History buff searches for Lost Colony[Roanoke]

The News & Observer ^ | 25 Oct 2006 | Catherine Clabby

[maine-iac7]

What was that word that they found carved in the tree?

hee hee -

[FreedomCalls]

But aside from some native Indians with surnames from the colony's roster and antidotal suggestions that some Indians looked more like Englishmen, what is the archeological or anthropologic evidence to support this hypothesis?

http://www.jhu.edu/~jhumag/1101web/roanoke.html

[FreedomCalls]

But aside from some native Indians with surnames from the colony's roster and antidotal suggestions that some Indians looked more like Englishmen, what is the archeological or anthropologic evidence to support this hypothesis?

http://www.jhu.edu/~jhumag/1101web/roanoke.html

UPDATE - added a link to the original source documents:

http://www.virtualjamestown.org/fhaccounts_date.html

[maine-iac7]

I would bet that the Inuit have traces of Nordic genes.

There's evidence they explored and sailed the northern bays and waterways - and may have ended up, eventually, in North Dakota - where were found, early on, "white Indians with blue eyes" - the Mandans

[AZRepublican]

I don't understand why there would be a food shortage problem with fish and game abound.

[RoadTest]

"they were England's earliest land grab in North America"

The choice of words here tells me that the article is written from the point of view of an anti-English interest. If you know history, you know what I mean.

[bert]

The lesson was that the Roanoke Island colony was the first English attempt.

My favorite book growing up was "the Flamingo Feather" by Kirk Munroe describing the interaction of the French, Sapnish and indian struggle over the terrority.

I'll jump in here to comment on the people.

Recently there has been a major effort by the folks known as Mullengons who live in East Tennessee and southwest virginia to explore in detail their heritage. There is near certainty that they spring from these very early abandoned colonies.

The mix of European and Indian plus other genes resulted in a population that was ostracized by both Indian and Europeans who came later. The Mullengons who can be readily identified by a knot on their head, were pushed westward to the mountains and ridgetops of East Tennessee and Southwest Va.

[bert]

.....Croatoa or something like that.....

Croatan as in Croatan Sound

[Oberon]

The surname "Mullins" is strongly associated with Melungeon heritage, just as "Lowery" and "Oxendine" are associated with the Lumbee indians of eastern NC.

[Smokin' Joe]

Easily underestimated because of its recently politically incorrect status is the economic importance of tobacco, which was even used as currency.

[Constitution Day]

NC *Ping*

Please FRmail Constitution Day, TaxRelief OR Alia if you want to be added to or removed from this North Carolina ping list.

[Lee'sGhost]

"Most of us were taught that it was the first European colony in the New World,"

You must have gone to some Yankee school. We were taught that it was the first English colony.

[Lee'sGhost]

They're looking in the wrong place. The location is likely somewhere around Cedar Island. Ever listen to their Cockney-like accent? The theory is that when John Smith came back to the East Coast, navigation being what it was -- and the fact that a couple of hurricanes had come and gone in his absence and the inlets had changed -- that he couldn't find the actual location of the colony. Remember, he sent out several search parties as he traversed the coast in his ship. Some of his men were killed by Indians.

The original colonist are fishermen and farmers living around Cedar and Harpers Islands still waiting for his return.

[twigs]

Anyone interested in this topic should read Lee Miller's book Roanoke. It's fascinating and well researched.

[pasquale]

Bert,

By coincidence, I'm just starting to do some research on the Melungeons. Can you recommend any books on the subject?

[Constitution Day]

I suppose that's a plausible theory.

Have you heard of the 16th c. signet ring that ECU archaeologists found on Hatteras Island?

The crest on it was connected to the family of gentleman who was one of the colonists.

see: http://www.outer-banks.com/hatteras-school/dig98.html

[Constitution Day]

to the family of a gentleman

[bert]

Here is a link to the "bible" of the new effort to earn about the Melungeons.

it is written by N. Brent Kennedy, a resident of Wise Virginia who ended up in Emory hospital in Atlanta where he learned he had a rare hereditary disease limited to Mediterranean people. He was astounded because he was from Wise....Southwest Virginia. I attended one of his lectures and have been interested ever since.

The result was his book "The Melungeons" The Resurrection of a Proud People. It is the basis for tremendous work that followed.

Here is a good link with many family names.

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/flats/5649/melunreg.htm

I would also check out the Kingsport Times news website archive. They have periodic articles and cover very well the annual homecoming event that has taken place in recent years. The children and grand children are very curious about their mountain/ridgetop heritage and are coming together into the open to study and learn.

As a pure outsider but Tennessee resident and property owner in Claiborne County , a Mulengon stronghold, I was curious. This curiosity was compounded when I was able to tie Melungeons into the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island a favorite vacation spot with "The Flamingo Feather" a favorite book that is set near Cumberland Island Ga another favorite vacation spot. The Melungeons are unquestionably descendents of these early failed colonial efforts

Not too long ago I searched for Kirk Monroe on the Kansas geneological registry to find out how an author in the 1800's in Kansas had such a good feel for the precolonial effort in Georgia. I never learned but now get periodic inquires about the monroe family because somehow I'm known there. :)

[bert]

if you have a really strong interest, come to Kingsport for the annualk homecoming.

I love meeting FReepers and will take you to dinner.

[Mannaggia l'America]

What was that word that they found carved in the tree?

REDRUM