepted…then rejected for some offense and then re-instated….the one who most comes to mind is as follows:
“Source: Stoney Creek Baptist Church minutes: Dec 1801: Valentine Collins was “recieved by experience” and baptised., located July 2005″
Another:
“Source: located Nov 2005: timeline of historical Melungeon & Indian events by Jack Goins:
“1803 Valentine Collins and his wife received a letter of dis-mission 23 April 1803, same day Charles Gibson and his wife received a letter of dis-mission, but Charles later returned to Stony Creek church and he was excommunicated 1806. “
These are but a few examples…it’d be right nice to fetch ALL of the Stoney Creek minutes huh?
Thanks again…take great care cousin~~~~Laurie
Portuguese…Melungeon…
Bah Humbug!!! Total Garbage. Another Theory choked to death on.
Cough, Gasp, Wheeze….
I know some Portuguese & Portuguese descendants who will tell you otherwise. Kennedy = Moron.
Does anyone know of a factual accounting or naming of this “region” or “settlement”…is is platted on any map or marked in historical docs? Forgive me but I’m very clueless about it all…I simply commented because I personally recognized the Stoney Creek Church when it was tossed in teh discussion. My “jury” is still out on who/what/when and how…I just aim to get soem more genealogy answers and hopefully with some degree of certainty prove which tribe or tribes my ancestors belonged to. Anywho…..
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