Wood/Woods/Shiflett

[clen99]

I have corresponded with a distand cousin about this Plecker Bulletin. In the 1850 [might have been 1900 or 1920 census] Albemarle County Census some families that had previously (and consequentially) been listed as white were listed as mulatto/black--all of a sudden and just in this census. It is the greater family's belief that the census taker--a local--had heard that if there were more blacks accounted for in the county, Albemarle would be eligible for more Ferderal monies and, thus, the reason some Shifletts/Woods were
listed as mulatto/black. Plecker, apparently, locked in on this census information and ever after declared these families mixed/undesirable. The implications cut both ways; why did Plecker even want to list families that had been living as white if there wasn't some other suspicion? And why
did the local (who was most likely a cousin of some sort) pick these particular families of the Shiflett/Wood clan as mulatto/black? The family racks it up as mistaken identity and will not respond otherwise. I keep
trekking the way I always have---from mind/heart through my feet.

Lee

[CoheeLady]

Dear Lee,
My family is from Virginia, many left the state, some returned, while others never left Va.. I have always lived in Va., as did my ancestors. The Wood (Woods) family married into my family, they however aren't direct descendants of mine. Our family surname of CASH is on PLECKER'S "HIT LIST" twice, once it Amherst Co., & Rockbridge County. The true meaning behind Plecker's dirty deeds, wasn't money, but hate. As he was a member of the Eugenics' Movement organization, & The Anglo Saxon Clubs of America. He used his political power with the help of Mr. Powell, Mr. Cox, & others, to make the state believe that he was the best person for the job as Registrar of Va. Vital Statistics. He was the first Registrar of Vital Statistics, & used his position to have access to birth, marrige, & death records. As he believed the following, these are his words:"There are no Indians in Virginia that are unmixed with Negro blood". He also called Indians of Virginia "Negroes", & he called African Americans, "True Negroes". These are his words, as I have done much research on the Eugenics' Movement & Plecker. I have many copies of original letters to & from Plecker. These letters give us a more indepth look into the racial hatred towards American Indians, & the ignorance of people like Plecker, Powell, Estabrook, & countless others. Plecker devoted his time & life to what was known as "RACIAL PURITY". He had a researcher (name unknown) that did research on all of the families that were on his list.

The only time that Plecker received money to fund his hate, was through those that applied for birth certificates and/or copies. He was of course in charge, so the money seemed to have gone directly to him, to do with as he pleased. He changed information regarding the race of certain people & families. He would write on the back of birth certificates, & give his opinion of the person's true identity. Since he believed that Indians were "Black", he labeled them as such, even families that were both European & Indian. However, they presented him with a problem. Take my family for instance, since they were on the census as White, he couldn't get his way, except for putting them on his list. Those families that were listed in the census as Mulatto or Indian, were easier targets. Plecker had one hell of a time in the county where my ancestor's are from, as the county didn't bow down to his wishes. The county made sure that they did their best to protect the families that he targeted. This made Plecker very angry, as he thought he could control everyone. My family was on his list probably because of our surnames, & the fact that my great, great, great grandfather LEROY PATTERSON CASH MARRIED MARY PATTERSON. Their marriage bond states at the top "INTERMARRIAGE". If this was written due to the possibility that they were cousins, then we would find MANY MORE CERTIFICATES LIKE THIS ONE!

If you want any more info on Plecker just let me know. Sorry that this is so long, but it's not a topic one can briefly touch on. By a stroke of a pen Plecker thought he could wipe out the American Indian families of Virginia, on & off the reservation. He did not succeed, as he left behind a wealth of information for those of us that have surnames on his List. As to me it stands to represent the fact that our ancestor's were American Indian. If he knew that this list would some day provide us with written proof of our families complete ancestry, he would have had it destroyed! I thank God that it exists to this day, as my ancestor's were proud of heritage. As the List says: A list of those families claiming Indian ancestry and/or trying to pass as white.
Sincerely,
CoheeLady

[This message has been edited by CoheeLady (edited 09-18-2002).]

[vance hawkins]

John Richey (1797 Va -1861 Ar) married Mary Polly Wood (1801 Tn or Va - 1870s? Ar). Two or 3 Richey boys married Woods girls i Indiana. John & Mary moved I guess with their parents (but we do not know who their parents were) to Indiana where they were married by 1817 -- pretty young.

Mary Polly Wood's parents were a Wood & a Dickson.

vance hawkins

[clen99]

I want to post a little Wood info here, briefly, cuz that's all I have. Emma Wood (May, 1858-August, 1937) of Albemarle County, VA married John William Bruce (Sept., 1852-June, 1938). I cannot find anything on Emma's parents at this time. John was my great-grandfather's uncle. John's brothers married Shifletts and Bruces. This whole line of Bruce/Shiflett/Wood/Dovel/Powell is missing in my info because I have run into a dead end. But all the relations I speak of are from Orange/Albemarle, Rockingham, Louisa Counties in VA.

The Shiflet family website addy is: www.shifletfamilly.org. (http://www.shifletfamilly.org.)