There were four "Cornstalk Orphans". I'll take one at a time here starting with TBC. Starting with facts. I'm not going to put my sources here because I don't have them organized right now but I might get to that later.
1. We know that TBC was an orphan
2. We know that Thomas Mastin and his wife Agnes "took in" the Cornstalk orphans
3. We know that Thomas Mastin "took in" TBC
Odd DNA findings
Kennith Simpson, who believes he is a direct descendant of TBC, through a Christian, So his last name should be Christian (3) (long story) took a DNA test which said he had YDNA haplogroup (2) R1b. With no Native DNA(1). We really need more descendants of TBC to confirm this!
1. No Native DNA? (a) This was 2013 - they didn't have tests for that really and (b) DNA is a crapshoot - one sibling can show 25% Scottish and another sibling can show 0% Scottish.
2. Kennith shows haplogroup R1b
a. He could be mistaken about his parentage. (Unlikely - see #3)
b. Being R1b does not rule out TBC being Native see A
c. Elinipsico OR Cornstalk could be R1b we don't know see A
A - Francesca (Norman) Williams' comment
3. Kennith last name should be Christian - this one really threw me. This doesn't make any sense - if you believe the family oral history, and I do, how could Thomas Bailey Christian match someone with the last name Christian when we were told Thomas Mastin gave him the name Christian in honor of his friend (probably William Christian, I haven't looked into that yet). That's just too much of a coincidence. These are the only options:
a. Kennith is not a descendant of TBC. I think this is unlikely but possible. We need more testing to solve this mystery!
b. Elinipsico was a kidnapped Christian and the Long Hunters knew this and that's why they named him Christian. But if that is true why didn't they return him to his Christian grandparents??
c. Mastin knew Elinipsico was a kidnapped Christian but took him in because his wife, Agnes, was related to TBC's mother (sister?)
I felt like I had no choice but to go along with Kennith's contention that TBC was not Elinipsico's son...until I had my own DNA compared to confirmed (enrolled) Shawnee and Cherokee and I matched.
Back to me. I really, really do not want to do this but I feel like I have to. Because so many of my relatives are having their oral history discounted. I hate that! I don't understand the mystery of TBC's father but I do know that his mother was both Shawnee and Cherokee because I took a DNA test where the testing company now has, in 2024, small samples of confirmed, enrolled citizens of several tribes and I match Shawnee & Cherokee. If you are in my family I will share details if you contact me.
I'll write more later - I have to take a break.
