Mahala Barber-Butcher

FROM BARBER FAMILY MEMORIES "John was forbidden to marry Mahala but did anyway...John Barber had an unhappy time the years he lived with Mahalah. They had one child. After John died, she remarried and moved to Maysville but left Jim with the Barbers....The dashing Mahalah soon married again, KI Butcher or Hezekiah the real name and went to Maysville to live, but this 15 year old son Jim stayed with the Barbers

Mahalah must have been very fascinating. I heard my father-in law say once he would rather dance with Mahalah Barber than anyone he ever knew for she was about the best dancer and about the best looking woman he ever saw. Jane Jackson made her home with John and Mahalah a year or two her mother Bettie Barber Demon died when she, Jane was about 14 or 15 years old. John and Mahalah were there and persuaded her to come home with them and stay for awhile. Her father and Abe Demon gave his consent for she was thin, pale and far from well. Mahalah and John, gave her the best of care."

(Notes above by Carrie Donohue Meyers, written Dec 1955 when she was 81 she was the Great Granddaughter of Thomas and Margaret Ried as transcribed by Harley Barber and digitized by Todd Barber).

Census records may indicate she was living Alone with Elizabeth Atchison in 1860

I am really not sure, but sometimes the name Mahala was associated with certain type of indian known to be around the area where she is from. That said, as I (Todd Barber) have done more research it was a pretty common name in that area so she could just as easily be white like the rest of the family. However, her striking beauty and a strictly forbidden marriage definitely provide hints that it's possible and it's a good mystery for folks interested in genealogy to solve...so her's more on that....

The Melungeons— a mysterious, pale Native American group— occupied points on the southern end of the river, as well as Shawnee and Cherokee tribes. Other, older settlements of unnamed groups in Bath County on Slate Creek can also be found in the region. This is exactly where Mahala lived and her name indicates she was probably Melungeon.

Family Group Sheet

Name John Barber Birth abt 1822, Kentucky Father Thomas Barber (~1790-) Mother Margaret Reid (~1792-) Marriage Bath Co., Kentucky Spouse Mahala Sorrell, 1C4R Birth abt 1827, Bath Co., Kentucky Father Joseph Sorrell (~1788-~1853) Mother Sena Hall (~1800-) Children 1 M James ("Jim") Barber, 2C3R Birth abt 1845, Bath Co., Kentucky Spouse Sally Ann Barber

It is rumored she was of Indian Decent indian descendent (perhaps Melungeon) which Melungeon [m%C9%99%CB%88l%CA%8Cnd%CA%92%C9%99n] n:(Social Science / Peoples) any of a Light or Dark-skinned group of people of the Appalachians in East Tennessee, of mixed Indian, White, and Black ancestry[of unknown origin].