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Hi, Polk researchers
I refer you to my posting of May 18, 2009, No. 2179 on this list. I have now had a 33 marker DNA test done by Ancestry.com, and a 67 marker DNA test done by FTDNA. Based on these two tests, I am not closely related to William Polk/Margaret Taylor of Anson/Mecklenburg Co., NC., greatgrandparents of President Polk. Plus, John Polk of York Co., SC., who d. 1803, and who married a woman named Eleanor (Shelby, probably)is likely not the John Polk, son of William Polk/Margaret Taylor, as portrayed in the Polk genealogies and about everything one finds in print and on the Internet on these Polks of Mecklenburg. That William Polk/Margaret Taylor had a son named John I have no doubt; he just was not the John Polk of York Co., SC., who d. 1803, I believe.
The removal of this John Polk of York Co., SC., as the son of William Polk/Margaret Taylor I do with much reservation, because there is a dramatic effect on all the descendants of John Polk/Eleanor Shelby. But I have looked at the evidence over and over and I see no other reasonable option. I am going to do a short explanation of the why here, but if you are interested in more details, please contact me at billpolk@publicnetworking.org.
First, my line going backwards: Bill Polk (Me), Benjamin Franklin Polk, James Franklin Polk, Benjamin Polk (Jr.), Benjamin Polk, (Sr.), Taylor Polk, John Polk.
I have no doubts whatsoever about my line back to Taylor Polk, Arkansas, later Texas, and I am pretty darned sure about Taylor being a son of John Polk of York Co., SC. I have no one in my Polk line who was taken in, adopted, etc., the line is Polk blood, the DNA tests prove that I am of the Mecklenburg Polks, just back several generations more than I supposed and thought proven by evidence, both primary and secondary.
So, I strongly believe that the old Polk genealogies and the other evidence one finds out there is simply incorrect in which John Polk is the son of William Polk/Margaret Taylor.
I lean to John Polk of Burke Co., NC., 1790 census, as the probable son of William Polk/Margaret Taylor.
There are a few bits of evidence pointing both to and away from John Polk of York Co., SC., as being my correct John Polk, the father of Taylor Polk, yet also being the son of William Polk/Margaret Taylor - Evidence is in conflict.
(1) A record left by Jency (Polk) Anderson, daughter of Taylor Polk of Arkansas, such record indicating that her father (Taylor) had siblings John, Charley, William and sister Ellen. This matches exactly with the family composition of John Polk of York Co., SC., considering John's (Sr.) will, Eleanor's (his wife)will, and the 1800 census of York Co., SC. This composition of the John Polk family also matches with the 1849 Polk Tree (males only), with the exception that Shelby Polk is shown on that tree, William Polk is not. I have never figured out if William Polk and Shelby Polk are the same child, or if one of the two sources here is simply incorrect. This family record is good evidence that my line as I show it above is correct back to John Polk/Eleanor of York Co., SC.
(2) Charles Polk, Rev. War denied pension of 1846, Texas - He clearly states his father was John Polk and he had uncles Thomas and Charles, etc. There is no doubt that this Charles Polk had a father named John Polk, and is related to the Mecklenburg Polks. He so states. But this evidence does not mention York Co., SC., at all, does not mention Shelby, and implies his father John Polk served in NC., and lived there.
I think that it is probable that this Charles Polk is referring to John Polk of Burke Co., NC., as his father. So, this record does not prove John Polk of York is the son of William Polk/Margaret Taylor, or that John Polk of York is the father of this Charles Polk of the denied pension. However, evidence indicates this Charles Polk (who m. Margaret Baxter) was in Stewart Co., TN., by at least 1813 or so, probably earlier. A Taylor Polk was also there in Stewart in 1806, leaving a couple of records, only in that year. If this Taylor Polk in Stewart is the same one who moved to Arkansas, I think it probable that he is my Taylor Polk. But then, is it just coincidence that Taylor Polk and Charles Polk both appear in Stewart Co., TN.? Or was Taylor Polk with his brother Charles Polk, this presence of both in Stewart about the same time seemingly pointing back to these two being the ones from York Co., SC., sons of John Polk there?
(3) John Polk, Maury Co., TN., who m. Elizabeth Nancy Alderson, is supposed to be a son of John Polk/Eleanor Shelby, and this relationship is difficult to overcome. I can explain away Charles Polk in (2), but I cannot remove this John Polk of Maury because of a deed of Maury Co., TN., from Ezekiel Polk (grandfather of President Polk) giving land to his nephew, this John Polk of Maury Co., TN. One could say that this John Polk of Maury is simply another John Polk. The problem with that is the presence of the Alderson family there in York at the same time as John Polk/Eleanor Shelby, thus the probability is this John Polk is a son of John Polk/Eleanor Shelby. But how can he be if I am not related to the Mecklenburg Polks and Taylor Polk of York Co., SC., is my Taylor Polk? And if this man in Maury is not John Polk of York's son, then who is his father? This John Polk of Maury Co., TN., was b. c1767, so he could fit in with Charles Polk above as a son of John Polk of Burke, but only if John Polk of Burke was an older man. This John Polk of Maury Co., TN., is not easily removed as a son of the John Polk of York Co., SC., d. 1893, such son John Polk who appears on the will of John Polk, d. 1803. This John Polk of Maury Co., TN., also use the name Shelby for some of his children, another pointing back to John Polk of York and his wife Eleanor Shelby.
(4) We now have DNA evidence that a member of our Polk DNA group (John S. Polk) is seemingly closely related to John Fleming Polk (also of our Polk DNA group), thus opening the door for John S. Polk to be a descendant of John Polk of Burke Co., SC., John S. Polk's ancestor being William Polk who m. Susanna Gambill. John S. Polk's ancestor William Polk was b. c1775; Charles Polk who m. Margaret Baxter was b. 17 Jan 1760; so if John Polk of Burke is the father of both these men, then we have an older man in John Polk of Burke, whereas most of us have considered him to be a younger man, due to the composition of his 1790 hh. We really do not know, however, how old John Polk of Burke Co., NC., is. Obviously, if John Polk of Burke was the father of the said Charles Polk, then John Polk of Burke was b. 1740 or so and before. Such c1740 date sure puts him close to the c1739 birth date used in the Polk genealogies and writings for the John Polk who m. Eleanor Shelby, the John Polk in York Co., SC. (who, by the way, we also do not know the age of, we can guess based on various records).
I strongly recommend that any Polk male descendant of John Polk/Eleanor Shelby have his DNA tested. Such DNA testing of multiple descendants of John and Eleanor will probably be the only way we will lay this to rest.
I invite comments, questions, your input, especially any new evidence to support the ancestry of John Polk of York Co., SC. Bill Polk, Kansas City, MO.
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