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Everyone can't be a Melungeon

An Excerpt take from The Melungeon Mystery Solved-- A Scientific Researchers View

By James S. Elder 

Everyone seems to want to be a Melungeon. Just as with Native Americans, the ethnic group has gone through some sort of metamorphosis. For many years no one wanted to be an Indian or a Melungeon. Then Native Americanism became "in" and suddenly everyone was trying to show some Indian ancestry. The same has happened with Melungeons.

     The difference between being accepted as Native American versus being accepted as Melungeon lies in proof. If you can not prove a genetic connection to a known Native American, you will absolutely not be accepted as part of that tribe. In the case of Melungeons, the standard seems to be similar to that of (and with apologies to) René Descartes - I think (so), therefore I am!

     Melungeon "surname lists" have grown to the length of absurdity. Melungeon diseases have been used as "proof" of Melungeon descent. Just "looking like" a Melungeon is good enough evidence in some circles.

     Only genealogical proof of having an ancestor who was a Melungeon makes you a Melungeon descendant. "Known to be Melungeon" means to be universally accepted by all researchers as being a Melungeon. You can't pick-and-chose your Melungeon "researcher". Selecting a name from some bloated surname list, proposed by some off-the-wall "Melungeon expert", is absurd.

     Just having the same surname as a known Melungeon from a Melungeon area also isn't enough. Some people from that area who have the same last name as genuine Melungeons come from entirely different (and non-Melungeon) ancestors. It's an easy trap to fall into and is a common mistake among neophyte genealogical researchers.

     So, who do you have to descend from to be a Melungeon???

     I've worked with some Melungeon researchers - real researchers (i.e. those who actually do research) - and we came up with an arguably imperfect definition. It may not be absolutely definitive, but I think it is as close as we can come at the present time.

1. Your ancestor (and you have to prove he or she is your ancestor) must be descended from someone listed as a "Free Person of Color" on the 1830 Hawkins or Claiborne County, Tennessee Census or 1830 Lee or Scott County, Virginia census.
2. Your ancestor's surname should be the same as a universally accepted historical Melungeon surname such as those named in the William Grohse manuscript.

     The definition is purposefully restrictive. While there is a bit of "wiggle room" built in, it is up to the researcher to prove the individual from whom he descends was actually thought of as a Melungeon during that individual's lifetime. Not everyone living in the Newman's Ridge area was a Melungeon. Listings of Melungeon surnames in the vast majority of books and on Internet pages are by and large grossly inflated and can not be considered as evidence of Melungeon ancestry. Many Melungeon surname lists are the result of wishful thinking and poor research. They are worthless.

An Excerpt take from The Melungeon Mystery Solved-- A Scientific Researchers View By James S. Elder

1830 Claiborne County Index

1850-1880 Hancock County, TN Census

Lists Of Freedmens Surnames From The Dawes Roll

This Site has A Lot of Help

The African-Native American History And Genealogy Webpage

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