Sandbox
Was William Branham's Mother's Mother a full-blooded Cherokee Indian?
William Branham stated:
And it kind of reminds me, one time I was… My father was… My mother is from Oklahoma and Texas. And she was born in the state of Kentucky. And my grandfather went west. My mother’s mother come off the Oklahoma reservation. She’s full-blooded Cherokee Indian. And my father’s Irish. And my mother, on the other side, by her father, was Irish.[1]
I love the mountains. My—my mother’s mother was full-blooded Cherokee Indian out of the valleys here, and my conversion never taken that away from me; I love nature.[2]
Notice. One day I was… I’d go to the mountains, not so much to hunt the wild game, but to be alone. My mother’s almost a half Cherokee Indian. And the… My conversion never took that love of the wild out of me.[3]
Much of my time… My—my mother’s mother came from the reservation, and there’s been something in me that loves the outdoors.[4]
My mother… My mother’s mother come off this reservation up here. And my conversion didn’t take the call of the deep out of me; I love the woods.[5]
Down deep in my veins flows just a little bit of the blood. My mother’s grandmother come from the reservation. And I’ve always deemed that one of the greatest privileges, to say that down in me is part really American. For there’s a little background somewhere of Indian blood that I’m very happy for, very thankful.[6]
In the above statements, William Branham is certain his Mother's Mother is a full-blooded Cherokee Indian even expressing that he knew what reservation she was from.
William Branham's Maternal Line is.
Lewis Riley Branham + Malissa Jean Smith (abt 1850 - abt 1923)
Francis Marion Harvey + Nancy Victoria Branham (abt 1868 - abt 1940)
Charles E. Branham + Ella Rhee Harvey (1891 - 1961)
William Branham
William Branham's Mother's Mother was Nancy Victoria Branham. For her to be a full-blooded Cherokee Indian as William Branham claimed her parents Lewis Branham and Malissa Smith would both have to be full-blooded Cherokee Indians.
What does the US Census report for William Branham's Material Line?
The 1870 and 1880 US Census under description had three categories; Age, Sex, and Ethnic group.
Under the Ethnic group, there were 5 choices for the census takers. 1-White(W) 2-Black(B) 3-Mulatto(M) 4-Chinese(C) 5-Indian(I)
1870 US Census record:
Lewis Riley Branham, Location=Adair County Ky, Age=19, Ethnicity=White
Malissa Jean Smith(Branham), Location=Adair County Ky, Age=19, Ethnicity=White
Nancy Victoria Branham, Location=Adair County Ky, Age=1, Ethnicity=White
1880 US Census record:
Lewis Riley Branham, Ethnicity=White
Malissa Jean Smith, Ethnicity=White
Nancy Victoria Branham, Ethnicity=White
1900 US Census record:
Nancy Victoria Branham(Harvey), Ethnicity=White
Lewis Branham and Malissa Smith Marriage Bond February 16th 1868
Melissa Smith's Marriage Bond says she was born in Adair County Ky. It also states her Mother's birthplace was also Adair County Ky.
Additional Evidence Melissa J. (Smith) Branham's ethnicity was white.
Malissa J. Branham's Son George Alfred Branham (Aug. 6 1881 - July 24, 1961) ethnicity is listed as white on his death record. Malissa J. Branham's Son Lucien T. Branham (April 15, 1895 - May 22, 1961) ethnicity is listed as white on his death record.
Mitochondrial inheritance
The fact that mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited enables genealogical researchers to trace maternal lineage far back in time.[7]