Dan Note: From an earlier email. An answer in a dialogue. Reproduced here just to get you thinking in term you might not be used to.

Howdy,

SO!..........................you're into cannibalism? :)

I think you are not correct.........entirely:) When you say;

"For me, I am [CURRENTLY] convinced that the Portuguese ship(s)

of Angolan slaves--freed to indenture in and around Jamestown

(and possibly elsewhere, but apparently not recorded) up and down

the coast, ARE the core, and the single shared element among ALL

Melungeons.  And that NOT ALL the Angolans' family lines led to

Melungia, but that SOME did."

I think you meant; "from indenture"? But as they, "the first blacks" imported 

by the Dutch ship, we now know which ship they were taken from, as I 

understand it? And then we know it was from Dutch controlled Africa? No 

matter...my thinking is that as ONE person, a doctor, arriving on an English 

ship as the Medical Officer, bought most all of the black "servants never a 

slave" cargo. This Doctor (sorry cannnot now recall name:( was one that was 

killed during an indian uprising. (1622) His widow was holed up with two

children and another man while he went to the aid / medical care, of others. 

He was slain within sight of the cabin. The widow hit an Indian on the head 

whenever he entered through the chimney or ceiling. The other man was 

also fighting. (With A long barreled Goose gun, later shipped to England to 

have the barrel cut off.) A neighbor or servant, I forget which. (A 

shoemaker) And the two small boys, each taking the nickname of the thing 

they had to hid under, a washtub and a cookpot? or some such, for the rest 

of their lives! Both were very young. She remarried and moved later. 

Thing is; if these, the largest group of African "imports", all were owned by 

one person, one could assume that they also, at least for a while, lived, ate, 

and mated, within hearing distance of one another:) That would mean that 

their children, and grandchildren, might have also been close in physical 

communication:) So that the first mating of African/European, would have 

intermarried with European or the "same kind" next generation, ie 

European/African. This is encouraging. In that it is easier to look for a "core" 

than a scattering of "enlisted" or "volunteers", say for instance.

However, to say that in generations later on, they all stayed together, or 

interbred, is a bit harder to understand the logic, if it indeed happened that 

way. One or two going to a place and intermarrying and isolating themselves 

is more understandable, and would make the outcome the same as many 

going and doing so. But the difference is the Eurpean influx into the two 

genepools (assuming the African to be of the same tribe/family?) and would 

thus give rise to different looks, hair, eye color, etc.

I don't think this is the "core" if you want to call it that. I think that the 

"core" was here already when the African/European admixture took place! 

Yes, I think the "soon-to-be-melungeon", that is, the other half of the 

equasion, was already here for the African "imports" to intermarry with, was 

already here. They were, probably, no.........PROBABLY (so you dont' take it 

as fact and beat me to death with what I said:) Pamunkey survivors and 

others. I think these "others" are of course "both and all" of the 

aforementioned, that is to say, Gypsy; survivors of conflicts; imported; etc. 

And that is why they seem to us to be a mighty mix of many colors and 

creeds and races. The fact is, that most were sailors, or "clams" in that they 

are beach living people, tied to the sailor's trade and or industry. Or t'would 

figure that way. (By "imports" I mean Miners to Germania)                           

            

So let's say for arguing sake that there was Pamunkey where the first ship 

landed (there was) and that they were then entreated and mated with (they 

certainly were) and then that later on they were raided, and before that, 

individuals were thrown into the water from the ships and used as target 

practice, (they were! all true!) and then, at the last, surrounded by 

Europeans and indians, and slaughtered ALMOST intirely. (also true) 

Now, if this thinking is correct, they would have no love for most Europeans 

nor Indians! That too figers. Then a wierd thing happened on the way to 

independence. There was a "cottage industry" set up, by the survivors and 

others, a house of 'ill repute", if I can say it that way. Because the joke was 

for a sailor or enlisted man, to "go see the Queen" (of Pamunkey). That is to 

say, the Pamunkey (offspring that is? colored", as they say) have been dis-

enfranchised and the Pamunkey Tribe now have a discrimination clause in 

their constitution today. They "forbid" any black ancestry/blood from being 

part of their tribe and or reservation they now have. (it was public land 

mostly, now only a few acres). That too could figure into the equasion. (I say 

"now" because it is still in their "charter")

So, what do we have so far? African ancestry for everyone. European 

ancestry for everyone. Outcast for everyone. And now all we need to bring 

it to a boil is "reason for leaving and or wanting to hide". And if we look at 

history, and dan's:) ancestry, we can figure that out too! The new laws 

against intermarriage with whites. And then laws that, in effect, made all fpc 

and/or african servants, slaves for life in Virginia on a particular day.

Add to that the confusion brought on by my ancestor wanting to intermarry, 

about who was considered mulloto; mullata; how many generations to 

"White"; and so forth.

They MIGHT have come from Germania! As MY ancestors did come from 

Germania. And that would bring us to the most unusual fact of early history 

anyone could dream up. 

There was a man named Priber.

1 Christian Gottlieb Priber b: 21 MAR 1697 d: ABT 1744

  + A Cherokee Moytoy b: ABT 1720?

