POST 2: John's Not The Problem.....

Ok.....second post:   The truth is, John’s not the problem. Aggie is the problem. Who’s Aggie, you ask? She’s John’s wife….. or at least one of them. Now don’t panic….we’re not Mormon!!   You see, for the earlier generations of Suttons,  Aggie Lossiah was the one and only Mrs. John Sutton.  If you Google Aggie Lossiah, you will get a page full of references of her relation to John Sutton. But.... there is mounting evidence that Aggie was one of several possible Mrs. John Suttons and therefore some of his descendants may be remiss in calling Aggie our 4th great grandmother. This is especially likely if you are descended from William as I am. He was likely John's first born. I have read posts that support the hypothesis that Aggie was the last of John’s wives and that the prodigy listed in genealogy trees as his kids may be (1) the children of other wives or (2)may have even been John’s grandchildren. Take a break and breathe deeply here….my head swims on all of this as well.
  

While we’re regaining our equilibrium, I think it only fair to make the following disclaimer. I am not, nor ever have been, or ever will be a detective which is evidenced by the fact that I folded and gave up my own search and instead gave good money to someone else to do it for me. However, there are  folks within the Sutton family who have done research for years and it is because of their hard work that the trail to the truth is possible. So, if you’re reading this, just know that this is the story of my journey and I am grateful for your efforts. What I have read on various message boards makes me acutely aware of the years that some people have put into the history of this family. I am in awe of that ability, perseverance and dedication. And.... make no mistake about it, I am taking my journey because of the questions you’ve asked me to consider with your research. I have to acknowledge one person that is referenced on many message boards and who, I believe, is considered by the vast majority to be the expert on the John Sutton family. Although I have never spoken with this person, he is the one person who I believe keeps the rest of us digging and looking for the truth. I won’t mention his name because I haven’t spoken to him or asked his permission but I just want to say thanks for your volumes of work and I hope you’ll take the phone call from the genealogist I hired because I told her you are da man! 

Now back to our “problem child”…..Aggie Lossiah. One of the few common agreements is that Aggie was a full blooded Cherokee. In an excerpt from a letter written by John in 1777, he says, “ George Washington told me to go home from Valley Forge. I told him I was going back to the mountains and marry an Indian..."   There are Ancestry.com hints that indicate the marriage to Aggie could have been in Virginia. In 1775, John would have been 35.  Given the times in colonial America, he could have married earlier and it is likely the previous wives died. On any account, it appears that all we know is that Agggie  lived and married John. To my knowledge, there’s no record of where she’s buried so looking back, I probably should have called this post, “Where’s Aggie?”  Although I’m sure Aggie Lossiah will be in and out of our journey, I can't help but feel like we've lost Aggie and that, my friends, is a shame...... There weren't  death certificates or marriage licenses in 1777 colonial America. Just the handing down of stories from generation to generation.  As I pointed out earlier, if you Google "Aggie Lossiah", the name most associated with her is John Sutton......and we've lost her.


Next Time: "Dangit Man, I've Told Everybody I Was Part Cherokee....."