For years, varied and sometimes wild claims have been made about the origins of a group of dark-skinned Appalachian residents once known derisively as the Melungeons. Some speculated they were descended from Portuguese explorers, or perhaps from Turkish slaves or Gypsies.
Now a new DNA study in the Journal of Genetic Genealogy attempts to separate truth from oral tradition and wishful thinking. The study found the truth to be somewhat less exotic: Genetic evidence shows that the families historically called Melungeons are the offspring of sub-Saharan African men and white women of northern or central European origin.
And that report, which was published in April in the peer-reviewed journal, doesn't sit comfortably with some people who claim Melungeon ancestry.
"There were a whole lot of people upset by this study," lead researcher Roberta Estes said. "They just knew they were Portuguese, or Native American."
Beginning in the early 1800s, or possibly before, the term Melungeon (meh-LUN'-jun) was applied as a slur to a group of about 40 families along the Tennessee-Virginia border. But it has since become a catch-all phrase for a number of groups of mysterious mixed-race ancestry.
More @ Yahoo News
I read this early this morning at Yahoo news. I found it interesting as I had never heard of Melungeons before I started doing genealogy and was trying to trace the "black Dutch" component of my ancestory.
ReplyDeleteMiss Violet
Interesting. My great great grandmother was Black Irish. Her picture is at the bottom of the first link.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.namsouth.com/viewtopic.php?t=2232&highlight=talitha+pippen
http://www.namsouth.com/viewtopic.php?t=211&highlight=black+irish
Very interesting! I love the old photos, don't you? My oldest daughter is the spit of one of my gg aunts on our McNeelan side. I know that they aren't actually photos, but tin types, etc.
ReplyDeleteI have one gg grandmother that had a plantation in Florida and her first husband was killed in the war. She then traveled with her favorite slave to Texas where she met my gg grandfather (McNeelan). I can't remember for sure, there might be one more great that goes on those, I'm too lazy to dig out the paperwork ; )
I think, can't prove yet, that my Black Dutch was actually my great great grandparents way of trying not to lose everything because they were Cherokee. My gg grandfather was a horse and buggy Dr down in the Indian Nation according to my great aunt, Helen Stewart. I have family photos of my gr grandmother and her mother and a great uncle and that they look 100% Indian.
Genealogy is so interesting isn't it?
Miss Violet
Why would he lose everything being in the Indian Nation? They owned slaves and General Stan Watie was from there also. He was the last Confederate General to surrender. Yes, I love genealogy.
ReplyDeletehttp://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2012/01/general-stand-watie.html
I was given the impression that when the gov decided to open up the Indian Territory, that the Cherokee were to be stripped of their properties and moved to a res. Perhaps I misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteMiss V
What year was this?
ReplyDeleteI can't remember off the top of my head what year it was, and I don't have it in me to haul all that paper out and rifle through it ; )
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to work on my genealogy this winter and perhaps we can get back on this then. If the world is still spinning.
Miss V
Spin, it shall, at least we hope!:
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