I probably wouldn't look too far into my family tree either, were I a Melungeon:
I had heard about the Elvis/Melungeon connection but never knew what a Melungeon was. Still don't.
It's been said that the prehistoric story of America is many times more convoluted than the little we know at present. At the rate things are being discovered, things that were simply bypassed in the rush West, it might be that the history is a thousand times richer than what we know about now.
I probably wouldn't look too far into my family tree either, were I a Melungeon:
I personally think they are simply a mixture of white and Indian.
For that matter, there is a tremendous variation among Indian tribes.
Fascinating article and ironic, too, since we're well on the way to becoming a mixture of races. We will all be Melungeons.
We have Mullins, Collins, Gobins and Gibsons around here. They call themselves Cajuns. (Lots of French influence around here)
I read that Abe Lincoln was one as well.
thought you might want to ping the Kentucky list to provide us with some insight, if possible.
I don't ave time today for a detailed response, but if interested google Melungeon, Brent Kennedy.
Kennedy is the father of the modern movement to research the subject and his findings are extremely interesting.
http://www.tennesseehistory.com/class/melungeon.htm
Here is a link to a brief discussion on the history of the Melungeons.
Story I heard was they were descendants of marooned (by the British) Portugese seamen who married indians and cohabited with them from the 1500's. Like to eat ramps which are wild leeks. DNA tests would be interesting.
Melungeons is very close to the name Merovingians, who according to legend, were keepers of the Holy Grail or possible descendants of Jesus Christ.
Whoa....do I smell a conspiracy! These black-haired, blue-eyed people could really be the descendants of Christ. < /sarcasm>
I live up here in East Tennessee, near Hancock County. I have read about the Melungeons for years, have seen many, and used to work with one.
A Melungeon man wrote a book about them several years ago, and I read a fascinating newspaper article about his book, but can't remember the title or author.
I would be willing to bet there would be some indepth information
about them available from East Tennessee State University or Lincoln Memorial University, both located in east Tennessee/Kentucky area, in the location where the Melungeons are concentrated.
By the way, Lincoln Memorial University is named for President Abraham Lincoln, and has a great deal of information (a great museum) about the president. Lincoln had strong ties to east Tennessee, including family members who lived in Greeneville, TN. President Andrew Johnson was from Greeneville, was a strong Union supporter, and was Lincoln's vice-president, as you know. So some great information is available from these universities for any Civil War buffs out there.
I live up here in East Tennessee, near Hancock County. I have read about the Melungeons for years, have seen many, and used to work with one.
A Melungeon man wrote a book about them several years ago, and I read a fascinating newspaper article about his book, but can't remember the title or author.
I would be willing to bet there would be some indepth information
about them available from East Tennessee State University or Lincoln Memorial University, both located in east Tennessee/Kentucky area, in the location where the Melungeons are concentrated.
By the way, Lincoln Memorial University is named for President Abraham Lincoln, and has a great deal of information (a great museum) about the president. Lincoln had strong ties to east Tennessee, including family members who lived in Greeneville, TN. President Andrew Johnson was from Greeneville, was a strong Union supporter, and was Lincoln's vice-president, as you know. So some great information is available from these universities for any Civil War buffs out there.
delviverance alert.
I've been reading off and on about melungeons for a few years. In terms of DNA, they are closely related to the people who live in Tripoli. The physical characteristics of the melungeons ( a bump on the back of the head) is something they have in common with the turks.The turkish word melungeon means damned people.I find melugeons fascinating.
What an interesting story! Just last night I was talking with my friend's girlfriend and this very topic came up. Her family is originally from North Carolina and fits many of the characteristics of the Melungeons. When I first met her, I thought she must be at least biracial, probably triracial, but I had no idea what races those were and which ones predominated in her heritage. Turns out, she doesn't know either. Her family has traced back their lineage all the way to mid-1700s North Carolina. They have yet to find a direct ancestor who was not of mixed race. They have searched for an ancestor who was all white or all black, and just cannot find one in 250 years. Most of the time, they can't even tell what races these ancestors were descended from - they just know that they were "mixed" but mixed what is anyone's guess. They theorize that their family is a mix of English, African, and Native American blood, but Melungeon is also a distinct possibility.