One of my female ancestors I would like to learn more about is my great great grandma, Polly Boots Smith. She was born about 1852 and died about 1909. From the Guion Miller applications filed by her and her children, we know she was the daughter of Boots and Lizzie Scott. We also know she was the mother of Sam Smith, Ellen (Smith) Swimmer, Susie Whitewater, Joe McKay, Jim Pickup, Dick Carey and Jim Bean.
What we don't know are the names of very many of her ancestors. From her Miller application, she stated her maternal grandfather was Dick Scott and her paternal grandmother was Gahoga. Those are the only names we have to give us clues to her ancestry.
From all the information available, it seems the Dick Scott who was her grandfather was also the grandfather of my other Grandma Polly, Polly Vann Tadpole, daughter of Ave Vann and Betsy Scott. That line is fairly easy to research and information is readily available. But, what about Boots and his mother, Gahoga? Exactly who were they and what other Cherokee families are they connected to? At this point in time, we just don't know.
Though I have exhausted many of the Cherokee resources available, there are still a few that might eventually provide more information or insight into Polly's ancestry. If I learn something new, it will be an extremely exciting find. If I don't, that will be okay too. After all, I know Polly was my grandma. She was a living, breathing, dynamic woman who raised a lot of children on her own. Simply knowing I descend from her brings me a great sense of pride and even if I never learn another thing about her genealogy, that pride and knowledge of her and her life is more than enough to satisfy me.
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
copyright 2011, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
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