Godwin family of Sampson and Randolph Countie, NC

[Michele Bender]

Family legend has it that some ancestor in my 2<SUP>nd</SUP> great-grandmother's family was a Blackfoot Indian. My 2<SUP>nd</SUP> great-grandmother (1857-1888) was Maria Ellen Sabin born in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> and she married and died in <st1:City w:st="on">Boone County</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Iowa</st1:State>. She was married to James Knox Polk Smith. Now I have a cousin, she would be a 2<SUP>nd</SUP> cousin to my late mother, who states that her late father (1<SUP>st</SUP> cousin to my grandfather) told her from family stories that she'd be 1/32<SUP>nd</SUP> or 1/64th Blackfoot Indian and it came through our Sabin portion of our family. I can't find my scribbled notes on this and am doing this from memory right now--the number part. No one had researched this far back before me, so I suspect that it comes from her mother's side; the name is GODWIN of both Sampson and <st1:City w:st="on">Randolph Counties</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">NC</st1:State></ST1:p. Her parents were Margaret Godwin and George Sabin. George was born in <st1:State w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:State> about 1825 with British heritage and Margaret was born in <st1:State w:st="on"><ST1:pNorth Carolina</st1:State> about 1828. Margaret's parents are (N)Etheldred (aka Dred) Godwin born about 1774 to Jonathan Godwin and Rachel Bullard (though I have not yet confirmed this parentage). (N)Etheldred married Peggy Ball in 1806 in <st1:City w:st="on">Randolph County</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">NC</st1:State>. He remains there until the 1830 Census when he has moved to Clay County, Indiana with his family. By the 1850 Census when there is much more detail given, he is widowed and only some of his children are living with him. From this Census on, the family always reports being "white." After Dred's death, the family then moves onto a handful of counties in Iowa. I can post more details on their locations in a later post if anyone is interested. Anyway, the reason I attached Maria Ellen's photo in my profile is that from her we can see a difference in the family. Prior to her marriage on this side, everyone was Quakers, Dutch or English basically; we also have no known African-American or Middle Eastern heritage, only Caucasian. My late grandfather never got to meet his grandmother for she died young of TB and his grandfather remarried. But she was the mother of 3 sons. My grandfather had an "olive" complexion and dark hair (as did some of his brothers) and tanned beautifully. So did my late mother; and so does both my sister and brother. I represent more of my father's Scottish heritage! But I have 1 daughter of 2 who also shares this complexion. After reading some of the "Other Blackfoot" discussions on your site, I see you state the Piedmont area of NC/VA as a location; that is definitely the same region our family was from (where Sampson and Randolph counties sit). Unfortunately, there are no other older living relatives to ask about this and all we have is this little tidbit of information.

[Wachinika]

I just found your post. My guess is it soon got lost under other posts. Sorry to be so belated to welcome you.

Your story reminds me of mine in that I have a photo of a GGGUncle b.1774, I think and he is light complexioned but after 2 grandmothers everyone has dark hair and eyes and the story of Blackfoot heritage. If you just keep researching your families and enter their surnames and locations in the "search" above and in the "search within this thread" tool when the results come up you may begin to find some answers. Several of your names seem familar as mentioned around here. We've been adding our surnames to our signature from the "User Cp" area in the upper left. There are seldom any fast and easy answers for those of us with families that migrated west.

Thank you for sharing your Grandmother's Portrait. She looks very similar to the families of those who post here. You're on the same quest as many who post here so join right in!:)

[Michele Bender]

Thank you Wachinika for the warm welcome. I have tried the search options, but don't really come up with much. I also have added more to my signature, as I already had something there before; but I still don't see any of it show up with a post, though it is there in preview format (even though I have saved it too). And the box is checked to show my signature, so I guess someone else will have to let me know if they can see the GODWIN and SABIN names in the signature field.

As for my family, it is still a mystery which side the connection comes from whether it be SABIN or GODWIN. Maybe one day we will find out! If no one ever reported it on Census or the Native American Rolls, is there truly a way to confirm the story?

[Michele Bender]

I guess I just answered my own question about the signature--this time it showed up! : - )

[Michele Bender]

Well I think I found some good news here! Seems another person is researching Elizabeth Godwin Thomas, sister to my Margaret Godwin Sabin(s). It seems he too has some Native American ancestry family lore which leads back to Elizabeth!

