Some of the more common surnames, or variations thereof, having been identified so far as having Melungeon origins are: Adams, Adkins, Allen, Allmond, Ashworth The Clarks and Coopers were listed on the census in Malboro Co, Kershaw Co and Gafney, SC. If anyone can help us that would be amazing. My Clarks were Portuguese/Croatan. Im researching my Berry family from Hawkins /Tennesse and Virginia . He also stated that his cousin, Beulah, told him in the 40s that she had documented this. I honestly believe we are Melungeon. So too his wife, Nancy Stamper. Correlating Historical Facts to DNA Test Results. I have the knot . Gann, Garland, Gibbs, Gibson/Gipson, Goins/Goings, Givens, Gowan/Gowen, Graham, Green(e), Gwinn. Native American descendant. My grandpa Short had black hair and black eyes. I have been doing some ansestry searching, combined with some hints that my great grandma spoke of often. Joyceann Gray passed your info to me because I have Bass matches. I had dark hair and green eyes from 2 blue eyed parents. Learn more. According to FamilySearch.org, some common Melungeon last names may include: Bowling (Bolin) Bunch Chavis (Chavez) Collins Epps Evans Fields Francisco Gibson Gill3 Goins Goodman Minor Mise Moore Mullins Osborn (e) Phipps Reeves (Rives, Rieves, Reeves, Reaves) Ridley (Riddle) Rodrigues Stowers Vanover Williams Wise Melungeon people If anyone knows anything concerning the melungeons from Grayson County, Virginia. I dont have a Clarence, in my tree I have the following gibsons: STANLEY STEEL STEVENS STEWART STROTHER SWEATT SWETT SWINDALL, TALLY TACKETT TAYLOR THOMPSON TIPTON TOLLIVER She was born in Hancock County, TN we assume. So hopefully I can hear more. When some names come up, push the button for tree. Williamson, Wood. 2847 results. There was a guy by the last name of Kennedy. But I believe the melungeon is on my grammaws side. The center of Melungeon territory in former times was Newman's Ridge, Hancock County, Tennessee. I know that these roots come through my mothers family who I have traced back to when they came here to the U.S. There are a lot of Coopers in Eastern Kentucky, especially Somerset, Ky. I really enjoyed reading your article, and hope to learn even more in the future. My name Is Brent Stanley, I live in CT. (LogOut/ SHEPHARD SHEPHERD SHORT SHORTT SIZEMORE SMILING SMITH STALLARD 1 It is now known that DNA samples can be contaminated by contact by other persons with the sample, or even DNA attached to . Trying to put all the pieces of the Shumpert family in place. Melungeon Geography and Surnames. I am stuck on finding any census records or ethnic listings for these women. My families are listed here, and we are known to be of Melungeon origin on certain lines. Just trying to find the source of my Spanish/Portugeuse heritage. These common kinships of cousins show the Melungeon society was becoming cohesive and distinctively apart in colonial America at least 100 years before the American Revolution. Please contact me if you have any information you would like to share or questions. My mother and grandfather are directly from the Hall lineage. My dad and all his siblings are dark skinned with dark hair with some having blue eyes. Maddox, Maggard, Major, Male/Mayle, Maloney, Marsh, Martin, Miles, Minard, Miner/Minor, Mizer, Moore, Morley, Mullins, Mursh. While I have some information, I would like to trace him back to Ireland, as my DNA shows over 70% Irish. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The pages wont let me open them . I have an olive tone that turns to a reddiah brown in the summer months. My great grandmother was Leeann Cox and it was said she had Indian blood. I have no idea but I am willing to work with you to find out! Jane Taylor was born in Virginia in 1798 and died in Marietta ,Ohio in 1883 or 1888. Nancy My maiden name is Barker. I havent done a lot of research on these names yet I just know they show up in my line. I tried looking you up on Facebook but no luck, thought Id send some pics to get your thoughts), Thank you for writing, Look for Joyceann Gray on Facebook. I have been trying to place my Melungeon ancestors as well as my Native ancestry. They were from Middlebourne WV. Most of us probably think of America as being settled by British, Protestant colonists who fought the Indians, tamed the wilderness, and brought "democracy"-or at least a representative republic-to North America. Webster (1962, 1122) described