Elizabeth Sullivan - No evidence that James Sullivan and Meotaka were ever married.

Started by Private User on Saturday, September 13, 2014
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Private User
9/13/2014 at 7:56 PM
9/13/2014 at 11:34 PM

Private User could I trouble you to come take a look at the (spurious?) Meotoka Bolling?

Private User
9/14/2014 at 10:32 PM

The problem arises from a fraudulent family history in the "Samuel Bolling Bible".

Here is more:
http://genforum.genealogy.com/bolling/messages/2659.html

And here is goes much more in depth:
http://genforum.genealogy.com/bolling/messages/2660.html

Private User
9/15/2014 at 8:27 AM

Meotoka Bolling was not one of those rare "red" or "white" Bollings - Bollings related to John Kennon Bolling. Nor are there any primary documents to prove she married a Sullivan. We can't be sure she even existed.

There were other Bolling-Boling-Bowling families in England and Virginia. While not common, it was not a rare name. The problems arise when someone with the surname Bolling is assumed to be descended from John Kennon Bolling, and, from there, assumed to have some relationship to Pocahontas. Who wouldn't want to have that lineage? This is the best link I've found for determining descent from John Kennon Bolling - http://pocahontas.morenus.org/poca_gen.html.

Peter Bolling, in a post made yesterday, gives us great link for proving that Meotaka Bolling did not marry a Sullivan - http://genforum.genealogy.com/bolling/messages/2753.html. This link debunks some of the documents sometimes used as sources for Sullivan genealogy.

The Sullivan Bible has been proven to be fraudulent. It cannot be relied upon as genealogical proof of descent. A man who signed all kinds of legal documents with a mark supposedly wrote a detailed entry in his bible, including an alternate spelling.

The family history of the Sullivan family written by William Dunklin Sullivan was not researched. It was a memoir, a recollection of family stories, and has several conflicting statements. It can not be relied upon as genealogical proof of descent.

Sara Ervin's notarization of a copy of a Bible record is often accepted as "proof" that the document is accurate. This is not what a notary does! The notary only certified that the copy she notarized is the same as the document that was copied.

The Sullivan family in South Carolina can be documented through deeds and wills. Their history in Virginia, prior to moving to South Carolina, is not as well documented. Using the South Carolina documents, however, one can get a sense of the family relationships in Virginia.

One of the most elementary lessons in genealogy is that primary sources will always trump secondary sources. Those who rely on wills, deeds, court documents, etc., will always have a more accurate history of their ancestors.

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