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Nancy Downing (1744 - 1815)

Nancy (Nannie) Downing
Born in Cherokee Nation (East)map
Daughter of and
Sister of , and
Wife of — married about 1770 in Eastern Cherokee Nationmap
Wife of — married about 1775 in Cherokee Nationmap
Wife of — married about 1782 in Cherokee Nation (East)map
Descendants descendants
Mother of , , , , and
Died at age 71 in Cherokee Nation (East)map
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Profile last modified | Created 5 Jan 2014
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Nannie was Cherokee.
Nannie Downing was a member of the Cherokee Wolf Clan.

Biography

Mother: Hanna Fawling b: Abt 1725 in Cherokee Indian Territory, Georgia.[1] She was also known as Annie Beehunter.[2][3]

Nancy "Nannie" Downing was born on January 20, 1743/44 to Major John Downing and Hanna Fawling, aka Annie Beehunter, a full blood Member of the Cherokee Wolf Clan. This would make Nannie a Wolf Clan member, according to Cherokee matrilineal custom.

She was married to three men and had children with each. In the Cherokee tradition of the times, she may have possibly had a relationship with more than one of her husbands at the same time. She died on December 12, 1815, at the age of 72.[4]

Notes

Note/Update: re Shawnee Fraud see source below, WikiTree now has a page on this. -T.C. Justine Baker

Nannie Downing Married:
(1) Unknown Crittenden in 1770 in Eastern Cherokee Nation, probably in North Carolina or Georgia. [4]
Children:

  1. James "Kan-Ne-Qua-Tes-Ke" Crittenden b: 1770 in Eastern Cherokee Nation, Georgia
  2. Jennie Crittenden b: Abt 1772 in Eastern Cherokee Nation

(2) Unknown Pettit b: Abt 1740 [1]
Child:

  1. Thomas Pettit, Sr.

(3) Alexander "Trader" McSwain b: Abt 1740 in Cherokee County, Georgia.[4][1]
Children:

  1. Margaret "Peggy" McSwain b: 1772 in Vanns Valley, Rome, Georgia
  2. Elizabeth "Cherokee" McSwain b: 1782 in Eastern Cherokee Nation (Tennessee)

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Emmett Starr, "History of the Cherokee Indians and their Legends and Folk Lore: Archives.org
  2. ↑ Marjorie L. Kopacsi, 2013 Ph.D. dissertation, How Native American Women Perceive Their Unique Lived Experiences: Three Women Tell Their Story. Louisiana State University. Includes an interview with Lela Bess Kite Patterson, a descendant of Annie Beehunter. Lela Bess has in her possession the family bible passed down through Jennie Crittenden Wright and Rebecca Wright Bryan, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of Annie Beehunter. This is about as close to an original source as is possible for this period in Cherokee genealogy.
  3. ↑ Margie Thompson Poncy, Poncy-Thompson Family History. Margie was a descendant of Annie Beehunter and John Downing. The history is in the possession of Duane Poncy.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Genealogy of Major John Downing and his Cherokee Descendants; Title: Cherokee Lineages: Register Report of Major John Downing; Author: James R. Hicks; Publisher: Genealogy.com.

See also:





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Comments: 3

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Baker-42133 T.C. Justine Baker
Need to look for the book, but came across Annie Beehunter as being adopted Cherokee and originally Shawnee via a book of Shawnee people. Google Annie Beehunter/Fawling and Shawnee and it should come up. DNA, she's Shawnee but the ways of the tribes, once adopted you are that tribe. Just have to look at in a different way then we commonly do and be respectful of, in recording to ensure she is always listed as Cherokee, but noting perhaps Shawnee origin.
posted by T.C. Justine Baker
Poncy-1 Duane Poncy
Thanks Justine. I googled as you suggested, and all I could come up with were the suspect "Redman Fawling" genealogies. This genealogy appears to be invented and I have found no evidence that it is not just made up. There are no supporting records or evidence given.
posted by Duane Poncy
Baker-42133 T.C. Justine Baker
Shawnee Heritage VI - Page 365 & page 368 - by Don Greene was where I'd came across it. I see on Hannah's page your notes regarding the Shawnee reference and it's likely lack of merit. Though common for Cherokee to adopt in, I'd have to agree with your finding. The only other way to know it to contact the Shawnee Tribe for records that support the written claim of Don Greene. Regardless, adopted into Cherokee is then Cherokee. Not sure if you read the interview of Annie Beehunter's descendant. (source: LSU. The link was broken but I managed to download it and some screenshots. Maj. Downing's death does seem to match with the Greene account.) In the meantime, certainly seems a puzzle to keep working on. Thankfully this site allows many of us to work on segments of our tree. Quite helpful and expedites time.

Curious as to why my DNA shows on this page but only two people show on her mother's page? Still new on here but notice that sometimes.

posted by T.C. Justine Baker

This week's featured connections are American Founders: Nannie is 16 degrees from John Hancock, 15 degrees from Francis Dana, 18 degrees from Bernardo de Gálvez, 11 degrees from William Foushee, 15 degrees from Alexander Hamilton, 18 degrees from John Francis Hamtramck, 12 degrees from John Marshall, 13 degrees from George Mason, 16 degrees from Gershom Mendes Seixas, 13 degrees from Robert Morris, 15 degrees from Sybil Ogden and 12 degrees from George Washington on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.

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Categories: Cherokee | Cherokee Wolf Clan