Which DNA study did you assist? Paul Finkelman President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy Albany Law School 80 New Scotland Avenue Albany, New York 12208-3494 518-445-3386 [log in to unmask] >>> Herbert Barger <[log in to unmask]> 07/16/08 5:49 PM >>> Phebe, I am a Jefferson Family Historian who assisted with the Jefferson-Hemings DNA Study. My reviews of this book can be found by scrolling way down through the many posts. I have no idea at all what the "body fluids" means. Probably just some piece of "soap opera" material that would further confuse the issue and make a topic for another CBS mini-series. Don Kukla has no authority on which to base his writings that TJ fathered Sally's children. On several occasions he refers to: "before his liaison with Sally Hemings, "Jefferson's children by Sally Hemings", "in many ways, Thomas Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings had always been exploitive and selfish", "we know nothing about the emotional character of the relationship between the master of Monticello and his "concubine". Really Mr. Kukla, you have no proof that any of the above are true do you? Mr Kukla did not not find any research or report on any information of the Madison Hemings claim that a Sally child was born shortly after they returned from France. My research reveals that Sally was at a training course for five weeks away from the Jefferson residence, in April 1789 (just 9 months prior to their arrival at Monticello.) Since Adrian Petit, TJ's faithful servant, had picked up Sally and Maria at the Adams residence in England and delivered them to TJ's residence in Paris, he was well aware of who she was. Could he have fathered a Sally child while at the school? After TJ returned to political life he had Adrian Petit to come and assist him with his excellent attention to duty. Later at around the time Sally was having her first recorded child, Harriet I, in Oct 1795, Adrian Petit had been moved to Monticello as Mr. Jefferson's overseer. It is significant to note that Sally had NO children for over these five years before Adrian had arrived at Monticello. Sally was age 22 when Adrian began working at Monticello. Of course we had no DNA to test for Adrian Petit who did not stay for too long before returning to France and there was no Thomas Jefferson record of a child being born dying shortly after Sally returned to Monticello, as Madison claimed. There is nothing in Sally's records to indicate that her children were fathered by a single father. As we know, there were three or four separate fathers for her mother's children. If we were to accept (and we definitely do NOT), the Monticello conclusion that possibly ALL of Sally's children were fathered by Thomas Jefferson when only ONE was DNA tested, we would be guilty, in my opinion, in deceiving the public with inaccurate research. Herb Barger Jefferson Family Historian Founder, Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society www.tjheritage.org Before going on vacation, I picked up a copy of Mr. Jefferson's Women by our good friend Jon Kukla. Now I know that Jon is outstanding in his research but one area of the book leaves me a bit puzzled. Does it mean that other than Sally Hemings there were no other "encounters" in his life? I raise this question because there is discussion about Jefferson's interest in "body fluids." If Jon or anyone who has read this book could clarify this for me it would be most welcome. Phebe Morgan Sarasota, FL [log in to unmask] ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html