First the bibliography:
Goins, Jack H. Melungeons: Footprints from the Past. 2008. jackgoins@Charter.net 423-272-7297.
Hicks, Theresa M., and Wes Taukchiray. South Carolina Indians and Indian Traders and other Ethnic Connections Beginning in 1670. 1998. Published for Peppercorn Publications, Inc. by The Reprint Company Publishers, Spartanburg, SC.
Hirschman, Elizabeth Caldwell. Melungeons: The Last Lost Tribe in America. 2005. Mercer University Press, Macon GA.
Kennedy, N. Brent, with Robyn Vaughan Kennedy. The Melungeons: The Resurrection of a Proud People—The Untold Story of Ethnic Cleansing in America. 1997. 2nd rev. ed. Mercer University Press, Macon GA.
Rice, Horace R. The Buffalo Ridge Cherokee: A Remnant of a Great Nation Divided. 1995. Heritage Books, Inc., MD.
Spurlock, Pat. Melungeons: Examining an Appalachian Legend. 2012. 3rd rev. ed. Published by the author, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN13: 9781479249336. Original research materials deposited with the Sullivan County TN Library System, Blountville TN.
What these books have in common—they are researched and written with the genealogist who is looking for their family ties by persons closely connected to those families. They live where the families lived and they know living descendants. They meld family traditions and research facts to provide a genealogy reality for the reader. These are not books compiled for the popular market by journalists. Extensive surname lists include pedigree ties related by descendants and spelling variants found in the records themselves.
And these works fit my criteria for a genealogy book—
- “Chatty” footnotes so you can find the records cited for yourself.
- A thorough bibliography of the research by other genealogists and scholars to broaden and document the knowledge behind the study.
You can check these titles and authors on the Internet—all of the books are still available for purchase. And if you have one or more Southern ancestors, I suggest that you consider personal copies for your own library and use. Your favorite Tennessee genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS Next I ‘ll suggest studies for how your Native American ancestors related to the settlers who invaded their lands. Stay tuned.