the Melungeon as "a member of a dark-skinned people of mixed Caucasian, Negro, and Indian stock, inhabiting the Tennessee mountains."5 Davis (1963, 16) identified the Melungeons as "dark-skinned, reddish- brown complexioned people [who were] supposed to be of Moorish descent, neither Indian nor Negro, but . I am researching my family tree. No Cherokee blood showed up in my daughters DNA test. Not looking like any of the others. All I know is that his mother was likely named Polly, and I can find a Polly Cooper in the 1810 Virginia census with appropriately aged dependents; she is listed as a person of color. From DNA tests, I know I have both Iberian and Native American DNA. After that it gets shaky. Although, he did not show any DNA connected to black people, he did show 1% of unknown. I guess we didnt like staying that home.. Hey, his email came back to me as address not existing! Jeremiahs father Jeremiah Sr. b.1724 then Edward Bass b.1697 Bertie, N. Carolina. Scott. I saw where the name Branham is mentioned and my great-great grandmothers name was Ressie Branham and her husband was Charels Zolly Moody. A few years ago I came across a possible Melungeon connection. So glad I could be of help. 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 . I guess meaning that I have far far less matches in R1b as compared to the majority of testers. I am a Denham..Been researching this info a great confirmation! Our DNA came back though with european, african, NA . My maternal grandfather was Clarence Gibson. Bunch shows up as a Melungeon last name. This surname means from the anchor in Dutch. My Reeves family always claimed Indian descent. Jelle: The Dutch form of the name William, meaning 'sacrifice'. ajpilkey76@gmail.com. My family goes very far back in this area and I have many Names in the family tree you listed: Sizemore, Green, Robertson, Robinson, Bowlin, Jackson, Allen, Thompson, Collins, Hall, Jones, Martin, Perkins, Stevens, Other names to look at maybe that are very intertwined Abbot, Stacey, Griffith, Griffin,Godsey, Lacy (maybe same as Lasie you have listed). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I was born and raised in Big Stone Gap Va I am of mulungeon descent. Ive been interested in my family history for my entire life. WILLIAMSON WILLIS WILSON WISBY WISE WOOD WRIGHT WYATT WYNN. Boone, Bowman, Badby, Branham, Braveboy, Briger/Bridger, Brogan, Brooks, Brown, Bunch, Butler, Butters, Bullion, Burton, Buxton, Byrd. I and everyone else in my family has run into issues finding the parents of Jane Taylor who Married Beniah MacKnight. reaves/osteen/lawson. 3 great grandmother Ramey who wasnt related to my grandmother Davis was also said to be black dutch. Ely, Epps, Evans, Fields, Freeman, French. Also, if you know who they were their spouse, this will help even more. Barker, Barnes, Bass, Beckler, Bedgood, Bell, Bennett, Berry, Beverly, Biggs. Locklear. I met him years ago. My sons DNA came back recently with >1% Cameroon/Congo. So many questions, where to start,my maternal grammaw was a cogdill and married a Raines in cocke county Tennessee in a remote area known as the 15th (we still retain the property on the old 15th Rd, it lies between del Rio and grassy fork tn.) My ancestral lines take me to Muskogee (Creek) in Georgia/SouthCarolina ending in Oklahoma. My blue-eyed, somewhat darker skinned, maternal grandfather had a mysterious father whose parents, William Wright and Malissa Delph (my great-great grandparents) were born in Tennessee and both age 24 in the 1860 census. I believe that she was melungeon. Dad was a Revolutionary soldier. Neither of my parents had the same color of my skin and neither of my brothers. Her parents born in Amherst Co. VA in 1760s. You may be able to find valuable information there at the college. If you go on Family Search, try to think of the oldest person you may know that is in your family and who lived in the 1800s and if you can come up with approximate birthdate and date of death, put those in and then after that push search. Cherokee, North Carolina: B. Blankenship, 1992.FS Library book 970.3 C424bL Volume one has rolls of Cherokees east of the Mississippi for the years 1817, 1818-1835, 1848, 1851, 1852, 1869, 1883, 1908, 1909, and 1924. Thanks for posting. My 84 year old Aunt just did DNA it came back with Camaroin/Bantu/Congo. TUPPANCE TURNER, WARE WATTS WEAVER WHITE WHITED WILKINS WILLIAMS Alternatively, Italian pioneers in Virginia