The Conservative Cave
The Bar => The Lounge => Topic started by: Karin on August 10, 2011, 07:24:16 AM
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I'm reading a book about travels across the U.S. In it, the author talks briefly about Melungeons, in northeast TN. A very mysterious bunch. I'd never heard of them. Do you know anything about them?
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Yeah I do.
One of my old golfing buddies, who is from West Virginia, told me all about them. He's quite knowledgeable about the subject.
I should try and get him over here.
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INFO (http://www.melungeon.org/node/4)
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They're the ones who live on Rocky Top.
Once two strangers climbed old Rocky Top
Looking for a moonshine still
Strangers ain't come down from Rocky Top
Reckon they never will.
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From the article
A few of the surnames are associated with the Melungeons include Collins, Gibson, Goins, Mullins, and Bowlin.
Those are very common surnames around here. I work with a couple of Collins' and Mullins', a Gibson and a Goins. All very fair, and with the exception of one Collins, they are/were blond and blue-eyed.
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Thanks for the info, I was just curious.
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From the article
Those are very common surnames around here. I work with a couple of Collins' and Mullins', a Gibson and a Goins. All very fair, and with the exception of one Collins, they are/were blond and blue-eyed.
I had blond hair. Now it's gray. I do have blue eyes.
My mother is from Harlan County, KY. My grandmother's maiden name is Magee. No disputing the country of origin. My G Grandaddy is an Irish immigrant. My grandfather was a coal miner and county sheriff. in Harlan county. When he got black lung, they moved to Middlesboro.
My daddy's side is originally from Great Britain. They've been here since the early 1800's. They settled in Jonesborough, TN. Most of them are still there. All fair skin.
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I was always told that there was Melungeon blood in our family. As I'm doing genealogy I'm not finding much evidence bar those surnames and a mention of one ancestor being married to "Indian Woman". Both sides hail from east KY, east TN and western VA via MD. We're all fair, but the paternal side is just a bit on the dusky side. I may find out more as I get better information.