Our Ludi African American Roots

I've always enjoyed finding the surprises you run across when you dig back into your family history. I was 50+ before I found out that, from my Mother's Mother's side I am actually Jewish. So when I saw in the Autosomal DNA that I am 4% Black I thought, "Cool, I wonder where that comes from". At the time I wasn't all that familiar with how DNA worked so I figured it was most likely some sort of ancient artifact from thousands of years ago.

Lillian Mary Easton Ludi

It wasn't until I was looking at some of the census' from my Great-Grandmother, Lillian Mary Easton's (Nelson James Ludi's wife) line that I ran across the fact that her father was listed in the 1850 Massachusetts census as Mulatto. So, going back further I found that on the 1820 Massachusetts census his father, James Easton, was listed as Free Colored.

Going back one more generation we find James' Father, James Easton Sr., also listed as Free Colored. James Easton Sr. wife was Sarah Dunbar the daughter of Samson Dunbar. Both Samson Dunbar and James Easton served in the "Colored" regiments during the Revolutionary War.

According to AncestryDNA I share Autosomal DNA not only with all the Easton men but with all of their wives lines also. The only person on this Ludi side of my ancestry that I can not find verifiable DNA evidence of is Nelson James Ludi's Father James Ludi.

And that leads us to the next mystery!