used their word for aubergine to. My great great grandfather and even his wife. Viccars. They also married into the Goins, Ashe, Whitworth and Wellman families. Her siblings varied greatly in their appearance. My DNA has me 98% European and 2% Asian. This is my email: Now a new DNA study in the Journal of Genetic Genealogy attempts to separate truth from oral tradition and wishful thinking. Growing up I was told tales that on my dads side we had a definitive blood line to the Monacan Nation out of Amhurst County VA. On my moms side I was always told her family was Melungeon and my Greatgrand father having the name Woodrow Baker. I am looking for any leads towards a melungeon bloodline within my family because it would answer a lot of questions. Finally, my first identified link!! Melungeon-related surnames (North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky) ADAMS ADKINS BARKER BARNES BECKLER BELL BENNETT BERRY BIGGS BOLEN BOWLIN BOWLING BOWMAN BRANHAM BROGAN BULLION BURTON BYRD CAMPBELL CARRICO CARTER CASTEEL CAUDILL CHAVIS CLARK COAL COFFEY COLE COLEMAN COLES COLLEY COLLIER COLLINS Melissa, I too am from the Blevins family from Eastern Kentucky. Can you give me access to your family tree? Ramey, Rasnick, Reaves/Reeves, Revels, Richardson, Roberson/Robertson/Robinson, Russell. Same with my father and his two sisters, but not as much as my grandfather. On an Momma had olive skin, blue eyes, dark brown eyelashes and eyebrows, straight brown blonde hair. Lumbees, we are a very unique creature and I'm proud of that. She grew up there and was adopted by a Mitchell family. Re: reaves/osteen/lawson. Hall, Hammon, Harmon, Harris, Harvie/Harvey, Hawkes, Hendricks/Hendrix, Hill, Hillman, Hogge, Holmes, Hopkins, Howe, Hyatt. Thanks, Rachel. My Reeves family always claimed Indian descent. What I know this far is that theres a definite Cherokee lineage with respect to Benjamin Sinnes (daughter, Jemima Sinnes-Goin). I have added links to certain names that I have more information to share. Other Surnames in his line are Brewer, Davis, Seals, Phipps, Tagliaferro(toliver) and many more. A lot of evidence has led me to see that I come from Ashkenazi and Portuguese Sephardic descent. Any suggestions? I was told in school I had 'N_____r' lips. Sincerely Just Another Redbone Looking For Roots! Fathers surname of CROS(S)LOW seems to hit a wall several generations back. Her skin was so dark her lips looked blue and she had a line on the side of her hands where the pigment stopped and the skin of her palms began. Jones, Smith, Martin, Osborne (was in the Revolutionary War) Stallard, Sizemore, Brown, Cooper, Perkins. : /mlndn/ m-lun-jn) is the name of a Southern U.S. ethnic minority once found in the Appalachian Mountains in parts of the states of Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. My name Christy I have Iberian, Sardinian, Turkish, North African and Nigerian DNA. Lowry. Family still has very unique mix of features listed in connection with Melungeon. You present a hard nut to crack but not impossible. I do not know much more than what is below, but my father (Jerry Lee Wood, son of Wyatt Wert Wood) who claimed Welch/Irish descent, had straight dark hair, turned nut brown in the slightest bit of sun, and had hazel green eyes. The Melungeon culture has typically been associated with the Appalachian region. Mama was the darkest white woman that I ever saw. Harold Lee denton/Richmond,va Thank you! My sons dna showed black ancestry circa 1700. Would love to do a DNA test but Ill be honest, I work in the medical field and I worry that the insurance companies may use that against us someday, dont really care about me but my kids on the other hand! I just recently found out about maternal grandrnothers line. Thank you, Redbone, Your comment has given me a great idea of how to tackle all the incoming messages regarding our Melungeon line. I wont be attending, as I live 3000 miles away, but it might be useful to you who live near Virginia. Are you able to expound a little more on the lineage of Melungeon peoples and the specific areas they inhabited? Would love to hear more. On the early 1900s census our family was classified as mulattos born in Virginia/Western Virginia. As time permits my intention is to research as many of these families as I can. I did DNA and Im a mixture from the middle east as well as west asian, English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh. The parents