Yes she was full blooded Cherokee. She would have been my Great Great Grandma I believe. My Grandpa who passed away over a year ago (Charles "Chess" Spence would have been 82 in Jan 11') used to tell me about her being full Cherokee and even had a picture of her. From what I can remember of this picture (been years ago), she looked like she was definitely Indian. As far as her being adopted, this is the first I had heard, but I did not know of her parents, other than their names on here. If you know anything else, please share.

Martha (Patsy)Deryfield, Derrifield, Deerfield, Derifield (born abt. 1843) was one of my ancestors. Her husband was Harrison Spence(born abt. 1847-died Sep-1877) They had 4 children. They are buried at Queen's Ridge Cemetary, Wayne Co., WV. Their daughter Helen (born 7-2-1867) was my Grandfather's Mother. Helen Married Absolom Vance, born about 1861. (A decendent of Abner Vance of Tazewell, Virginia) and they had 9 children my Grandfather James was one of these 9 children. This couple both died of the influenza epidemic and are also buried at Queen's Ridge Cemetary. From my research, I have came to believe that Lucy Deryfield was from the Indian family Jordan's and is perhaps on the Cherokee Indian Roles. Apparently (Martha) Patsy Deryfield was in the household of her Grandmother Martha (Patsy) Jordan? in the 1860 Federal Census in Virginia. Which led me to wonder if her mother Lucy had died by then. It has been handed down to us that our Grandmother Martha (Patsy) Deryfield husband Harrison Spence was also Indian, but it was not commonly known due to prejudice against native American Indians. I hope this leads you in a direction that will help you find the information you are seeking and I would be most interested in knowing the outcome of our common ancestor!

I can email photo's of Patsy Deryfield and Helen to any that would like them.

I also forgot to add that Martha (Patsy) Deryfield-Spence was a renowned mid-wife for the early Queen Settlement in Wayne County, WV., as well as many others. Her tombstone at Queen's Ridge, Dunlow, Wayne Co. WV states date of birth as 1843 and death as 1921. Absolom and Helen Vance died in 1923.

I also am a decendant of Patsy Deerfield/Deryfield. I would love some pics of her and any other family members of that time period. Our family is from WV and many are still in WV. I have MANY family members buried in Queen's Ridge, WV. I have a copy of a pic of Patsy sitting on the porch in a rocker. That's all I have. I never heard ,tho, that Harrison Spence was Native American. That is definitely new to me. I will try to check it out. Also, If you have a number, etc. for the people you tried to reach about having certification that she's Cherokee, I'd love to have it. I have a Cherokee friend I'd like to check on it for us. They may be more willing to talk to her. Thanks!

Patsy Derryfield (that is the way my grandfather spelled it)is found in the 1850 USA Census, District 54, Russel, Virginia as born about 1841, being 9 years old. I read previously that she was living in the household of her Grandmother. (Which may be that her parents were dead by the 1850 census? I can find her father William Derryfield in the 1840 census then no more.)In the 1860 Census Patsy is living in Wayne, Co. Va (WV). She was listed as 19, living in the Burchet household of husband and wife, with 5 children and a 71 year old John McCoy (perhaps the father of Mrs. Burchet?). Perhaps she was hired help? In the 1880 Census, she is listed in Grant District, Wayne Co., WV as being 37 (perhaps a misread and should be 39 years old), with children Helen (12 yrs old, my foremother) Meredith 8 yrs old, Viny and Elizabeth, twins 6 yrs old, and Gilbert 4 yrs old. Included in the household is Benjamin Haley, 66 yrs old. Her occupation is given as keeping house, and her race as being white (which was commonly stated due to prejudice of Am. Indians. Her birthplace is given as Virginia. I have only seen the one photo of Patsy Derryfield-Spence. The photo sounds the same as snowwolf56 mentions. Patsy's husband, Harrison Spence (my forefather) was listed as a 12 year old male in the 1860 census, this would make him some 6 years younger than Patsy. His father was Alexander, mother Viney Spence. The children were William 14, Harrison 12, James 10, Daniel 8, Sarah 6, Willis 4, George 2, and Magaretta born 4/12/1860. Several places state that Harrison Spence was born in Augusta, Virginia in 1847. Looking up Augusta, Va (Western Va.).I found that most of WV and all of Kentucky was formed from what was originally this county in Va. Patsy's father was William Derryfield and he is listed in the 1840 census as living in Russell, Va. But he is not found there in the 1850 census. (Was he dead, or moved?) Previous research I found that Patsy was named after her maternal grandmother Martha (Patsey) Jourden who was 68 yrs old(born abt 1782)and in the 1850 census living in Russell, Va., Patsy Derryfield is a part of her household. I believe that Patsy's mother was Lucy Jourden and her father was William Derryfield. I hope this helps!

