Charlotte Chatfield: Veteran. White female ancestor's black child, 1871. Artwork

Daughter Dialogues

Listen to real-life stories from women with African American lineage who honor their ancestors' fight to achieve independence for the United States of America and are members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The host, Reisha Raney, a black leader in the DAR and a direct descendant of President Thomas Jefferson's grandfather, is conducting independent research as a Harvard University non-resident fellow, under the direction of Henry Louis Gates, Jr, host of the PBS Special "Finding Your Roots", exploring the lives of DAR members of color and their ancestry which includes men and women of American Indian, black or African descent, and white or European descent who contributed to the founding of the USA. Who are these descendants? What challenges did they overcome researching their genealogy? Visit DaughterDialogues.com to subscribe to the newsletter and meet more members of color. Follow us @DaughterDialogs on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. This is not an official podcast of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). This podcast is independent and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the NSDAR. The President General is the official spokesperson of NSDAR.

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Daughter Dialogues

Charlotte Chatfield: Veteran. White female ancestor's black child, 1871.

October 29, 2020 • Reisha Raney and Charlotte Chatfield • Season 1 • Episode 18

0:00 | 1:13:26

Charlotte shares stories about her white great-great-great-grandmother who had a child with a black man and descended from Revolutionary War patriot William Lindsey Durham whose grandson is the namesake of the city in North Carolina; and her Welsh ancestry, descending from free people of color of Chatham County, North Carolina who trace back to patriarch Moses Myrick of Wales. She talks about growing up in the small close-knit community of Pittsboro, North Carolina; dropping out of NC A&T and enrolling in a pharmacy technician program at Durham Technical Community College; joining the U.S. Navy where she learned air traffic control; the strain of being in the military on her marriage; earning a bachelor's in Computer Information Systems; her career in clinical trials working as an associate director at a major pharmaceutical firm managing reported adverse events; meeting her second husband in the Navy; traveling to Anglesey, Wales with white American genetic cousins, after having only met online, that descend from Moses Myrick; Welsch townspeople assuming her white husband was a Myrick instead of her; visiting Bodorgan Hall, where the Welsh hosted a garden party for descendants at the Myrick estate; wanting to know more about her European H1 haplogroup and her hair since she was always questioned about her unusual combination of having brown skin with long silky hair; discovering three Revolutionary War patriots starting with her great-great-grandmother Luevinia’s death certificate, that named her mother Mary Pendergrass, who was white, and father Abe Horton, who was black; Mary's mother Martha Durham, descendant of Revolutionary War patriot William Lindsey Durham; not learning in school that there were free people of color prior to the American Revolution and instead only learning about slavery and the Civil Rights movement; joining DAR to document her family history; her patriots Matthew Durham (William's father) and “Chatham John” Pendergrass, ancestor of Mary's father; her frustration due to the individual submitting her DAR application not including her supporting documentation explaining the nuances of being a black applicant with the unusual circumstance of Luevinia being the child of a white woman and a black man, causing a delay in approval; Luevinia marrying a black man Rob and the couple residing on Pendergrass property in Orange County, North Carolina; Rob holding a great deal of land; enjoying DAR's outreach to veterans; the importance of representing people of color to which DAR is also of service; accepting DAR amends with Marian Anderson; her DAR membership providing validation since her family was here before the American Revolution, “I cannot be told to go back to Africa, our history is messy but that's what makes us Americans"; serving as a chapter officer; having a different outlook knowing she descends from a white woman; having a "Reese Witherspoon chin" like Luevinia; connecting with a white Pendergrass relative but descendants of Luevinia's white half siblings not being interested; searching for Luevinia's black brother Madison; "it's funny how we are at each other's throat with the unrest...we are all related". Read Charlotte's biography at www.daughterdialogues.com/daughters

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Born in Chapel Hill, NC; mother lab tech; father veteran and mechanic; growing up with extended family and great grandparents nearby

Growing up in small close knit community in Pittsboro, NC; dropping out of NC A&T and enrolling in a pharmacy technician program at Durham community college

Joining U.S. Navy; learning air traffic control and working in aviation; strain of military on marriage