settled in Owens Co. Ke. There is actually an unincorporated community named Goin that had a post office until the mid-sixties. I have several of these surnames in my tree. I am just trying to think of other places to look, other avenues to try. Have you started a family research project? Smith, Stevens. I would like to email you about my connection to the Shavers/Chavis/Chavers, Brown, Hall, Kelley and other family names in Alabama and Franklin County Tennesse. Her parents are from Kentucky, from S.C. and Maryland. Smiling, Smith, Stallard, Stanley, Steel, Stevens, Stewart, Strother. The mystery is beginning to unfold, thanks to genealogical DNA tests. Hammon, Jones, Osborn, and Steele on my mothers side. Yet my sons 23&me results showed Iberian Peninsula ancestry that is not showing up on mine, nor on my husbands, from ancestry. Surveyed 13 April 1761, deed 14 Oct 1761. . Hey Brent im from Louisiana Grant Parish Area, funny we are doing the same research for Mulungeon Ancestors. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Both of my maternal grandparents are from that area. Then she leaned over and whispered Its okay, you can come. We have always been told we are of cherokee and possibly Saponi descent. Japanese Last Names Meaning Dark. Are there any distant cousins related to them? RICHARDSON RIDDLE RIVERS ROBERSON ROBERTSON ROBINSON RUSSELL, SAMMONS SAMPSON SAWYER SCOTT SEXTON SHAVIS I have added links to certain names that I have more information to share. I recently read a wonderful novel based on that terrible place. my mothers last name is Brown, my fathers last name is King but that is not a Melungeon name but Brown is. Any help would be awesome. her parents names? Home > Forum > Surnames > Melungeon . This is so confusing! Earlier they may have lived near the Atlantic coast but, preferring a more secluded setting . I did find her husband and kids. I descend from Reeves coming into Tennessee via Virginia. Is there a place I can compare my family tree to yours? By the way we are a 9CM match on gedmatch, distant cousins. And thank you for checking in on my site, I hope you enjoyed reading! I too have always thought Cherokee but found out it was Creek. The Clarks were said to be Portuguese. Always claimed to be cherokee but nothing in my research shows it. Some these Wood cousins have JM 172 Haplogroups. . Crooked pinky fingers, high cheekbones, lumps under my jawbone, ridiculously thick, curly hair, shovel teeth on SIX teeth. Johnson, Jones. but im very sure my father is of melungeon descent, he is a dark ivory skin with dark hair and blue eyes. Had always been told a great great grandma was Native-Cherokee but both my fathers and my own DNA shows minimal to no Native. Now I am trying to gain more information abt my grandfathers father, John Brown Jr, who married Eliza Ann Jenkins Richardson. My husbands mother has been dead way over 25 years and he has been dead for years. The Melungeons were dark-skinned and isolated, but the ethnicity of these olive and brown-skinned families has been in question since the early 1800s. A B C D E F G H I J K L M Looking at my Ancestry DNA, I have a match with a common Bass ancestor. A famous bearer of this name is Jelmer Wiersma a Dutch heavy metal guitarist. George Boone 1850 m. to Rose/Rosa Richardson. Melungeons ( / mlndnz / m-LUN-jnz) are an ethnicity from the Southeastern United States who descend from Europeans, Native American, and sub-Saharan Africans brought to America as indentured servants and later as slaves. Sammons, Sampson, Sawyer, Scott, Sexton, Shavis, Shepherd/Shephard, Short. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. His wife, Mary Mae Heffley 1872-1959. Genealogist I am pretty sure I am Melungian, I would love to connect and learn more. Joseph Higdon says: February 9, 2023 at 4:17 am. research for The Melungeons: The Resurrection of a Proud People His grandfather may have been of African descent. The oldest two were blondish and blue eyed. Dorothy E., Mary, Sebron, Neal M., Henry, Hugh, ruby, Mac Harris, Julia M., & Henry Gaston. Powell. HAWKES HENDRICKS HENDRIX HILL HILLMAN HOGGE HOLMES HOPKINS HOWE Im from Eastern Kentucky also. I did a DNA but found there was very littlelike 1 or 2%. DNA study is not my strong suit! I wish I could prove anything but I know it is a long time family claim. I cannot find any info on early Portugeuse settlements in South Carolina or Virginia. Some of the most prominent surnames