During the past few days, I have been exploring the possibility of Melungeon ancestry in my families. There has long been a family rumor that I have genetic connections with the Cherokee Nation, but there's always a possibility the connection was to Melungeon or even African ancestors.
There's a lengthy list of Melungeon common surnames to be found at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/GENEALOGY-DNA/2001-08/0997245962. A quick search and comparison of the surnames on my database reveals several individuals of possible Melungeon heritage. Curiously, the surname Branham has been offered in other circles as a variant of Brannon. Personally, I figure Brannon is a variant of Brennan, and the family is definitely of Irish or Scot-Irish extraction. (I know - it's usually SCOTCH-Irish, but I've been assured that's the liquor, not the countryman.)
But the one that has long held my attention is the name White. In 1867, Levina May 'Vine' White married Perry Samples. She was the daughter of Lewis Jackson White and Maribe Catherine Elswick White, he from Virginia (later West Virginia) and she from Kentucky. His parents were William White and Lavina Musney (my 'Vine' was probably named for her grandmother). William's parents were John Hunter White and Nancy Copely. Some online research I did yesterday would suggest that the Copely's have been well researched and I could go in that direction, but I'm really tracing the White line, yes? Now, I ask you - John Hunter White - does that sound like a set of names that might belong to someone of Melungeon, Native American, or African descent? I certainly think it does, but thinking so does not make it so.
However, the 1860 Census has checked "mulatto" for Hiram, Hiram Jr., and Perry. If Perry was mulatto, he would have been considered so because his father was mulatto also. Thus, if Hiram was mulatto, then we must look to Samuel Alexander Samples, or his wife Lucinda of unknown surname to have been a person of colour. I jokingly suggest she must be Lucinda, for 'loose Indian." (Please - can we just have a little humor here?) No one that I know of has ever identified Lucinda's surname; it may well be that she did not have one.
Oh, well, I suppose I shall have to carry on working with this notion, looking for proof somewhere, someday. Isn't genealogy interesting?!?
Are you still working on the Brannon geneaology? Edward Brannon "living Brannon" on Rootsweb, was my grandfather.... Rootsweb says he was "married" to Hilda Jean Thompson Lewis -- my grandmother. My mother said my father (their child) had Native American ancestry. When I read your (Brannon, Melungeon, Native American) posts, I thought we might be connected, albeit distantly. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI'm still interested in Brannon family history, yes, but have almost no time at the moment to devote to it. Check out my Brannon Family of West Virginia (under Brannon Links in the sidebar) for what information I may have that will assist you. Good luck!
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