All Things Cherokee

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Dempsey

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I was born in Gordon.County, Georgia near New Echota. My Paternal ancestors are Grays, Dempseys and Erwins. My. grandmother was Julia Erwinn. Her brothers Darius and C.M. recieved some type of settlement. From Cherokee Nation or the Federal governmentt (not sure). If. anyone has knowledge of my native bloodt, please contact me here.
Jack Steven Dempsey

Comments

  1. Julia’s parents were Cyrus Mitchell Erwin and Martha Ayers.

    Cyrus was born in 1867 in GA. His parents were Marcus Leonidas Erwin (b. 1840 GA) and Elizabeth Dawson (b. 1840 GA), married in Gordon County, GA, in 1860. Marcus’s parents were closely related cousins. Their fathers were brothers, and their grandfathers were also brother. This family lineage moved into Northern GA as settlers, coming from Burke County, NC. They moved into Cherokee lands as the tribal population was removed. They were the White settlers that basically kicked them out. Elizabeth’s parents had come to northern GA from York County, SC. They were also White settlers moving into northern GA.

    http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=ER&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSst=12&GScntry=4&GSsr=601&GRid=57816927&
    http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=57816964
    http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=DAW&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSst=29&GScntry=4&GSsr=921&GRid=59553934&

    Martha was born in GA about 1870. Her findagrave page lists her maiden name as Ayers, but this is unsourced.

    Darius’s lifespan was 1911-1996, C.M. was 1917-1990. There were no Cherokee settlements during that time period. They were born after Eastern Cherokee Land Claims Settlement (Guion Miller Rolls), and the family was not affiliated with any Cherokee band, included Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians located near Cherokee, NC. There are no EBCI families with the surname Erwin/Erwinn. Settlements based on tribal status have to be related to affiliation with the tribe and rights to land or resources that were either part of some kind of fee payment, or some compensation. This was not the case with the Erwin side. The Ayers side still needs to be traced, but Martha is listed as White in all records, and was also not affiliated with the tribe during her lifetime. Also, Ayers is not associated with Eastern Band Cherokee either.

    • I once read that when a Native American married a white person that they were considered white by marriage, which complicates any search.

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