that have been claimed as potentially associated with a Melungeon identity include Bowling (Bolin), Bunch, Chavis (Chavez), Collins, Epps, Evans, Fields, Francisco, Gibson, Gill, Goins, Goodman, Minor, Mise, Moore, Mullins, Osborn (e), Phipps, Reeves (Rives, Rieves, Reeves, Reaves), Ridley (Riddle), Rodrigues, My great great grandfather was born in Hancock County, Tennessee He lived from 1852 to 1927 On the 1870 Census it says that he is Mulatto. She lived from 1818 to 1894, but I dont have any info on her race, My great great grandfathers name is Russell Vicars. My name is Nikki Landerkin. I am from these areas as well on both sides of my family, paternal and maternal, back 8 generations. See more ideas about appalachia, history, appalachian people. My DNA shows a very small amount of sub saharan Congolese (.3%) and .5% Native American. Could use any help I can get from you or anyone reading this on pinning things down. All this is so fascinating to me. Hi, on my fathers side I have Davis, Spillman and Ramey as well as Berry all from south eastern kentucky. He was my Grandfather but I know very little about him and believe he may have been Melungeon. If anyone has done in lineage on these people their whole lineage will pop up. I am hoping to find out if there is any Melungeon history in from my past. Another tree said his daughter Lizzie was Cherokee so Im not sure how much can be believed from what Ancestry shows because of lack of documentation. Here are some of the most common surnames that exist for Melungeons: Bowlin Bunch Collins Epps Denham Evans Fields Goins Gibson Mullins Reeves Williams While this is not an exhaustive list of surnames, this should give you an idea of how many names may be related to the Melungeon tribe of people. I have looked through the regular channels on Ancestry and also in records local to me but have yet to drive over to Lee County, Va or to Hancock county to look at physical records but it is in the plans at some point. Suddenly thing are starting to make so much more sense. What can you tell me? Reply. Mississippi never had a law like that, because such a law would have prevented the states finest old families from marrying their neighbors. Hello:I have ran across an interesting web page and it offers new insights into Melungeon origins.I wanted to see if anybody else has found it?I am writing a short story of it and will be posting it around eventually.It's not plaguarism its research because I am copying from more than one source :-) Johnny These were all Melungeon surnames. This page was submitted by Nancy Sparks Morrison and My great grandfather is Harris Brown, a Melungeon, and also has Portuguese ancestry, however I dont have information past his father John Brown who married Eliza Ann Jenkins Richardson a Is there any way to find out if there is Melugeon in my history. HER FATHER WAS Richard and they say he was a Pony Express rider. If you look on Ancestry.com, you may be able to link your lineage. Richard Lister on the trail of a lost people. I learned about these colors when I was in Fashion for 28 years. I wish there was a way to do further research on these surnames in my family. Although I cannot find the connect yet. Hendricks/Hendrix and Graham from Virginia and Kentucky are prominent in his heritage. The list of eligible Melungeon surnames is Bell, Bolton, Bowling, Bolin, Bowlin, Breedlove, Bunch, Collins, Denham, Gibson, Gipson, Goins, Goodman, Minor, Moore, Menley, Morning, Mullins, Nichols, Perkins, Riddle, Sizemore, Shumake, Sullivan, Trent and Williams. This is seen in all generations that I know of in my family. Thank you for your timely response and for sharing. Thanks for adding me. Page, Paine, Patterson, Perkins, Perry, Phelps, Phipps, Pinder, Polly, Powell, Powers, Pritchard, Pruitt. That we were from the Carolinas , Virginias and Appalachias. I also had 1% of the unknown but I have known for years that I had in me the melungeons lineage. What are your Stallard Roberson and Mullins ancestors? Stoney Creek church records show the name "Melungeon" was known in Virginia before it ap- peared in Tennessee. I was able to trace her lineage back to Captain Nathaniel Basse whose son, Reverend John Basse, married a Nansemond woman. The Clarks were said to be Portuguese. That is EXCELLENT, Thank you so much for sharing!! (LogOut/ Christy, Hi Christy, I am still researching but its slow going. The family line I have been researching is Perkins.