    2 Cristian Place Priber b: ABT 1737?

    2 Creat Priber b: 1740 d: 1790

      + Chief Doublehead (Taltsuska) b: BET 1744 AND 1799 d: 09 AUG 1807

Now, old Priber was from Europe, was well educated, knowing many 

languages. Origonally wanting to immigrate to thr colonies. He applied first 

for allotment land the Jamestown area. This was finally granted, but he did 

not take it, due to his absence from the area. Where did he go? 

Well, seems he heard of a German settlement! Germania, I presume (from 

the gedcoms:), where he got hooked up with the native americans. In fact 

he was adopted into the tribe. He ad learned the language, dressed as a 

native, and lived AS A NATIVE. Many of MY DECENDANTS were in Germania, 

and environs. (remember, I AM a Melungeon line from the "core", if you 

want to put it that way:) And there he became an Indian!

I'm not kidding here. He, for all practical purposes, was indian. He taught 

them. He did not teach them English, French, math, because they already 

knew that!!!! (They all could read, write, and do math, taught them many 

years before by one European "father" that lived in a cave above Jamestown 

in the early years! (Son of a rich shipping merchant.) And so what Priber did, 

was teach them how to trade with the English and others. 

This p.o.'ed the English! The English traders had to actually give good and 

equal value for what they wanted! Astonishing!! But not for long. For the 

British thought he was a "spy" and an instigator, and an ambassador in the 

employ of France. As such, he could be hunted down and imprisioned. Which 

is exactly what happened. He was imprisioned, where he wrote, in Cherokee

the bible; or the New Testament, (part of?). Which writing has never been 

found. This in aide / collaboration with a monk/priest. He also enjoyed the 

visits of many educated and liberal english. But he died in prison. His son 

sold everything of value his father had (before or after death, maybe before 

for bond/eating money?).

And the main thing is; he started a "Utopia"! 

Now, a utopia, in order to qualify as a "utopia", has to accept people. Which 

people? Well, some would be the blessed and educated and monied. But that 

would be a minority. Some would be Indian. And some majority would be 

about the "dregs" of society. Yes I am talking about MY ancestors, and 

probably yours! (as mine intermarried with Indian and Germanic) This would 

then be seen as a major problem to England. 

If this is correct, then there must be at least one (one to three generations 

per hundred years, buddy:) figuring some overlapping. I do remember a 

1960's life cover picture of a slave, showing his back which was whelped with 

the swollen scars of many whip strikes. The last "confederate war veteran" 

did not die until the late 1960's, to put "time" into perspective. Also, about 

Peleg (from my weakened memory:) "In his days was the earth divided" 

means physically, the seas filling the new gaps:)? or, politically, the sea of 

people filling the gaps?:) anyway, ...........there had to be one or two or more 

generations of the offspring of the mating in this Utopia, of Scot (irish-no 

irish:) and indian/ and scot/english/indian/germanic as mine is scot 

"SNEED/McNabb" married to "Willhoite" Germanic/indian, as the 

Willhoite/wilhoit/wilhite/wilhart/ family (even though one says there is no 

intermarrage with indian in the family:) They married at least once:) cause I 

am here!:)

But also there had to be more "entanglements" of races and genotypes, in a 

Utopia, that does occure often. And then as the main man was captured, and 

imprisioned, wouldn't there be a need of flight, for some? The Indians then, 

mostly mullotto actually, as all the historically named ones we know of today, 

(that others teach are "Native American" and "victims" of Europeans, are 

really mullotto, or interbred and could read and write and decifer:) would 

shake out of the mix. The interbreed (looking physically non-Indian 

perhaps? :) leaving one direction, south, and the Indian leaving to the 

southwest? And this is a "Core" of the Melungeon? They, MY family, went to 

help build a Fort Blackmoore. And stayed to live along the Clinch.

This is as close as I can come to the reasoning about this "core" Melungeon. 

I cannot say that I can substantiate any of this, except to point to the history I 

read, and the gedcoms containing Priber and my family and germanic family 

and "assuming" African influx into the Bunch line. I do know that there were 

Bunch Indians. A "Rose Bunch Tuckaho Tribe" which a Boundurant/Bundren 

son married into. Just to mention a different line.

Actually, Boundurant coming to America with his wife; his son changed his 

name to Bundren. And one of his sons , marrying a Mourning Bunch of the 

Rose Bunch Tuckahoe tribe changed his name to Bunch. (or did he marry 

Rose Bunch? I forget:) For trade or protection or both? Perhaps.

No doubt I did not come down this line of bunch! Why, because I am also kin 

to the person next to marry her! A Sneed? Of which I am sure of. And so, we 

may have this Utopian name? It may well have been "Tuckahoe"! That would 

figure! If there was a Tuckahoe tribe, it could have been the name of the 

Utopia that Priber started/joined! Also, it is the name of a root dug from the 

riverbank used to make bread. And the name of an Indian stupid enough to 

show two white men where to dig for gold in exchange for a rifle, which they 

gave to him one bullet at a time! 

Thinking gives me a headache, so that is as far as I can go today. And 

actually, that is about as far as I can go logically, that is, without refering to 

written family stories I gathered online, logically. So I will think on this some 

more. And wait to see if there are any that know more about Priber, a 

facinating person in history. If we use ME as the "benchmark" here, then 

there is a proximity of provincial progeny projected to Priber:) Wow! No 

wonder my head hurts:)

Later,

dan bunch

TEXAS

                                                                   MY DISTANT KIN