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beeleaf wrote: Hey Jack, welcome.
What are some of your Pittsylvania (and other) County surnames? If you post what you have in the genealogy section, we can help you look.
I’m going to try this again.
My grandmother, Ila Mae Beasley Chaney of Danville VA was born in 1907 in Rockingham Co. NC to Charles Beasley and Sallie W. Mitchum. They lived in Reidsville NC and when found on the 1910 census my grandmother was 3 years old and she and here mother Sallie Mitchum were listed as living in the household of the Mitchum grandparents. Her father Charles Beasley was not listed and noteworthy as it may seem, her mother was listed as Sallie Mitchum and not Beasley which leads us to believe that her parents were not married. The story goes that my grandmother’s father (Charles Beasley ) was killed while working by electrocution. And then my GGrandmother Sallie died young also. While talking to an aunt of mine this weekend she said she had always heard they died together in a automobile wreck. My aunt is in her late eighties and was married into the family as opposed to being a direct ancestor.
Also to make things stranger, my grandmother had a picture of a dark haired woman holding a baby she had shown me. She said “See this indian woman holding this papoose? That woman is my…(I can’t remember if she said Mother or Grandmother)…and the baby is me.” Also she said that after her parents died she lived with her grandmother on a reservation for a while. If she did it had to be with her paternal Beasley grandmother and sometime between the 1910 census and the 1920 census because in the 1920 census she was listed back in the Mitchum (grandparent) household.
Now this aunt also tells me this weekend that it was always said the my greatgrandmother (Emma Alice Wilkinson Chaney) was NA. The 1910 census shows her as white and also shows her 16 year old daughter (which would be my great aunt) whose name was Pocohantas Chaney. Now the census taker flubbed and wrote down the family name as Cooper which was my GreatGrandfather’s middle name. His actual name was Abraham Cooper Chaney. I think it is strange that a “white” person would name a daughter Pocohantas in the late 1800s. But indeed my grandfather had a sister named Pocohantas that died in her teens of some sickness. All the other brothers and sisters were there also. Emma A. Wilkinson’s father was Walter Scott Wilkinson and his Confederate Military records are interesting. He managed to make through all 4 years of the War of Northern Agression alive. Apparently, his complexion was dark enough to cause them make note of it in his enlistment records. Odd huh?
That’s it for now.
Thanks.
Jack (aka Striking Bear) Adkins
Hey Jack,
Just a couple of things for now. How far back can you go on the Beasley side? Do you know if the name “Charles” was oft repeated? Could be a mere coincidence, or perhaps a clue, but there is a Charles Beasley (1734) listed in this info:
http://sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/Chapter1_The_Colonial_Period.htm
You and I have one surname in common by blood (Vaughan), and 2 by marriage (Beasley and Adkins). If Collie is derived from Collins, then 2 by blood. ;~)
Another thing in common—my g-grandma’s name was Pokahontas. She was born in 1879. So far, have only found 3 or 4 people from our area (Patrick Co, VA) with that name. The others are listed on census as Black. Grandma Pokie was enumerated as white, but it’s not what my Daddy says. ;~)
It was Virginia, after all. She was not married. Not too sure her parents were, either. Makes it kinda difficult to track the tree, don’t it?
Here we go again…I just got off of the phone with my Step Mom/Aunt (don’t ask me to explain right now. Just accept it as true. :)) Anyway she lived with my Ggrandmother Emma A. Wilkinson, growing up and I mentioned the conversation I had with my Aunt from marriage about Emma being NA. My Mom said, “You didn’t know we were Indians?!!” I said , “Well yeah, but I didn’t know it was from the Chaney side.” To which she said, “Yes. Grandma was so Indian, you could look at her and there would be no doubt in your mind.” “What tribe?”, I asked (Afraid of the answer). (Here it comes, wait for it…) “Cherokee!” she says. Oh no! Cherokee is such a pat answer these days that my son even has a Tuscaroran female friend who refers to it as “Generokee”. So, unless she appears on the mysterious roles somewhere then I am thrown back into the Cherokee ancestor mystery. Incidently, Emma was the daughter of Walter Scott Wilkinson who was so dark complexted that the Confederate officals felt need to note it on his induction papers.
Okay, so that is the latest on my paternal Grandfathers side. Now his wife my Grandmother, Ila Mae Beasley is another story. We have found two possibilities for her father Charles Beasley who both lived in Caswell Co. NC and would have been the right age.
beeleaf wrote:
http://sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/Chapter1_The_Colonial_Period.htm
This is one of the most interesting and informative things I have ever read about why many people are unable to prove their Native American ancestry. Fascinating and a MUST read for anyone in our shoes.
Thanks so much for this link.
“What tribe?”, I asked (Afraid of the answer). (Here it comes, wait for it…) “Cherokee!” she says. Oh no! Cherokee is such a pat answer these days that my son even has a Tuscaroran female friend who refers to it as “Generokee”. So, unless she appears on the mysterious roles somewhere then I am thrown back into the Cherokee ancestor mystery.
