Jeanneology
In addition, I have added information found in or obtained from scholarly books, internet, articles, research papers, and have used documents from Tribal, State, Federal,and other archival or manuscript collections. I have also been examining records from colonial times forward relating to these family affairs. I have tried to gain access to all available information about the PeeDee, of which next to nothing is found, and the Cherokee, what to include is the case here. I have personally edited many long passages to be pertinent to my interests.
This web site is a modest, but earnest attempt to furnish information to all my family, researchers and
anyone who can derive benefit from my work. In my Mom's family, we could never find any tombstones of our ancestors to validate the research into the claims of Cherokee Great,GreatGrandma Polly or the Welch and French connection of Mom's maiden name "Strange" -- so, now, again, hooray for the Internet!
DISCLAIMER:
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This site is a production of Jeanne Porter Ashley, a family history geek. It is dedicated to 'Passing
on Spirit' -- by the study and sharing of her personal family -- Strange, Harmon, Bishop, West, Mehaffey, Porter, Peel, Chavis, Tyler, Easterling -- ancestry.
Including, the associated Native American side of, 'PeeDee' and 'Cherokee' and the AmerInd history and genealogy of South Carolina.
The content here is based on ongoing research.
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I recently went to Union, SC and shot photos of Great-Grand-Dad Zebulon Alonzo Strange's tombstone. We did know where this one grave was located. I needed the specific dates from the stone to continue my research after an absence of 9 years.
Put the info into my trusty pc and off we went!
Great-GreatGrandma Polly -- Zebulon's Mom was full-blooded Cherokee!
Name: Lucinda WEST AKA Polly -- Sex: F -- Birth: 1816 in Buncombe County, North Carolina
Full blooded Cherokee Native American Polly West or Lucinda West was listed as thiry-four years of age in 1850 Murphy district Cherokee County, NC Census
Marriage -- William Alloway STRANGE b: 1813 in Alabama d: NC
Nine Children (one of nine) Zebedee STRANGE b: 1859 Our Zebulon Strange-- is found – he was lost to us due to the happening of a misprint – the census worker wrote Zebedee -- and, this is probably what he (the enumerator) heard -- many, many times the census data is difficult to read.
So, on the Strange side: Jeanne Porter Ashley / daughter of Polly Strange Porter / daughter of Robert Welch Strange / son of Zebulon Alonzo Strange / son of Lucinda Polly West Strange.
I am 1/16 Cherokee on my Strange side!
Further information on the Internet takes the Strange family back to 870 AD in England. Also, so far back into Europe to show 100 AD -- that is as far as most go. The 'Net has the French info -- and, the info where the La Strange family has Knight(s) and Lord(s) and the direct family tie route back to King John I, Richard the Lion Heart, Eleanor of Acquitane QOE, the King of North Wales and a delightful sounding person -- Maude, Countess of Oxford. In 800AD the Queen of Italy and in 780AD Norway The Viking Sveide, 175AD shows Frithuwulf in Asgard, Eastern Europe
All family men -- and some women -- back beyond Zebulon for many, many generations had been named "__So&So_ Alloway Strange" -- such as William Alloway Strange or Jane Alloway Strange.
Guess what "ALLOWAY" means -- ancient noble ELF battle!
Family Tree Maker asks: What does the Alloway name mean?
Name: Alloway
1) English: from the Middle English personal name Ailwi, which represents a falling together of several Old English names: Æ{dh}elwig ‘noble battle’, Ealdwig ‘ancient battle’, and Ælfwiig ‘elf battle’. Compare Alvey. Alloway is a Scottish place name, but the surname is of English rather than Scottish origin.
2) Americanized form of any of several French surnames, including Allouis (from a place in Meung-sur-Yèvre), Halloy (from any of various places in Oise, Pas-de-Calais, and Somme), or Allouet (a diminutive of Allou or Alleu, which was a status name for a free tenant, one not bound by feudal dues.
