Am looking to verify the ancestry of Haywood Minchew or Minshew, b. abt 1830 in NC and married a Rebecca C. (b. SC) in abt 1858. They show up in Neshoba Co., MS censuses in 1880. Most of their children married in neighboring Leake Co., including my great-grandmother Mary F. "Fannie" Minchew/Minshew who married William J. Boyd in 1887.

I have been told that a Phillip Minchew married an Elizabeth Haywood in NC in 1795 and that they had a son named Haywood Minchew but have not been able to confirm that to be my guy (although VERY likely). This Phillip was allegedly the son of a Nathan Minchew.

Other than Haywood's other children's names, I have no other clues. They were Caroline S. Minchew (b. 1857), Nancy Minchew (b. 1859), Wiley Minchew (b. 1862), Josiah Minchew (b. 1865), and Lula Minchew (b. 1868).

Any kin out there or others with clues about this Minchew family's ancestry? While the Minchew / Minshew / Mincey name is of English/Scots-Irish origin, some have suggested this family was either NC-Cherokee or MS-Choctaw Indian--or perhaps married into one of those tribes. Lots of physical features of would seem to indicate the possibility.

Any clues?
Greg Boyd
gaboyd@sprintmail.com or gaboyd@aol.com