Here is what this gentleman had to say in his original post:

"I would love to know more about William: where he comes from and also his wife. My great grandmother Lewis (see above family line) told my mother that she was part Cherokee indian through her mother's side of the family (Thomas). Elizabeth Thomas was born in NC. A state where a group of Cherokee's lived. She lived there before the Trail Of Tears migration in 1838. My mother was given a photograph of G.G. Lewis, her sister, and her mother (Lizzie/Elizabeth, wife of James J. Mills). My mother told me that she was immediately surprised at the Native American features of G.G. Lewis's mother: high cheek bones, jet black hair (very evident in my own father even into his 70's), and darker skin."


And after I replied to him, here was his response:

“It was exciting to hear from a relative of William's wife, Elizabeth. I don't have much more to share other than what was contained in my original note of Aug. 17th. As I said my mother was able to approach my great grandmother and ask her a little about her past. My great grandmother, Ida May lived to be 102 (died 1979). I remember her well. She told my mother that she was part Cherokee indian and that this was on her mother's side. I would love to be able to find out if any ancestors are registered in the Cherokee Nation database but have no idea where to start or who to look for. I could have my DNA tested to verify Native American ancestry and that is something I may do in the future (too costly now). Here is another brief chart:

William Thomas (married Elizabeth Godwin b. 17-Aug-1813-N.Carolina, d.17-Apr-1877 Arbor Hill, Adair Co., IA) => Netheldred Thomas => Elizabeth Thomas (Mills) => Ida May Mills (Lewis)"

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I guess I am excited that someone else whom I do not know nor had any known connection to posts for the first time on Ancestry in August of this year and shares similiar details! The one conflicting bit of course is that my family stated "Blackfoot" and his family claims "Cherokee." From much conversations with other Godwin researchers, all feel that the Native American heritage probably comes through Peggy Ball, the wife of "Dred" Godwin. Other than finding their marriage, she is a total mystery! And unfortunately she dies before the 1850 Census when they started recording all family members. Putnam County, IN (where they eventually lived) doesn't have a lot of information available yet online for research.

[techteach]

Not finding out information about an ancestor is a characteristic of NA ancestry.

Sounds like this cousin could do an mtDNA test, if his female line is unbroken by males. It would be interesting for this forum to know that information, considering your story.

BTW, your two stories are not necessarily conflicting. Many of us have the story of Blackfoot Cherokee ancestry, both tribal names acting as one name.

Other family stories are fun and informative. From distant cousins online I have heard stories of a connection with Tecumseh and Chief Logan both in my family. And my family ended up in Jackson County, IA after leaving MD, via WV and OH.

Techteach

PS: I just found a Ball from 1846 who marries one of my Greens in Licking County, OH

[Michele Bender]

"BTW, your two stories are not necessarily conflicting. Many of us have the story of Blackfoot Cherokee ancestry, both tribal names acting as one name."

This is reassuring. My sister works for a county government in Michigan and has helped plan a recent pow-wow and has a few good sources to bounce things off.

Are there any articles available on this merger of 2 tribal names?

[Linda]

No, no articles, but it is not unusual to come across people with the ID of Blackfoot Cherokee.

[Michele Bender]

Well this gentleman whom I have been corresponding with sent me another email the other night,

"I just discovered that there are 17 Balls listed at the website Cherokeeroots.com, including a Margaret Ball. Only the name is listed (no dates) but the site refers you to Cherokee Roots-Vol.I which lists several roles for the Eastern Cherokee tribes including their earliest 1817 Reservation Role for $15."

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Well Peggy is a known nickname for Margaret and even my ancestor was named Margaret and her sister Elizabeth had a child who went by both names. Maybe this lead will pan out. I suggested he not spend the money right now and I'd do some major searching to see what I could find publicly on the Internet first or even at my local library.

[Linda]

Where was your Maria Ellen Sabin married? Where did she meet the Smith fellow? I have Smiths in Indiana I suspect were Blackfoot. One thing we've learned here is that when you find one Indian in the family, you often find a bunch more, even some you'd assumed were simply white.

[Michele Bender]

Sorry to be slow to reply; I did not realize you had posted.

They were married in Boone County, Iowa at her mother's home. I have a copy of the original certificate that my cousin holds in her possession. James Knox Polk Smith was born in Genesse County, Michigan to (H)Oratio Nelson Smith (of NY) and his wife Sarah Hyatt (of NY). They had 2 sons in Michigan; then headed to IL and had a daughter there before moving onto Iowa and residing in Boone County.