Mirha "Mitha" Straight Tail Parker, of the Bear Clan - Mitha and Elizabeth Ballard

I had come at this tree from disambiguating Parker families. There was a published article on the Three Richard Parkers of Virginia, this site uses that article in their view of the Parker family.

http://www.sallysfamilyplace.com/Parker/parkerdr.htm#Richard%20Park...

Parker line begins here

https://sallysfamilyplace.com/dr-richard-parker-mary-perkins/

Can anyone supply a citations to any records besides the illegible "Mirha" in Parker's will to associate Minitha Straight Tail as as his wife? I can't find a thing.

I've seen the blogs and postings, so I know opinion, just looking for records now.
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This is what Wikipedia has, without solid references, for Opessa's family

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_Tail_Meaurroway_Opessa#Chi...

Straight Tail married a Pekowi woman in 1650, having the following children:

Wolf Straight Tail: born about 1654.

Sewatha Straight Tail: born about 1660 in Ohio, USA. Married to Martin Chartier about 1693. Mother of Peter Chartier. Died in 1759 in Illinois.

Cakundawanna Straight Tail: born about 1662.

Opessa Straight Tail: born about 1664. Great-grandfather of Tecumseh, famed Shawnee leader during the War of 1812.

Snow White Straight Tail: born about 1666 in Ohio, USA.

Minitha Straight Tail: born about 1668 in Ohio, USA

John White Straight Tail: born about 1670 in Ohio, USA.

Daughter Straight Tail: born about 1680 in Illinois, USA.

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I think there's references to Cakundawanna in this book but so far can't find it again

https://archive.org/stream/wildernesstrail00hanngoog#page/n16/mode/2up

The wilderness trail; or, The ventures and adventures of the Pennsylvania traders on the Allegheny path
by Hanna, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1863-1950

Publication date 1911
Topics Indians of North America, Indians of North America

Perhaps looking into https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Chartier will help shed light in his sister in law

And we have a clue thanks to a member.

finding, thank you. Is this from a MyHeritage tree?

Mitha was wife of Richard Parker, Old Cheraw.. not Dr. Parker a white man.. her husband was Richard Parker he was not white but Old Cheraw..
Gender: Male
Birth: after circa 1706
Chowan formed from Nansemond Co, NC
Immediate Family:
Son of Cheraw Chief Thomas Parker, Tithable of Indian Woods and Elizabeth Parker
Brother of Old Cheraw, Peter Parker, in Meherrin Res and Meherrin Rachele Parker
Added by: Alex Lowe on January 21, 2018

More Parker mixups reported

Managers of Richard Parker, of Henrico,

I am contacting you about this profile: https://www.geni.com/people/Richard-Parker-of-Henrico/6000000059105... The dad of this Richard Parker would be the Cheraw who lived amongst the Catawba for a period of time and his brothers and he received the land deeds from their listed father on record and his brothers and his profile are on Geni as Chief of Cheraw brothers with deeds and wills. Here is the correct Parker dad of this Parker. Richard Parker... Here are all the reasons this Richard Parker does not belong to the Doctor Parker. The age of Alice Smith exceeds 105 years.More than 22 year age difference between Katherine Parker and her husband James Parker, of Browsholme.Katherine Parker born after her marriage date.Gurley Parker born before the birth of her mother Katherine Parker.Catherine Parker born before the birth of her mother Katherine Parker.Alice Smith born before the birth of her mother Katherine Parker.Jane Parker born before the birth of her mother Katherine Parker.William Parker born before the birth of his mother Katherine Parker.James Parker born before the birth of his mother Katherine Parker.Robert Parker born before the birth of his mother Katherine Parker.Elizabeth (Effie) Parker born before the birth of her mother Katherine Parker.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child Dr. Richard Parker.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child Cordelia Parker.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child John Parker.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child Unknown Parker.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child Katterren Parker.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child Mary Low/Lower.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child Rowland Parker.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child Anthony Parker.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child George Parker, I.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child Joseph Parker.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child Joan Nicolls.Katherine Parker is under 12 years old for the birth of her child Francis Parker.

I also can't find any good sources for Mitha. I wouldn't rely on the Wikipedia article. It seems to be citing the same blog that lists Mitha as the daughter of Straight Tail without sources.
The new evidence is interesting but if Mitha was the wife of the Cheraw Richard Parker, why is she listed in the 1726 will of the Henrico Richard Parker? While she may not have been Native American, the will does mean that Dr. Richard Parker had a wife named something like Mirha/Mitha/Martha etc.

That she is mentioned in her dad's will does not preclude her from marrying Cheraw Richard Parker of the same area, the 1450 acres at Coreapeake, west of the Dismal Swamp. Dr. Richard Parker did not have a tithable wife because the tax rolls do not show it and that puts her as wife to the Richard Parker, known native, who did who as tithable and paid taxes on a native wife, of the same area.

Also, Mirtha 's daughter's last name keep reappearing in downlines of known Traders and Natives. . . .