Jack, don’t be too quick to doubt your elders. Just because “everybody” says they are Cherokee doesn’t mean they’re not. ;~)
Leave room for doubt when you read something like “by 17__ all the ____Indians were gone from the area.” Virginia “history” books are good at that. Heck, for all we know it may have helped our ancestors stay under the radar.
I was reading a Shawnee treaty a few days ago. The treaty in essence stated that the federal government was admitting the Shawnee to OK to join the Cherokee, because they were now considered civilized enough to be Cherokee. I have come to think that Cherokee became a designation for “civilized” Indians or Indians who thought that they were “civilized.”
Techteach
The whole Cherokee thing drives me crazy. Then besides that is the Adkins Families’ legend that Shawnee Chief Hokolesqua’s daughter Bluesky married an Adkins and so on and so on.
Hey Jack don’t let the cherokee “thing” throw you. Beeleaf said it right. Besides that, the paper trail Genocide still marches on. I know several people personally that have most of the family on the “rolls” except for one or two younger ones because between times that these kids were born from the other kids the blood quantum levels were changed. Figure that one out. From 3/16 back to 1/4 but the kids enrolled before the change are still enrolled. Or they won’t enroll them at all if they don’t have enough “blood” ….. I understand its a “Government” thing …..
I just want a feather,…legally.
And a tribe of family and friends….
And a longhouse….
…I was gonna say some scalps on my lodgepole but, I decided that was not nice. I could think of a few however, that such a thing might be better than they deserve.
Jack, are you aware that the name Adkins is a very common Chickahominy name? It seems like every other one is an Adkins.
Yes Maam, I am very aware. I grew up 15 min away from the Chickahominy. And you would think that would be a no-brainer but, I have not been able to associate my Adkins line to that area yet. The Farrars and others are from that area. I am sure that somehow the Adkins are related way back when. I will most definately try and make some type of connection and who knows maybe they will adopt me if nothing else.
Say Jack, could you refresh me on your Adkins…I am trying to see if there is a connection.
Here is what I have on mine:
This actually what Bill had researched for me, I am just going to copy and paste his info.
I haven’t checked this out but you might want to look at the following information in a posted family tree listing Squire Adkins as b. 1817/18 Ky, marr’d abt. 1837 in Russell Co., Va., Mary Anderson, b.abt. 1816/17 Va, d.abt. 1880 Buchanan Co, Va., dau of David Anderson, b.abt. 1794 Va, d. abt. 1853 Tazewell Co., Va, and Jane Hackney, b.abt. 1794 Va, d. 1870 Buchanan Co., Va.
…..
Same tree lists Squire Adkins as the son of James W. Adkins, b.abt. 1785 Giles Co.,
Va, d. abt. 1870 Pike Co., Ky, and Nancy Agness Bishop, b.abt. 1795 Giles Co., Va, d.abt. 1870 (?) Pike Co., Ky.
1860 Buchanan Co., Va Census; 27 July; P.O: Grundy; p.36; Family 230: (birth state is blank, but later census show VA except for Squire born in Ky)
Squire ADKINS, 42, m, – ; farmer; $0, $45
Mary……………, 44, f, – ,
James…………., 21, m, –
Nancy…………., 18, f, –
CELIE…………., 16, f, – *******
Jane ANDERSON, 69, f, –
Elizabeth……….., 24, f, –
I can’t give you a whole lot of info on the Adkins right now as they are a slippery bunch. On top of that, my Granma Adkins’ maiden name was Vaughan and her mother’s name was Collie, and that line has a couple of lines of Adkins that intersect much further down the line. This is also the line that is related to a bunch of famous people. Thomas Jefferson’s family for one. Elvis Presley for another, etc. etc. We had all this stuff laid out on the family tree and then my wife had an epipheny and realized that there was a lot of sloppy genealogy out ther so she erased everything and started over so that everything she enters has been verified and sourced. She can supply you with a link to the tree if you want.
But, if you want to look at the links she has not verified, go to Rootsweb and search for Johnny Dudley Adkins and wife Ruth Bailly Vaghan (or Vaughn as some spell it). Also look up Rosa Collie and husband James H. Vaughan (his actual whole name is (James Henry Franklin Vaughan).
Jack Adkins wrote: I can’t give you a whole lot of info on the Adkins right now as they are a slippery bunch. On top of that, my Granma Adkins’ maiden name was Vaughan and her mother’s name was Collie, and that line has a couple of lines of Adkins that intersect much further down the line. This is also the line that is related to a bunch of famous people. Thomas Jefferson’s family for one. Elvis Presley for another, etc. etc. We had all this stuff laid out on the family tree and then my wife had an epipheny and realized that there was a lot of sloppy genealogy out ther so she erased everything and started over so that everything she enters has been verified and sourced. She can supply you with a link to the tree if you want.
But, if you want to look at the links she has not verified, go to Rootsweb and search for Johnny Dudley Adkins and wife Ruth Bailly Vaghan (or Vaughn as some spell it). Also look up Rosa Collie and husband James H. Vaughan (his actual whole name is (James Henry Franklin Vaughan).
I will check it out…thanks. I have to check my tree, I think Vaughn is out there somewhere:o
The Presley name appears on censuses in Buchanan Co. where my family lived after leaving KY.
Shirley
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