The Melungeons
An Untold Story of Ethnic cleansing in America

N. Brent Kennedy

(This is a summary of the article developed by Dr. A. Zahoor.)

In Spain the Muslims were known as 'Mudajjan' a word probably related to the term Melungeon. There is little doubt that Muslims played an early - and perhaps the earliest - role in the permanent settlement of this Nation. Ethnically, many of the Santa Elena colonists were Berber Muslims and Sephardic Jews, recruited by the Portuguese Captain Juan Pardo.

On July 31, 1502 Christopher Columbus recorded his encounter with strange people on a strange ship off the island of Jamaica. Unlike the Jamaican Indians, these people wore clothing: sleeveless shirts and with showy colors and designs, and their women covered their faces like those Columbus had seen in Muslim Granada. In 1527, the first land crossing of the US by an non-Native American most likely was achieved by Azemmouri, a Moroccan Berber, a Muslim. In 1654, the English explorers reported a colony of bearded people wearing European clothing, living in cabins smelting silver and dropping to their knees to pray many times daily, wherever they might be. The early 17th Century Powhatan Indians description of Heaven is nearly word for word the description found in the Holy Qur'an. Tennessee Governor John Sevier records a 1784 encounter in what is now Western North Carolina with a dark-skinned, reddish-brown complexioned people supposed to be of Moorish descent who claim to be Portuguese. In east Tennessee in late 1700's Jonathan Swift, an Englishman, employed dark-skinned men who were known as "Mecca Indians."

The Melungeons, pushed off their lands, denied their rights, often murdered, always mistreated, became an embittered and nearly defeated people. Over the ensuing decades, in a vain effort to fit in with their Anglo neighbors, they lost their heritage, their culture, the names and their original religion but not their genetic structure. The descendants of the Melungeon people are everywhere, especially those who have ancestors from the South-East US, of any race with the following surnames: Adams, Adkins, Bell, Bennett, Berry, Bowling, Chavis, Coleman, Collins, Gibson, Goins, Hall, Jackson, Lopes, Moore, Mullins, Nash, Robinson, Sexton and Williams. The Melungeons, though most today are Christian, are the living legacy of Islam's first wave of immigration to the New World.

          Illnesses - click               Additional research - click

The Moore Family

Descendants of John A. MOORE Rev

First Generation

1. John A. MOORE Rev was born 1841 in Scott Co, VA.

John married Louisa J. DUNCAN, daughter of Susan B. MANN, on 24 Feb 1866 in Scott Co, VA. Louisa was born 1841 in Scott Co, VA.

They had the following children:

also listed in another section are Binnie Moore and Lee Moore

	Moore, Grace Grace Moore Brown Brothers (1898-1947), singer and actor Born on December 5, 1898, in Slabtown (now Nough), Tennessee, Mary Willie Grace Moore was educated in public schools and briefly at Ward-Belmont College in Nashville. She then went to the Wilson-Greens School of Music in Chevy Chase, Maryland. After making her public singing debut in a recital program at the National Theatre, Washington, D.C., in 1919, she left school and went to New York City, where she sang in a nightclub to pay for vocal lessons. Following appearances in Suite Sixteen, Just a Minute, and Up in the Clouds, Moore made her Broadway debut in the 1920 edition of the revue Hitchy-Koo, which featured Jerome Kern's music. She then sang in Town Gossip and went to Paris to train for a career on the operatic stage. Moore circulated easily in café society. When she had exhausted her funds, she returned to Broadway to star in Irving Berlin's Music Box Revue of 1923. In 1925 she went back to France, where the opera singer Mary Garden, long her idol and now her friend, recommended her to operatic coach Richard Barthelemy. Auditioning for Giulio Catti-Casazza in 1927, Moore finally won a contract with the Metropolitan Opera. Her Met and operatic debut occurred in February 1928, when she sang Mimi in La Bohème to a warm reception. Later she sang in Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette and then made a European tour. After singing Juliette at Deauville, Moore made a highly successful Paris debut as Mimi at the Opéra-Comique in 1928. In the next few seasons at the Met she sang in Carmen, Tosca, Manon, Faust, Pagliacci, Gianni Schicchi, and others. Moore went to Hollywood in 1930 and subsequently appeared in the films A Lady's Morals (1930), a biography of Jenny Lind, and New Moon (1931). In 1932 she returned to Broadway in the operetta The Dubarry. Back in Hollywood she won the starring role in One Night of Love (1934), a film that features a pioneering attempt to record operatic works with full orchestra. The film was a great popular success and brought Moore a medal from the Society of Arts and Sciences for her contribution to "raising the standard of cinema entertainment." Her other films include Love Me Forever (1935), The King Steps Out (1936), When You're in Love (1937), and I'll Take Romance (1937). Moore continued in opera throughout her film career. She made her London debut at Covent Garden in La Bohème in June 1935 to tremendous ovations. In France she starred in a film version of Louise (1938) and then performed it at the Met the following year. In 1941 she sang L'amore dei Tre Re. Radio broadcasts and public appearances further increased her popularity. During World War II she made numerous appearances at bond rallies, benefits, and army camp shows, for which she was decorated by several governments. Her autobiography, You're Only Human Once, appeared in 1944. Moore died on January 26, 1947, in an airplane crash in Copenhagen, Denmark, following a command performance there.
	Copyright © 1999 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

 Descendants of John A. MOORE Rev

Second Generation

4. Judge (Square) John R. MOORE (son of John A. ) was born 1875 in Scott Co, VA. 

John married Mary (Mahalew) Elizabeth GILLIAM, daughter of Edward J. GILLIAM and Mary Catherine (Kathleen) GREEAR, on 20 Jul 1894 in Scott Co, VA. Mary was born 1875 in Scott Co, VA. Children – Susie GILLIAM, Byrd GILLIAM, MARY GILLIAM,  Manervia GILLIAM, Neal GILLIAM and Toby GILLIAM

They had the following children:

Descendants of John A. MOORE Rev

Third Generation

7. Mary Ella. MOORE was born 1896 in Scott Co, VA. – married Elijah CORDER (1), married Bob JOHNSON (2)

Descendants of John A. MOORE Rev

Fourth Generation

Ruby CORDER (8 August 1932)  -  Married CARL E LINDGREN SR. (7January 1923)

Descendants of John A. MOORE Rev

Third Generation

12. Sadie Minerva MOORE (John R. , John A. ) was born 10 Apr 1904 in Scott Co, VA. She died 8 Jan 1993 in Wabash, Wabash Co, IN.

Sadie married (1) Asbury Thomas ESTEP on 26 Oct 1920 in Scott Co, VA. Asbury was born Apr 1900 in Scott Co, VA.

They had the following children:

Sadie also married ( 2) Kelly M. LANE . Kelly was born 1907 in Scott Co, VA. He died about 1942.

They had the following children:

HOME