We are aware that many genealogists run across the family story of an ancestor being Native American. We have too but have not been able to document this. However, Todd's father insists that this is unequivocally true of the Auvil line. According Pop and by means of blood quantum calculations: if the ancestor who began the Cherokee bloodline can be found along the Auvil line, he or she must have lived four generations before Todd, or at the level of his great-great-great-grandparents, in the mid-1800's. This would make Amelia Harsh (Auvil, Cox) the most likely candidate for being full-blood, but this is not only unsubstantiated but has, in fact, been considered by some Harsh and Cox family genealogists as an improbability. Cox Family genealogist, Stevanna Pratt, recalls stories of "Old Mrs. Auville." See Ancestry Message Board reply from Stevanna Pratt. Any help to prove or disprove this theory is welcomed.

These next tidbits and mysteries were previously posted at the now-extinct Auvil site. Great thanks to Catherine dee Auvil and the many dedicated and diligent Auvil family researchers for their contributions.

Can you find documentation for the family legend that the Abel/Auvil surname is derived from "Deauville" or that we came from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France/Germany?

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Was Paul Abel the father of Johannes Abel?

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We know that Elizabeth died 19 May 1790. But where did the children go to live after their parents died? And what became of Johannes b. 2 Jan 1783?

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We have heard a family legend that John Auvil (born 7 Jul 1820 <PA>) was an orphan taken in by Daniel Abel/Auville and his second wife Susan Hatfield Abel/Auville. We are searching for any information that would prove or disprove this mystery.

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Who were Eliza Keyser's parents?

Daniel Moats Auville b: abt 1823 <Fayette Co., PA>
  + Elizabeth J. Lantz
       2 Maude Auvil
         +Elizabeth (Eliza) Keyser b: abt1833 m: 10 Apr 1845 Barbour Co., WV src:3
       2 Simeon Hannibal Auvilb: 22 Jul 1855 Barbour Co., WV src:3
          + Nancy Jane Beanb: 1854 Tazewell Co., VA m: abt 1871 Lebanon Valley, PA
          + Judy Catherine Blankenshipb: 16 Aug 1895 Renick, Greenbrier County, WV
       2 N.B. Auvil b: abt 1857Barbour Co., WV
       2 Amanda Auvil b: abt 1859Barbour Co., WV
         + Wm. Demoss m: 15Aug 1891 Barbour Co., WV src:3
       2 Jennings Randolph Auvilb: abt 1861 Barbour Co., WV
       2 Henry C. Auvil b: Jun1873 Barbour Co., WV
       2 Maud Auvil B: abt 1875Barbour Co., WV

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Are these Abels related?

Barbara Abelin marries Henry Spalding 10 Sep 1797
St Marys' Maryland Batch number: M507701 and M504181
Elisabeth Abelin marries Gottfried Haller 28 Dec 1777
Witnesses; Christoph and Catharina Haller, Henrich Gross,
Matthis Buki, Margreth Hauin, Maria Guldin, Magdalena Guldin, Eva Margreth Hildebrandin.
Frederick, Maryland Batch number: M507701 and M504181
Catharina (Abel) Messinger
Philadelphia Co (now Berks Co) Pennsylvania c. 1748. Married Michael Messinger about 1743 in Oley, Berks, Pennsylvania.
Maryland State Archives for the Assessment of 1783 Index: the name which heads the list of landowners is an ABLE: Anthony ABLE, WA, Wills Town and Sandy Creek, p.16

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