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Archiver > CURTIS > 2001-11 > 1005864094


From: "Phyllis K McLaughlin" <>
Subject: [CURTIS] Randolph and Cherokee County, North Carolina Curtis family
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 14:41:34 -0800


First of all I would like to thank all those list members who have
contributed to my search for Curtis ancestors. I was amazed that this
information was available and am very grateful to all who have posted
regarding this particular Curtis family.

My mother was the daughter of John Roy Curtis, born in Texas and the son of
John Curtis and Zula Dean. Before the internet postings, this was all the
information we had. Thanks to your research, I now know that he was
descended from William Zephthah, Watson, Amos and Thomas Curtis.

I recall my Mother saying that part of her heritage was Scotch-Irish, but
didn't understand exactly what that meant. When talking with my Aunt (Mom's
sister) a couple weeks ago, I asked her what things she could remember that
might be helpful in my search. In addition to some family memories, she
stated that her Dad was adamant that he was of Scotch-Irish heritage.

I started researching the Scotch-Irish and have been studying the
information available on the internet as well as two books I ordered from
Amazon.com. They are: 'The Scots-Irish in the Carolinas' by Billy Kennedy
and 'Carolina Cradle' by Robert W. Ramsey. The information I have gleaned
from these sources exactly parallels the migration of this Curtis family and
has served to substantiate his claim.

The only part that is confusing is the reference made on this list about
this Curtis family being Quaker. Everything I've read indicates that the
Scotch-Irish were ardent Presbyterians who stuck together, did not mingle
with other groups and built lots of Presbyterian churches/meeting houses
wherever they settled, even if they didn't intend to stay for a long time.

If Thomas Curtis was born in Frederick County, Virginia, then his parents
and siblings could have been among the group of Scotch-Irish 'recently
arrived' (via Pennsylvania) from Banbridge, County Down, Ireland who
established a settlement at Opequon Creek in that county in the 1730s. It
appears that other groups of Scotch-Irish who settled in Virginia for a time
generally did so in the area of Augusta County, quite a bit further south.

Please believe that I am not at all trying to argue anyone else's research -
I just haven't been able to reconcile this one issue and hoped someone could
come to my aid once again.

Is there anyone who can offer clarification - or maybe would like to discuss
this? Please feel free to e-mail me privately if you prefer.

Thanks in advance,

Phyllis McLaughlin
southern California



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