Anita: I thoroughly enjoyed you posts about your ancestors. Although I have, for many years, tried to help AA folks with their genealogy, I've never encountered such widespread service in one family. Those of us white folks whose ancestors lived in the South during slavery probably have a good bit more mixed-blood kinfolk than we are aware of. I am very honored to have proved such in my own line. I descend from Irish immigrants who settled in the Essex/ Orange/Spots area of VA by 1720 or so. The surname that has survived in my line is DULA. There are several variations, with the GA branch settling on DOOLEY. William DULA and wife Theodocia BEASLEY came to Wilkes Co NC about 1787. William fought in the RevWar. One of his grandson was James Alfred "Squire" DULA. Squire's wife died in 1846 leaving him with 6 little ones. He took in a nanny slave by the name of Harriet HARSHAW. Evidently they both approved of the arrangement as she bore 8 of his children. These offspring are my 2nd cousins. One of them I am very, very proud to claim kinship to. He is Maj George L Shade, Tucsegee Airman, who flew 37 combat missions in a P-51, out of Italy. I had hoped to interview him but family said his dementia was too advanced. A book on this family is almost ready for the publisher, a cooperative effort between myself [The White DULAs] and a Squire descendant who is doing The Black DULAs part. Sorry to rattle on so, but the side stories are really interesting to us "diggers", more so than just names/dates. Happy New Year. Keep digging! Charlie Weaver, Winston-Salem, NC 336-765-9635 PS: Another of my DULA 2nd cousins you may be more familiar with: Squire's 1st cousin - Thomas C DULA, aka "Tom DOOLEY" of Kingston Trio "Hang Down Your Head--" fame. Hanged in 1868 for the murder of Laura FOSTER. Got to take some bad with the good. :-) ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html