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Archiver > Melungeon > 2003-02 > 1044235691


From: "Pat Elder" <>
Subject: RE: [Melungeon]
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 20:28:18 -0500
In-Reply-To: <C5FA5FEED6F0884E9EB90BB3C010F1EF02F95059@etsuex1.etsu.edu>


Hi Wayne, What I saw in Price's work was that he found similar names in both
counties and they were all listed as some form of free colored in the
mid-1950s. I did not get the impression that Price was saying they were all
related and I don't remember him giving any information that tied one
particular family to another but maybe I overlooked something or you have
found new information. Could you tell us how you perceived Price to say that
all were Melungeons?

Same thing on the "Celebrated Melungeon Case." I couldn't find anything
linking them to the Bolden family of Hancock County. Neither was I
successful in finding out Michael Bolden's parents. Jemima's father was born
in North Carolina but that doesn't mean he was Melungeon. Lawyers are paid
to win cases. Shepherd's opinion is not the same thing as proof. It is/was
anecdotal evidence (not the best evidence in the world <G>). A Melungeon
surname and a dark-skinned family was involved but where is the evidence
that shows any relationship between others who can be documented as being
Melungeon?

>>The fact that Shepard documented Melungeons in Hamilton County, Price
documented Melungeons in
>>Graysville, and Doris Ulman documented Melungeons in Kentucky indicates
the opposite.

The action the above people took was not "documenting" Melungeons anywhere.
It was a statement of their opinions (maybe) that may or may not be
accurate. I don't think there is a Melungeon researcher anywhere on this
list that will say that Melungeons hadn't moved to Kentucky or Oregon or
Kalamazoo by the time those photos were made. No one is arguing that
Melungeons never moved from Hancock County.

I can't speak for others, but based on my research marrying into a family
does not constitute turning that married-in name into a Melungeon name. I
can see a commercial advantage of "the more the merrier" but it still
doesn't make accurate history. Research is done from what is known to what
is unknown. In trying to place families together, that means working
backward not coming forward and adding in every family that every
intermarried.

Pat

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