Barkhamsted Lighthouse Tribe meets

BARKHAMSTED — More than 40 people, all of them descendants of the Barkhamsted Lighthouse Tribe, gathered for a dinner at ABC Pizza on Wednesday, Aug. 13.The dinner was hosted by family genealogist and Native American researcher Coni Dubois.Dubois, a descendant of the Lighthouse Tribe, organized the event with the intention of meeting some of her cousins for the first time.The Lighthouse Tribe is thought to have started in 1740 when James Chaughum, a member of the Narragansett Indian tribe, married Molly Barber, an Irish immigrant. The two resided and met in Wethersfield, but fled to Barkhamsted after Barber’s father denied his daughter permission to marry. The couple had eight children, who became the first generation of Lighthouse Tribe descendants.Through her research, Dubois was able to establish that she is a descendant of first-generation Hannah Chaughum.Dubois said she had not met the descendants gathered at ABC Pizza prior to the dinner but had been in contact with some of them via the Internet.“This is the initial meeting and greeting,” Dubois said. “A lot of people want to meet with me, but it’s easier for me to do it in a group instead of individually. My research involves not just Barkhamsted but most of the Northeastern tribes. When I started doing genealogy I began researching one generation back and I found the Barkhamsted people. I’ve found many other tribes in other states but this is the main focus of my research, the Barkhamsted Lighthouse.”Dubois said that although her research has become a full-time job, she does not make any money from it and actually spends thousands of dollars on travel and resources.“I’m a simple researcher who ended up going into the academic world,” she said. “Over 20 years ago my father asked me to find our Native American roots, that’s when I started with genealogy.” With over 43,000 people in her database, Dubois has been able to trace her bloodline back to the 1500s. She said she has discovered some interesting connections along the way.“I was able to uncover one of the first five women to be ever charged for witchcraft, my seventh-generation great grandmother,” Dubois said. “A man was killed and three years later they accused her of being the killer. They charged her with witchcraft and she got the death penalty, but then she disappeared. We don’t know if she was killed or not, but this was 1651, several years before the Salem witch trials.”Dubois said her research into the tribe started 20 years ago and she has met many people who have contributed.“The outpouring has been amazing,” she said. “They’ve got books, documents and records they’re sharing with me. That’s what’s really bringing the work together. It’s not so much about the research to me as bringing the family together and getting to know each other.”Lighthouse descendant and Dubois’ cousin Tanna Chesser attended the event.“I try to come to every event that Coni has,” Chesser said. “I help her with research, and I do my own research too. I like the people coming together and getting to know the other lines of descendants. We love family and want to bring everyone together and learn what we weren’t able to find by doing research.”For more information go to www.conidubois.wordpress.com.