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Growing up in Columbia, SC, I always heard from my Dad's Mom, my Grandmother Susan Peel Porter, that her Mother, my GreatGrandma Henrietta Chavis Peel was PeeDee Indian. Grandma always seemed secretive about this information.
My Dad grew up on a farm in Orangeburg County, SC. He and many in his family -- male & female -- had really black hair and reddish skin and even tho the story of Henrietta could be associated with the Indian feature, she also married a first generation Irishman, Willie Peel, with black hair and freckles.
During recent geneology research I discovered that the old tale was correct. I am descended from Native Pee Dee stock along this family line. My family history is throughout the Orangeburg County area of SC and I knew already from family history that Henrietta was the daughter of Calvin Chavis and the Granddaughter of James "Jim" & Rebecca "Becky" Chavis.
I am tickled to have this news to share with my family members. Since the Pee Dee had basically ceased to exist, we have never been actively affiliated with a clan or tribe. Assuming that GreatGrandma was full-blooded, I would then be 1/8 Pee Dee. If she were ½ Amerind, then I would be 1/16.
My understanding is that my ancestors Jim & Becky Chavis were well-known River Traders who dealt with everyone openly and honestly.
From the Internet Ancestry board:
Name: James "Jim" CHAVIS Sex: M Birth: ABT. 1790 in Beaver Creek , Orangeburg, SC
Death: in Orangeburg Co, SC
Note: Jim and Becky Chavis were not the only Indians to settle in the Salley, Neeses, North area. There were a number of Indian families that came to the Beaver Creek area. So why are so many stories told about Jim & Becky? Why are they the main ones remembered? Because they were both descended from the Chief and his family. They were the couple held in highest esteen in the area.
To the old Pee Dee Indians, the clan was more inportant in day to day than the tribe. Jim & Becky were River Turtle Clan, what we call alligator turtles, which makes sense since they were river traders. When Jim & Beck settled in the Beaver Creek
area the other Indians wanted to be married into their family because they were special. That is why we have so many that are descended from Jim & Becky.
James Jim Chavis
Father: Elisha Lazarus CHAVIS
Mother: Nancy Williams
Marriage: Rebecca "Becky" WILLIAMS b: ABT. 1796 in Beaver Creek, Orangeburg, SC
Married: 1800
Jim's father was Elisha (or Lazarus in English). He fought along with General Francis Marion -
Name: Lazarus CHAVIS Sex: M
Note:
Elisha Chavis is one of many Pee Dee Indians that served in the Revolutionary War.
His company was formed by Capt. John Allston to fight with Gen. Francis Marion against the British. His company was called "Foot Rovers" and also "Foot Rangers" or Raccoon Company.*(audited accts No. 91).
The next in command Lt. James Coachman recruited Pee Dee from those who had lived on the reservation he established for them on his land on the Edisto River. This company was composed entirely of Pee Dee Indians and part of the regiment serving under Col. William Thompson.
*Audited Accts of Revolutionary Claims agains S.C., No. 91,S.C. State Archives, Columbia.
Father: Ishmael CHAVIS
Mother: Royal, Regal, Reigel, Reyel MNU
Marriage: Nancy Williams
Elisha's father was Ishmael.
Ishmael's father did not have a white name. Ishmael's wife was Reyel or Royal or Reigel or Regal
.
Ishmael was the last of Jim's clan to hold the title of Chief of the Pee Dee Tribe.
The Pee Dee have just been sighted in February 2005, by the State of South Carolina as a recognized tribe.
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For a complete history of all these small tribes, you can see the "Hand Book of American Indians".
The Southeast Indians were sophisticated farmers, hunters, gatherers, and fishers occupying a diverse
region extending from the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Southern Appalachians, the Carolina Piedmont, the
Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, Florida, and west of the mountains to the rich valley of the southern
Mississippi River. The complexity and uniqueness of the Southeast culture area........
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