Re: Martha(Patsey)Derryfield, was listed as 9 years old, born abt 1841, in the 1850 Census, and was living with her maternal grandmother, Patsey Jourden-68 years old born in 1782 in Rockingham County, Va.,

The following household that is listed in the 1850 census, is Benjamine Jourden, born in 1822, male/28 yrs old, his wife was Jane, and children are Daughter/Polly-11, Son/George C.-9, Son/Richard-7, Son/Parris-7, Son/Robert-5, Son/Covey-4, Son/Andrew-2 and Daughter/Elizabeth-1 month old.

In the 1870 Census Benjamine Jourden is listed as 48 yrs/white male born in Russel Co.,Va. His wife Jane Jourden is also listed as 48 yrs old, the children at home are Daughter/Elizabeth-18 yrs, Daughter/Patsey-16 yrs, and Daughter/Eliza-14 yrs old. I believe that Patsey Jourden may be Benjamine Jourden's Mother or Grandmother and he no doubt named his daughter Patsey in her honor. No other census information is to be found on the elder Patsey Jourden after 1850.

I have not been able to trace the sons of Benjamine Jourden in the other Federal Census reports and am left to wonder if some or all perished in the Civil War?

In the 1860 Federal Census, Patsy Derryfield is living in the household of Meredith and Mary Burchett and their 5 children along with John McCoy-71 years old, in Wayne County, Va, (later to be WV). Meredith Burchett was born in 1823 in North Carolina. He was married to Mary B. McCoy in 1854. Perhaps John McCoy is her father?

In the 1880 Census, Patsy Derryfield-Spence, is a 37 yr old widow, birthplace listed as Virginia, living in Grant district, Wayne Co, WV; occupation is keeping house, race-white, and the mother of Helen/12 yrs old, Meredith-8 yrs, Melvina (Viny)-6 yrs and twin sister Elizabeth-6 yrs, son/Gilbert-4, and there is a male, Benjamin Haley-66 years old.

Patsey Derryfield had married Harrison Spence (farmer),October 11, 1866. Harrison Spence was born in 1847 (Augusta, VA), thus making Patsey some 6 years older than Harrison. (This was the Civil War Era which desimated the male population!) The father of Harrison was Alexander Spence born Oct./1822 in Tazewell Co.,Va and he died in Wayne Co., WV. Alexander's mother was named Susannah. Harrison Spence's mother was Melvina "Vina" Johnson-Spence, born Oct.12, 1823 in Lawrence Co.,Ky. Died August 27, 1897 in Wayne Co., WV. Her father was Andrew Johnson. They were married about 1840. Alexander Spence's second wife was Elizabeth Browning, Feb.6, 1876 in Wayne Co., WV. Children of Patsey Derryfield & Harrison Spence were Helen-b/July 2, 1867, Melvina & Elizabeth b/Aug.28, 1873, Meredith b/? 1871,Gilbert b/June 14,1876, he died May 23, 1949.

Of interest is the fact that Patsy Derryfield-Spence named her twin daughters Melvina and Elizabeth, which were the names of her father-in-laws both wives! Patsy also named her first born son Meredith, was it in honor of Meredith Burchett in whose household she had lived in prior to her marriage?

The 1860 Census lists the family of Harrison Spence as Alexander-38 yrs, Mother Viny Spence-37 yrs, William/14, Harrison/12, James/10, Daniel/8, Sarah/6, Willis/4, George/2 and Magaretta 4/12.

