I have always had a strong sense of my roots. I grew up belonging to a specific place — a place where my parents, grandparents, great grandparents and so on were from. My father and mother’s family lived in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) before it became a national park. Like any good Appalachian kid, I visited the gravesites of my deceased relatives on Decoration Day and let the great aunts hug my neck at family reunions. There was always plenty of family to go around so I never wanted to know more. Until — fast forward to the 21st century — DNA testing became affordable and therefore accessible.
I have the DNA!
I had always assumed that I had some Scottish or Scots-Irish ancestry because my mother’s paternal surname is McFalls. One of her sisters got the Scottish heritage bug and did some pre-Internet research that inspired a family trip to Scotland for her, her daughter and my mother. We never learned anything definitive about our Scottish roots until DNA testing confirmed that we did indeed have Scottish/Irish DNA — not a lot — but enough to claim, and really not surprising for a family with roots in southern Appalachian.
In addition to having the results of the DNA testing, my mother and I also took advantage of easy-to-use online tools to search and document the family genealogy. While my ultimate goal was to establish a direct connection back to Scotland, it turns out that learning big-picture history — especially social history and connecting it to personal history is a much better reward!
The ancestor who intrigues
As we explored our family tree, my mother and I began to take notice of Arthur McFalls, my fifth great-grandfather. While my mother had heard of him from her sister, she didn’t know very much about him. He seemed like our best link to get back to Scotland. But beyond making that Scottish connection, Arthur’s story really began to intrigue us.
He was born in Bedford, Virginia, in 1751 though there are no official records of his father and mother that we have found. At one time, my mother thought his parents came from France because Arthur’s mother had a French name and appeared to have been born there. My mom also thought that Arthur’s parents were married in the colony of Pennsylvania because she found some documentation online, but in later searches we have been unable to find it. From Virginia, Arthur moved to western North Carolina where his story really began to take shape.
More questions than answers
We discovered three women who apparently had children with him, but we couldn’t tell which was a wife, which of his children belonged to which woman, or which woman was our ancestor. We came across a letter that was supposedly written by the relative of one of the “wives” forgiving Arthur for leaving this wife after she was scalped and disfigured. Another online profile associated with one of his “wives” said she was a Native American. While our genetic testing revealed no DNA, my grandmother had always insisted that one of our ancestors was married to a Native American woman. Could she be my fifth great-grandmother?
We discovered three women who apparently had children with him, but we couldn’t tell which was a wife, which of his children belonged to which woman, or which woman was our ancestor.
This information seemed contradictory to other information we found calling Arthur an “Indian fighter” and “Indian spy.” In a letter, a neighbor in western North Carolina described Arthur as a “man after Daniel Boone’s own heart.” Other sources said his parents were scalped and killed by Native Americans. If he had experienced so much personal tragedy related to Native Americans, would he marry and have children with one?
We also found confusing information about his role in the American Revolution. He appeared to have a pension testimony on file with the newly formed American government for his service in the Revolutionary War, but we also found information that a John McFalls was hanged as a Tory after the Battle of King’s Mountain and that his brother, Arthur, was spared. Was this our Arthur?
Don’t stop researching!
At present, these questions and other discoveries about Arthur have led to two-year obsession with Arthur and his extended family — my ancestors. In future blogs, I’ll be writing about the discoveries of me and my mom — finding new family members in unexpected places, learning about the Scots-Irish or Ulster Scot migration to the American colonies, coming to terms with the role my ancestors, starting with Arthur, played in the genocide of the indigenous peoples of the United States, figuring out that sometimes you have to ignore those who claim to be the experts and do your own research, enjoying how much more real history becomes when you know the role your ancestors played in it, and loving how this search — this obsession with my Scottish roots — has been shared with my mother, who has become quite the amateur genealogist!
Join the Arthur McFalls DNA Project on Facebook. This is a private group for descendants of Arthur; you will be asked to establish your connection to him before being allowed to join.
9 Comments
Great looking web site
I feel closer to Old Arthur than my own Grandpa McFalls who passed away before I was born. Some days I don’t understand him but every day I want to know more about him.
Hello, Diana (cuz) lol
Would love to talk about our connections from our Mcfalls Family to yours and our -McFalls roots, we have a McFalls book that has all the info you stated and more! We know Arthur ir his offspring is our connection but can’t definitively prove! My GG grandfather is Jonah Allan Alney McFalls born 1819 in what is now Cherokee county, my great aunt wrote in a bible entry in 1928 that she was born at the base of cheoah mountain in what is now Smokey mountain national park, any way I did a DNA also on Ancestry! I am also doing research on the MacPhail/ Chattan association, MacPhail was of the old Chattan blood from Paul Cattanach, MacPhail is Son of Paul! Anyway if you get back we can talk, I used to live in Estes park near big elk meadows! Hope to hear back!!
I am 100 percent descendant of Arthur mcfalls and teak and my ancestry was easily traced back since my family lived in the same area and i did it completely using grave site finder then took me all the way to arthur Mcfalls and Teek but same as well 5 generations ago wont show native dna of one source but my ancestry dna says im 60 percent scottish and my Grandfathers name is John Denton jr he is burried in north carolina look him up on grave finder then just click on the his mom and dads grave and keep doing that and it will help you solve it
Linda , who was you Grandpa McFalls, I have been trying to verify connection to Arthur, I know it is him or one of his off spring, just can’t find the missing link! Do you have the McFalls book? It is quite extensive with many pictures! Thanks Larry McFalls
Hi Larry,
Sorry for the belated reply, but glad to see that you got connected with the Arthur McFalls Ancestry Project group on Facebook. That is definitely the best place for ongoing conversations with my mom (Linda) and others about Arthur and his descendants. We are all eager to discover more about Arthur’s ancestry and look forward to your contributions.
I am a decendant of Daniel McFall(s), born NC in 1784. I have a book on McFalls/McFall/McFaul genealogy that was researched by my McFaul family. It is odd, but this book says Arthur was actually hung at Kings Mountain! That one is odd?
I have this:
John McFalls one of nine Tories hanged at Kings Mountain, NC
First Generation: Patrick McFalls
John McFalls Sr. (son of Patrick
Second Generation:
John McFalls Jr. born1745 in Botetourt, VA
Arthur McFalls, Sr.
Durham McFalls
Third Generation: Children of John
John McFalls III married to Deliah on Feb. 27the, 1795 in Burke Co, NC
Susanna McFalls
Arthur McFalls Sr. and Deliah ? had the following children:
Arthur McFalls Jr born about 1780 in Burke Co. NC
Sally McFalls
James McFalls
Arthur McFalls Sr. and Teek had
Isaac McFalls
John McFalls Jr, was born about 1745 in Botetourt, VA. John McFalls, listed as John McFall in some writings, was hanged at Kings Mountain after the battle of Kings Mountain for being a Tory. His brother Arthur McFalls, was spared because he knew Colonel McDowell, patriot Leader. John McFalls was hanged, because he dashed up to a patriots house and caused his family considerable grief.
I forgot to add:
Abraham Hiram McFalls – child of Arthur Jr. and Teek.
There is some more, but I just had cataract surgery less than a week ago, so vision is NOT good.
Hi Patricia,
Apologies for the belated reply. The best place to get more involved in conversations about Arthur, his ancestors and his descendants, is the Arthur McFalls Ancestry Project on Facebook. It’s a private group, but I’ll make sure the admin knows you are interested in joining. https://www.facebook.com/groups/479099646137881