I might be misunderstanding you, but the dates don't seem to make sense. Richard Parker of Henrico is born c. 1655 and dies 1726. The only clear evidence we have so far is that the 1726 will mentions his wife "Mitha Parker". If the Cheraw Richard Parker was born after 1709, how could he marry Mitha if she's explicitly listed as the wife, not the daughter, of the other Richard Parker? Were there two people named Mitha?

I’m going to separate the issues.

1. The second wife of Dr Richard Parker, mentioned in his will as “Mirha” [illegible]. Personally I would think it the normal name of Martha.

What do we know about her? That’s it. She was not the mother of any known children because Dr Parker and his wife Elizabeth signed property deeds together.

I’ve been looking for weeks, and the mentions I can see of Mitha Straight Tail as wife of Dr Parker / mother of Elizabeth (Parker) Adkins originate and end with Shawnee Heritage books.

That’s not good enough evidence. I can’t even find mention of a 19th century oral tradition ! Nothing !!!

Then the next step is to work on the Straight Tail tree.

I’m going to quote from Wikitree about the Three Richard Parker’s

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Parker-1543

There appears to be significant disagreement regarding the identity of Elizabeth Parker’s (1695-1754) mother. This is in large part due to the multitude of Richard Parkers contemporaneously flitting about Virginia in the late 1600s and in almost-as-large part due to confusion over the name(s) of his wife. Researcher Waunita Powell has, after ten years of scouring primary sources, sorted out the Virginia Richards enough to identify my ancestor with near certainty. The three contenders are as follows:

(1) Richard Parker (1650) from Virginia who married “Miss Pender,” (2) Richard Parker who married Judith Huntt in Virginia, and (3) Richard Parker (1650) from Virginia, married to “Mitha.”

From Powell’s cross-referencing land deeds, court records, etc., it seems Richard Parker number three is our man. But there are still complications. First, primary sources list two names for Richard’s wife: (1) Elizabeth, and (2) Mitha, Mirha, or a handful of permutations therein. Some suggest these two names refer to the same person (i.e., that Elizabeth may have also been called Mitha). Others suggest Mitha is a second wife.

Elizabeth is listed as Richard’s wife in the indentured servant contract from February 1696—one year after Elizabeth Parker (1695-1754) was born. So if Mitha is indeed a second wife, then she is genealogically insignificant to the birth of Elizabeth Parker.

If Elizabeth and Mitha are the same people, it seems unusual for her to go on the record as “Elizabeth Parker” her whole life and then suddenly—in a legal will, no less—be mentioned as “Mitha.” Of course, it’s possible but unlikely.

It seems much more likely that Richard was first married to an Elizabeth who died between 1695 and 1726, when “Mitha” is mentioned in his will. Powell notes that Richard is listed as the sole executor of a John Ballard’s estate, and concludes that Elizabeth is probably John Ballard’s daughter… “She must have been an only child, which would account for Richard receiving all the Estate and being the Executor.) (Richard and Elizabeth were then married before Feb. 1691/2).”

Also, the death record for Elizabeth (Ballard?) seems to exist. Some online sources say that her death record appears in the records of St. John's Episcopal Church in Henrico, dated February 7, 1716. I think we can safely say that she, not Mitha, was the mother of all of Richard's children, as they were all born before that date.

Absolutely, I was going to bring up those points.

There has not been, until the Metcalfe blog & the Shawnee Heritage books, "any" suggestion that Richard Parker of Henrico had any half native children.

His wife Elizabeth Parker was probably the sole heir of John Ballard so there might be property transactions of his original holdings in his Parker grandchildren and their spouses to be found - that could be a fruitful genealogy pursuit.

She is documented signing an indenture with her husband in 1696, well after the birth of Elizabeth Adkins

There is no evidence Mechell “Mitha” Parker the widow of this Richard Parker had any children

I am puzzled about how the legend began and a mixup with a 4th Richard Parker may very well explain it.

The little I've been able to glean so far is that Richard Parker of Old Cheraws is associated with the origins of the Lumbee in Robeson County NC.

There was a land transaction in the Richard Parker of Henrico profiles for NC. Bet it was associated with the wrong Parker.

I've disconnected Nimeetha “Mitha” Parker, Piqua Shawnee from Richard Parker and created a new profile for Mechell “Mitha” Parker

I've also locked Elizabeth Parker to her children so the chronology confusion doesn't occur again; there really is no question that Elizabeth Ballard was the mother of his children, including Elizabeth Adkins

In a sense the Straight Tail legend is irrelevant. She cannot have contributed her genes to the Adkins line.

Private User can you give this a look / see and let us know if we're on the right track now?

I found the real “Mirtha,” widow of Richard Parker.

Mechell “Mitha” Parker

You did it !

Yes u on right track keep going plz

https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=stev...

Yes, that source is how I was looking at it. But he doesn't doesnt identify her other husbands beyond their name. That's why Geni - we have all the families.