Genealogy

Researching Indian Ancestry by Sara Whitford

One of the number one questions Coastal Carolina Indian Center gets via e-mail is how to find Indian ancestors, or how to determine the tribe of certain ancestors who were said to be Indian. This article was written to help people get started on finding those answers.

If you are embarking on a search for Indian ancestors, there are several tips to consider: [Continue reading…]

Can Lost Colony ‘mystery’ be solved through DNA testing?

By Sara Whitford

I have been asked this, and similar questions, multiple times over the years because of my connection with Coastal Carolina Indian Center, as well as my role as the Group Administrator for the East Carolina Roots DNA Project. I figured it was finally time to write a post about it for anyone who is interested.

It is a question I always have to answer with a question:

“How can one match DNA to the Lost Colonists, or even the Indians of Croatoan, definitively, considering there are no genetic samples from which a contemporary subject’s results could be compared?”

Let me explain the simplest reasons first, and then we’ll get into the more complex reasons later. [Continue reading…]

Genealogical DNA Testing in Layman’s Terms

January 7, 2012

By Sara Whitford As the Group Administrator for the East Carolina Roots DNA project through Family Tree DNA, I often receive questions about DNA testing. People want to know what kind of information they’ll be able learn from that little cheek swab, and it’s also important for me to tell them about the limitations of [...]

Read the full article →

Surnames Database Project

December 23, 2011

Below are full name/surname lists based on associations with particular tribes or special areas of research. Please keep in mind that just because someone is of a particular surname associated with a particular tribe DOES NOT NECESSARILY mean that the person was of that tribe. It is necessary to establish a “preponderance of evidence” before [...]

Read the full article →

SQUIRES Surname Research

December 14, 2011

The Elks surname is relevant to researching Coastal Carolina Indian history because it was the last recorded surname associated with the Hatteras Indians. Below, you will find a compilation of various data regarding the Elks surname (and variant spellings), including census records, deeds, headright information, wills, etc.. If you have anything you would like to [...]

Read the full article →

JOHNSTON/JOHNSON Surname Research

December 14, 2011

The Johnson family first appears as Free People of Color on Virginia’s eastern shore in the mid-1600s, and later in various counties in eastern North Carolina. This family is connected through marriage extensively with other families that are key in our research: BUTLER, ROACH, BUCK, HARRIS and BRYAN(T), Early North Carolina Census Records ELIZABETH JOHNSON [...]

Read the full article →

ELKS Surname Research Notes

December 14, 2011

The Elks surname is relevant to researching Coastal Carolina Indian history because it was the last recorded surname associated with the Hatteras Indians. Below, you will find a compilation of various data regarding the Elks surname (and variant spellings), including census records, deeds, headright information, wills, etc.. If you have anything you would like to [...]

Read the full article →

BROOKS DEEDS – Hyde County, North Carolina

December 14, 2011

From Record of Deeds A, 1736-1762 Abstracted and Indexed by Allen Wilkinson Hart Norris (Typed up for this website by Sara Whitford.) 180 (339-252) William Brooks to Thos Lowther 20 pounds cm VA 80 acres on Indian Ridge in Arrowmuskeet Hyde Co, joining Henry Gibbs Sr on one side and sd Lowther on the other. [...]

Read the full article →

BASS Bible Record (Nansemond/Chowanoc)

December 14, 2011

Chowan County, NC – John Basse Bible Record ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book of John Basse-Norfolk County Virginia NC Archives – Bibles Call No. 400.1.1.418 Nathaniell Basse and Mary Jourdan was marrid ye 21 day of May in ye yeare of our blessed Lord and Savior 1613 Humphrey Basse sonne of Nath’ll and Mary Basse his wife was [...]

Read the full article →

Apprentice Bonds for Free People of Color in Craven County, North Carolina (1769-1820)

December 14, 2011

In researching Indian ancestry, it’s important to note that for a variety of reasons in history (usually economic or socio-political), Indian people were often recorded as any race other than Indian. Sometimes “White,” other times “Black,” or “Negro,” and other times “Free Person of Color,” “Colored,” or “Mulatto.” The entries below have been taken from [...]

Read the full article →

Indians named in Court Records of Carteret County

December 14, 2011

Extracted from court record books and submitted to CCIC by Kevin Davis of Carteret County. (From series: Early Carteret Court Minutes 1723-1820) (Please note, some of these records use the term “mulatto” in referring to individuals that were most likely Indian. This was not unusual, as in eastern North Carolina in the period following the [...]

Read the full article →

Bertie County Deed Book M – 1777 – Various Abstracts

December 14, 2011

(From Deeds of Bertie County 1772-1785, Abstracted by Stephen Bradley, Jr. – typed from copy for this website by Sara Whitford) (Entries below can be found on page 31 of aforementioned book.) 296-(314) Articles of agreement between WHITMELL TUFDICK, WILLIAM ROBERTS, WILLIAM CAIN, WILLIAM BLOUNT, TOM SMITH, JOHN SMITH, & LEWIS TUFDICK of Bertie Co., [...]

Read the full article →

1790 Coastal Carolina Indian Cross-Reference Database

December 14, 2011

Free People of Color – by County – 1790 Federal Census A cross-reference using surnames, known names of Indian families, and historic Indian villages In researching Indian ancestry, it’s important to note that for a variety of reasons in history (usually economic or socio-political), Indian people were often recorded as any race other than Indian. [...]

Read the full article →