Bio

I am a Washington DC native with family roots in the American south and a passion for discovering new ancestors and learning their stories.  As an African American, I knew that I descended from enslaved persons and likely slave owners.  Through my family tree research I was surprised to discover that I also descend from free people of color, Native Americans, multi-racial persons and Melungeons.  Discovering my free people of color ancestry in particular has unlocked a rich aspect of American history previously unknown to me which I am now learning more about through the lens of my own ancestry.  I’ve found that researching my Cumbo ancestry in particular is exciting because of the family’s significance in American history and availability of documentation.  The Cumbo family, with its various branches who today identify as black, white and Native American represents a diverse tapestry that’s quintessentially American.

I am not a professionally trained historian or genealogist.  By day I work in the business and technology world.  I hold an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Business Administration from Morehouse College.  I research in my spare time.  When I realize (or am gently reminded by loved ones) that I’m spending more of my time researching the dead than enjoying the living I shut my computer down.  I say all of this to say that my blog posts are from the perspective of a genealogy hobbyist with a passion for uncovering and sharing the rich history of the Cumbo family in America. I created this website to provide a place for Cumbo descendants to share and learn about our precious family history and ensure that it lives on.

Andre Kearns
60.4% African, 37.6% European, 2.0% East Asian, Native American, Other
Twitter: @CumboFamilyTree
Facebook: Cumbo Family Reunion

Jamestown

With my sons visiting Jamestown where Emanuell Cambow arrived from Angola on a slave ship.  He served as a slave/indentured servant, was freed, patented 50 acres and started a Cumbo family that now extends to all of us.

 

 

20 Comments

  1. Please contact me via my email address. I bet I know some of your folks. I’m not that good with this way of talking. Nevertheless, I am 50.8% Sub-Saharan African, and 46.9% European and bits and pieces of the remainder of the earth. I’m so close to nailing down who that white ancestor was but I need someone to help me understand my DNA, and more importantly, the DNA from my male 1st cousin, who is now deceased. WE are BOTH on GEDMatch with these Kit numbers:
    M939499 = =Me
    M174825 = = Andrew – a 1st cousin on my father’s, McGhee, side
    Both of these kits originated with 23andMe
    Andrew also has results in ftdna that I sent to GEDMatch resulting in K#Z156122
    Let me hear from you? I’ve been looking for the originator of that surname for over 30 years, and DNA analysis is my last hope!

  3. My family has a very similar history. The Pettifords are a large tri-racial FPOC family from Granville County in NC. We may find that we are related. I am awaiting Ancestry DNA testing, then I will build a family tree there. Peace and blessings!

      2. Thank you for referring me to the FTDNA Carolinas FPOC project! I just put in my request today and hope I get accepted to it. I am very interested in finding out even more about my family’s history 🙂

          1. *PS – a lot of us of Pettiford descent have Artis ancestry as well so we might be distantly related. I heard a rumor that some in the Artis family might have married into the Cumbo family. I don’t know if it’s true or not but look forward to researching it!

  4. Greetings, I just wanted to know where did you begin your research?
    – My dad and many of his siblings were born in Bertie County during the 1920’s-1930’s and later moved to Woodland, NC (North Hampton County).
    – My dads name is Robert F. Cherry, now deceased. His mom’s maiden name I believe is Laura Taylor and her husband Cater(Cash) Cherry.
    – And, speaking of Suffolk, VA I have many first cousins on my dads side there; they are the children of his elder sister Dorothy and her husband, William Ruffin who lived there for many, many years, as well.
    – My mom’s family came from Potecasi, NC (North Hampton, County) during the 1920’s-1930’s.
    – My mom’s name is Emmaline Brewer Cherry, still living. Her mom’s maiden name is Rettie Weaver and her husband Rufus Brewer – from Potecasi, NC. I just wanted to note, that My mom’s eldest sister Garneeta married Woodrow Peele.

    – I just do not know were to begin.
    – I do not have a website at this time.
    – Thank you.

    1. Stephanie, Hi, pleasure to meet you and thank you for sharing your family history with me. You should start by building a family tree. I built mine using ancestry.com. Start with what you know and work your way back. Add the names, birth and death dates and locations of your parents, grandparents, etc. Then use traditional research – review of vital records, census records, etc – to extend your tree back. You can conduct research on Ancestry.com if you have a subscription but there are also free services like FamilySearch.org. Then when you’ve done all of this consider DNA testing with AncestryDNA, 23andMe or Family Tree DNA. With your results you’ll get a list of DNA matches whom you are likely related to. These DNA matches will offer you clues to help you extend your family tree further back. I did all of these things before I started publishing this website. Good luck! Let me know how I can help! Best, Andre

  5. Greetings. I think I am part of the Cumbo tree. I am a decendent of Isom Ampey and Mary Cumbo Ampey. Both of them settled in Southwest Michigan in Paw Paw. Mary’s Daughter was Alice Ampey-Scruggs (My great great grandmother), Mary’s granddaughter was Hilda Jones-Whaling. Mary’s great granddaughter was Alice Marie Whaling-Robinson. Mary’s great great grandson was Edmund Hawkins Sr. Mary’s great great grandson is Edmund Hawkins, Jr., which is myself. I feel blessed to be able to know exactly which part of Africa my decendents are from. I just happened to luck up through a conversation with some of my cousins in Michigan.

    1. You are indeed. Pleasure to meet you. Mary Cumbo Amprey was born to Hilliard Cumbo and Sarah Meacham, your fourth great grandparents, who married in Halifax County, North Carolina and moved to Michigan.

  6. I had my DNA tested thru Ancestry.com and find tho I am 57% from Scotland, 38% for England, I also have 1% from Cameroo/Congo/Bantu peoples. I also found thru my mother’s family side I traced back to Emmanuel Cambow. The Cambow family became McCumbee and Cumbee. My mother told me she knew of some McCumby’s in her family. I am very interested to find out more about my connection. I am proud to be a descendant of Emmanuel Cambow and am doing all the research I can to learn more. I found a book, The Birth of Black America: The First African Americans and the Pursuit of Freedom at Jamestown, that I am ordering to learn more. I also want to thank you for your site and all the work you have put into research.

  7. Exciting! I just found out Emanuell Cumbow is an ancestor of mine! I enjoy using ancestry in my free time to trace back my roots as well. Tonight I was working on my tree and found him, I’m a little confused about the nationality of his wife. What I have been able to find lists her as a Caribbean Indian, if I am understanding correctly. I always thought I was just white, so this was exciting to discover! Waiting on my DNA results to come back!

  10. Enjoyed your talk on Rootstech. Would love to get past Great grands in my family.
    However. since the pandemic has had me inside I have found much of what I was looking for. My family is from South Carolina, raised in Georgia and migrated to Connecticut, where I was born.

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