Frances Shiflett Native American?

[Read from bottom to top]

From: Stephen
To: Carolyn & Russ
Sent: Wed, March 10, 2010 9:15:38 AM
Yeah the beard is a give away that there probably wasn't much Indian blood there. Also, back in the day, if they thought you were half Indian, you probably got labeled as Mulatto on the census. Frances is always white on the census records.

I think every family has an Indian heritage rumor. Grandma Luck's gg grandmother Anzaleah Harbarger was said to be part Indian. Someone even went so far as to put a new gravestone up a few years back that said "Cherokee Indian" even though there never were any Cherokees in Augusta County, VA.


=================================================

From: Russ
To: Carolyn
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 8:48 AM

Yes, I'd say people that lived in the mountains of Virginia in the early 1800's still feared the "savages". Because of these feelings of fear, it wouldn't surprise me at all if certain "unfortunate events" were blamed on the Native Americans.

But even if you put that whole theory aside, the idea that the dark hair and skin of the Allens can be attributed to Native Americans is still a bit of a stretch. Dark hair is dominant in just about every society on Earth. And "dark skin" in the Allens, particularly of the Native American variety, isn't really evident to me. Plus, have you ever seen a Native American with a full black beard like that of John W. Allen in that ca.1909 photo?
Anyway...I wouldn't cut-out the idea altogether. But I find it highly unlikely that Frances would be the product of a Native American man and a white woman. Many families share a similar story, but in most cases, I just don't believe they are true. BTW: if Wendell takes the DNA test, it should help prove this one way or the other.

We think that Stephen Shifflet was either Frances' Father or Grandfather, but we have no proof of either. They all appear to have been illiterate. Which, unfortunately, has left us with very poor family records.
Russ


=================================================

From: Carolyn
Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:37:55 -0500
To: Russ & Stephen

Well, that does put a little "excitement" into the story. A savage Indian? Were they around then? Ha. Don't you think some of the Allen's look like indians - the dark skin and hair?

Have you traced Frances Shiflett's father and mother. I guess I should check the family tree. Sounds like we have a lot of illigitimate ancestors!

=================================================

From: Russ
To: Stephen & Carolyn
Sent: Tue, Mar 9, 2010 12:42 pm


Personally, I don't believe the "Indian" reference.

Here's how I can see it going down...

Frances Shiflett's mother becomes pregnant with Frances at a young age after going "to far" with her boyfriend. What better way to 'play-off' this mistake than to say that she was viciously attacked and raped by a savage Indian while in the woods?

I find this concept somewhat believable. But the idea that she was actually the off-spring of an Indian...extremely unlikely. My guess is that she was the illigitimate child of one of Stephen Shiflett's older daughters. Also possible: She, herself, was the daughter (ligitimate or not) of Stephen Shiflett.

--Russ

=================================================

From: Stephen
To: Russ & Carolyn
Sent: Tue, March 9, 2010 12:11:49 PM

He might have been confusing Mary Maiden with Frances Shiflett. The one story we have from Elaine Allen Thompson, as told to her by George Allen, mentions that they thought Frances was part Indian and was illegitimate.

Russ, when Grandma was over the other day she mentioned that Asa Baugher's surname is pronounced "Bocker" not "Bower". Just a little something I thought I'd pass on.

=================================================

From: Carolyn
To: Russ
Date: Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 11:52 AM


I did share a little about his great grandfather and grandfather with Wendell. He has some misinformation about his grandmother Marcy C. Allen, (aka Mary C. Maiden).  He was told she was Indian and there was no information about her because the family disowned her.  It is not clear to me what he really knows about his Allen ancestors - didn't get into the "famous" story of the Allen clan. Told him about our trip to Charlottesville to visit cemeteries and old home places. He knew about the Busch's owning Algretus Via's old place and also about the old tree near the airport. He was surprised we got to go into Gertrude Via's old house.