Harrison Spence and Patsy Derryfield-Spence's daughter Helen was my grand-father's mother. She married Absolom Vance and they named one of their sons James Vance my grandfather, I suppose in honor of her Uncle James? The name Martha as well as Melvina "Viney" is very prominent in our family. One of Benjamine Jourden's sons was Parris Jourden, the name Parris is also prominent in the Vance family. The fact that Benjamine Jourden named a daughter Patsey Jourden, also adds weight to the conclusion that I have came to that these are family members.

The cause of Harrison Spence's death is listed as "Influenza" and Patsy died in 1921, they are buried at Queen's Ridge Cemetary, WV. The cause of death for both Helen and Absolom Vance is listed as "Influenza", both died in 1923 only about 6 months apart.

Tracyh74 you wrote:"We know that her parents were William and Lucy Deerfield, but in a census we found it listed her as being full blooded cherokee indian." What census did you find this in? Can you please share it with us? It's starting to look like she wasn't Native American after all. I haven't found anything yet that supports this claim. We, also, have always been told that she was Native American. A lot of my great aunts and uncles sure look it. Can you tell us where you got that info? Thanks so much!

I checked with the Cherokee tribal census etc and there is no mention on Martha Patsy Deryfield (any spelling) or Spence. Nor is there any tribal names of Vance, etc. I tried several surnames and they explained that none of these people were ever inrolled in their census or affiliated with any of the tribes. I am not at all sure where someone found her in the Cherokee census. I would love to have that info so it could be checked. She's definitely from a Native American area. Would be nice to find out more info. Does anyone have pics of Lucy and William??? Would love to share some photos. Thanks!

FOr what it's worth:

My great uncle Lewis Deerfield (Wm. Flem, Enos, Wm. Isaac, Enos, Wm.), in a letter to my aunt in the late 1970's, recollected that Martha Patsy's father, Wm. Isaac Derifield, passed away very early in the 1840s (probably around the time of Martha Patsy's (a.k.a. Patricia) birth, and that Lucy Jordan went on to marry a Hall. In the 1850 Russell County census, there is a William Hall married to a Lucy whose children match up almost identically with those of Wm. Derifield and Lucy Jordan. He also remembered that Lucy was a Cherokee Indian "of the Iroquoian tribe."

Patsy Deryfield (spelling)on her marriage certificate was one of my ancestresses. She married Harrison Spence on 10-11-1866, at the home of Thomas McCoy, by Edmond Osburn. This is in the Wayne County, WV marriage records. It lists her parents as Wm. Deryfield Father and Lucy as her Mother. And lists Russell County, Va. as her birthplace. She is listed as being 23 years old and Harrison Spence is listed as 19. Harrison's parents are listed as Alexander and Viney Spence. Through my research, I also believe that Wm. Deryfield had an early passing, but I believe that he fathered other children besides Patsy. But apparently, his wife Lucy Jourdan Deryfield-Hall, also had several children with her 2nd husband, William Hall. By the way, the nickname "Patsy" was common for women named Martha, as Martha Washington's nickname and to which her family and friends called her was Patsy. I believe Patsy may have been the eldest child and that would explain why she was living with her Grandmother Martha (Patsy) Carter Jourdan (also Jordan), who was divorced. Grandmother Martha's husband, Jacobus "Covith" Jourdan married Martha 3-15-1803, after their divorce he relocated to Ky. married again (Malinda/Matilda Richards Carter,10-18-1854 and also had other children (Cathrine & Jemima)His second wife was actually the sister-in-law of his 1st wife, her 1st husband was David Carter, Jacobus (Covey) had been living with them and when her husband died he married the widow. I have additional information on this. I do believe there are Jourdan's on the Indian roles. Unless Wm. Deryfield was also Indian, then Patsy Spence would be 1/2 Indian. People that knew her from the Queen's Ridge Settlement, Wayne Co., WV said she was full blooded Indian. I have seen a photo taken when she was an old woman, she does look Indian. She assisted women as a midwife in the Queen's Settlement. I've seen a photo of David Derifield, on a site, stating that his father is Enos Derifield and mother was Jemima Large. He also looks Indian. He also named a son Enos Derifield. Patsy Derifield-Spence had a brother Enos, so David may be her nephew.

I know this is an old thread, but Deerfield is on my family line. My dad's grandmother is Ollie Deerfield, her father was William David Derifield, son of David Derifield. Any info, pics would be helpful