[ltorivia485]

Hi, I’m new to the forum. Do the Roysters have any Native American ancestry? I have extended family in Mecklenburg (VA) and Granville (NC) counties.

[Bill Childs]

Welcome to the Forum. There must be a reason that brought you here but without knowing more about your family lines it would be impossible to say who they are related to. Tell us more.

Bill

[Derek]

Hi

ltorivia485, I know this is an old post but, this is what i have on our Royster line. my G-Grandmother is Viney Royster (Wilkerson) and her mother my GG- Grandmother Besty Bullock (Royster) from, or lived around the Granville, North Carolina area. My mother, and aunt has says thier is Native American ancestry in the family. They mention it might be 3, 0r 4 tribes but, this is what i heard in the air cherokee, blackfoot, souian, or souix.

Now, i ran into guy named Reggie Royster, and i found out recently we are related. Here are some of the surnames he has work on since 1999-2005. The Surname: Butler, Royster, Giffin/ Russell, Newton, and pool. I have some surnames as well just want to make sure they are concrete before i post, don’t want to make any mistakes. Well below is what Reggie says about some surnames which are related.

Betsy Bullock

Reggie (View posts) Posted: 5 Apr 2000 8:17AM

Classification: Query

Surnames: Bullock, Royster

Looking for information on Besty Bullock of Granville County, NC.

She was married to Addison Royster and was 42 at the time of the 1880 U.S.

Census for Granville County, North Carolina. She would have been born

around 1838 and died around 1918-20. Betsy was said to be of Native

American Siouan origin.

In the 1870 Granville County NC census for the George Griffin household, Sally Griffin was listed as “White”. There was no information on George Griffin’s race. Their daughter Patty was listed as “Mulatto” with the surname “Russell” as were Patty’s children.

The 1880 census for the Sally Griffin household listed Sally as 70 years old and a “Mulatto”. George may have been dead by 1880 as his name wasn’t listed. Patty and her children below were listed as “Black”:

Royster Peter George 20

Royster Patrick Henry 18

Royster Chapel 14

Royster Belle 12

Royster Mark Alex 11

Based on the different races recorded for 1870 and 1880, it appears that the recorded race of the family members depended on the perception of the census enumerator. Most likely, the siblings were of mixed African, White and Native American ancestry. A family characteristic noted for Patrick and for descendants of Chapel was coal black curly hair. It is unknown why the surname changed from “Russell” to “Royster”. Nor is it known when some of the siblings migrated to Mecklenburg County, VA. However, family history documents that brothers Patrick Royster and Chapel Royster made their way to Virginia. Although there is no mention of it in the oral family history, people of that era frequently moved across jurisdictional lines and changed their names when they got into some type of difficulty.

John Newton – Mecklenburg Co.,VA b1805

Posted by: Reginald A. Royster Date: March 19, 2001 at 20:33:42

I am descended from John Newton who was born in Virginia (county unknown) around 1805.

He was 45 in the 1850 Mecklenburg County VA census (Reel 960, Page 104), and was married to a 50 year old Nancy (maiden name unknown). He was a farmer with property valued at $2500.

Does anyone have any info on his line or any Newtons in Mecklenburg? Any info/help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. – RR

Reggie also mentions John fathed two Children (iceum and Ann) by Caroline pool who was a Native American sharecropper living on his property. Caroline and her husband Peter pool are listed in the household next door to John in the 1870 census. Oral history states that they were once owned by John and stayed on as sharecroppers following emancipation. Reggie is decended from ann pool.

[Author]

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