I am looking for Native American ancestors Myrtle Belma Hyrne, father’s name: Charles Edward Hyrne, born 1859 in Kentucky, mother’s name: Elizabeth Dunaway born 1867 in Kentucky. Parents: Leonidas Hyrne and Elizabeth Esham, and John T. Dunaway and Mary Louisa Stull. Any help finding my Native American ancestors is greatly appreciated. According to my aunt, Myrtle was 100% Cherokee and Shawnee and was born in Kentucky. They lived in a hallow outside of Maysville, and passed for white.
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You’ve already assembled an impressive family tree going back quite a few generations. Now it is just a matter of compiling the documents and records and analyzing them. What are they really saying or reflecting here?
Basically, this should illustrate where the families were coming from, what society they were a part of, and how they were identified. Myrtle doesn’t appear to have Native American ancestors and this is not a matter of passing for White. They appear to have been White. She has standard White American roots coming from families that moved in to OH and KY from eastern seaboard settlements in the early 1800s.
There were never any Cherokee settlements in Kentucky. Not a one. The land now inside the state of Kentucky was claimed only as a hunting ground or military zone. This area was also claimed (and occupied) by other tribes, but the Cherokees were strong enough to be recognized by colonial and American powers as the tribe that formally controlled this territory (and more importantly, they were recognized as the tribe that could formally cede this land). Almost all Cherokee claims to Kentucky were extinguished even before the American Revolution. Only a tiny sliver remained in the south central part of the state until 1805, when even that last remaining bit of hunting ground was ceded. No Cherokee settlements were ever known to exist anywhere in that state historically, nor any clusters or communities of full blood families. Only a very small scattering of mixed blood Cherokees who had forfeited their tribal affiliation might be found in that state after Removal in 1839. And these families would have roots further south, and only moved to Kentucky as American citizens (migrating to other areas, looking for work and better opportunities, just like anyone else). Likewise, the Shawnee only moved through the state at various times. Very few stayed or intermarried and have descendants found in that state today. The majority of the tribe moved to Indian Territory after years of fighting Anglo settlers and being pushed west, and sometimes south. No settlements or large numbers or Shawnees stayed in the state as White Americans began pushing into that territory during the late 1700s and early 1800s. A few Indian women may have married White men and separated from their tribes, over a specific window of time, but they are exceptional cases. It doesn’t appear Myrtle’s ancestors going back several generations would fall into this category.
Myrtle Belma Hyrne’s parents:
Charles Edward Hyrne b. 1859 KY
Elizabeth Dunaway b. 1867 KY
Leonidas Hyrne b. 1837 OH
His parents were early White settlers who moved into Ohio from South Carolina, and then into KY. His mother was born in England, his father was born in SC. They were not Indians.
Leonidas was a Civil War veteran who served in the KY 22nd Infantry Regiment (UNION).
http://files.usgwarchives.net/oh/vitals/oh-bmd/2003/dec/v03-044.txt
http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=758&p=localities.northam.usa.states.southcarolina.counties.colleton
Elizabeth Esham b. 1838 KY
Her family represents early White settlers who came into Kentucky from Maryland. Her parents were distant cousins through the Esham line. Her mother’s family owned slaves at one time, although father William emancipated his slaves upon his death.
http://boards.ancestry.com.au/localities.northam.usa.states.kentucky.counties.lewis/2464/mb.ashx
http://kentuckygrown.com/genealogy.html
John T. Dunaway b. 1847 KY
His family goes back to early Kentucky settlement. His parents were: John Dunaway and Elizabeth Ewing. The Dunaway lineage came from VA and PA. They moved into Henry County KY in the early 1800s (a marriage cert exists for 1817). The Ewing lines is less well traced.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=DUN&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSst=19&GScntry=4&GSsr=481&GRid=16344596&
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=86759210
Mary Louisa Stull b. 1844 KY
Her family goes back to early White settlement along the Kentucky/Ohio border area. Her parents were Andrew Stull and Elizabeth Straight. These family lineages come white settlers pushing in from the east (PA, NJ). They were not Indians.
Elizabeth Hyrne
[Elizabeth Dunaway]
Death Date: 17 Jan 1922
Death Location: Lewis, Kentucky, USA
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birth Date: 11 Mar 1867
Birth Location: Kentucky
Father’s name: John Taylor Dunaway
Father’s Birth Location: Kentucky
Mother’s name: Louisa Stull
Mother’s Birth Location: Kentucky