Earning a bachelor's in Computer Information Systems; returning to pharmaceutical background working in clinical trials; scoring high on Mechanics and Tool identification test on ASVAB from growing up handling tools with father

Working up from data entry tech to associate director at a major pharmaceutical firm

Working in clinical trials managing reported adverse events; paid to be a control patient as a child; exposure to research from being around scientists at mother's lab as a child

Wishing people would understand that it takes billions of dollars and time to bring to drugs market, not hiding cures; discussing safety of clinical trials

Enjoying reading, live plays, and opera; meeting second husband in Navy

Traveling to Anglesey, Wales with white American genetic cousins, after having only met online, that descend from same Welsch family as her ancestors who were free people of color

DNA linking to father's maternal Welsh patriarch Moses Myrick, grandfather of Ransom, two Ransom Myricks in Chatham, County, NC, mulatto ancestor and a white; Welsch townspeople assuming white husband was a Myrick instead of her

Wales beautiful area; invited to Bodorgan Hall where Welsh hosted a garden party for descendants at Myrick estate; visiting medieval ancestral church with locals

Finding six lines of Myrick descendants who were free people of color and intermarried with other free people of color in Chatham, County, NC; large contingency of tri-racial people in hometown area, cousins in Eno and Sapponi American Indian Nations

Free people of color in NC were stuck in middle after Nat Turner Rebellion; stripped of their rights so they moved to Indiana with the Quakers

Interest in genealogy starting from free DNA test kit giveaway and from background as a researcher; wanting to know about her European haplogroup and her hair; always getting questions because unusual combination of having brown skin with long silky hair;

Discovering three Revolutionary War patriots starting with great great grandmother's death certificate who named mother Mary Pendergrass and father Abe Horton; since in H1 European haplogroup, knew looking for white woman when search for maternal ancestry

Mary Pendergrass was white, Abe Horton was black- possibly formerly enslaved; the pair marrying other people, forbidden to marry each other; DNA proof supporting descent from Pendergrass

Mary's mother Martha Durham, descendant of Revolutionary War patriot William Lindsey Durham; Durham, NC named after William Jr.'s descendant Bartlett

Would have never believed descended from Durham and a Revolutionary War patriot as a child because don't learn in school that there were free people of color prior to Revolution; only learn about slavery

Reaction of others about ancestry; another black member in chapter but everyone assuming related to each other or knew each outside of DAR because how could two blacks be in same chapter otherwise?

Joining DAR to document family history; attempt to get mother who grew up in Civil Rights era to join

Additional patriots Matthew Durham (William's father) and John "and “Chatham John” Pendergrass, ancestor of Mary's father; frustration due to nuances of being a black applicant not understood by individual submitting DAR application on her behalf

Great great grandmother Luevinia Pendergrass (mulatto child of Mary and Abe) married black man Rob at Mary's spinster aunt Jennie's house where Mary had once lived; explaining white woman with black man on DAR app; Luevinia & Rob living in Jennie's house

Letters written to probate judge by clerk of Orange county calling children living in Jennie's home after her death questionable names and by white Pendergrass cousin questioning Rob and Luevinia living in Jennie's home five years after her death

Rob holding a great deal of land; 1930 census showing grandmother, Luevinia, and Mary living doors away from each other in Orange County, NC

Revolutionary War service of William Durham and John Pendergrass

No reservations about joining DAR despite its past history of racial discrimination; enjoying DAR's outreach to veterans; importance of representing people of color to which DAR is of also of service; accepting DAR amends with Marian Anderson

Feeling validated during DAR New Member Welcome Ceremony since family here before American Revolution, so cannot be told to go back to Africa; "our history is messy but that's what makes us Americans"

Serving as a chapter officer (Historian) in NC; associate membership in NY chapter

As a veteran, enjoying DAR's focus of patriotism and veteran outreach; having a different outlook knowing descend from a white woman

Having a "Reese Witherspoon chin" like Luevinia

Chance encounter with white Pendergrass descendant at a genealogy conference, communicating by email afterward; descendants of Luevinia's white half siblings not wanting to hear about their ancestor Mary's child with a black man

Searching for Luevinia's black brother Madison; "it's funny how we are at each other's throat with the unrest...we are all related"