My name is Lewis David Elliott Jr., and I am a 72 year old African American living in Cherry Hill NJ; I am descendent from Nelsen Cousins of North Carolina who was born in 1794 and was a Free Person of Color and married to a person of Native American descent named Julia Cousins-born 1797 (Maiden name Howell). Julia’s parents were Freeman Howell and Susan Brandon both born around 1777. My daughter Sonia Lorraine Elliott has had a DNA test performed by Ancestry.com and the results are: 62% Blk. African, 37% European/UK, and 1% Native American. My Grandfather's name was General Ransom Frederick Cousins-born 1886, my Great Grandfather's name was Richard Allen Cousins-born 1854 and Richard's wife's name was Martha Bell Cousins-born 1857 (Maiden name Tillerson); all born in and residents of North Carolina (all now deceased). My Great-Great Grandfather and Great-Great Grandmother on my Great Grandfather Richard’s side of the family was Fed (Robert) Cousins-born between 1820 and 1830, and Mary Cousins-born 1829. My Great-Great Grandfather and Great-Great Grandmother on my Great Grandmother Martha’s side of the family was Nelsen Cousins-born 1838 (son of Nelsen Cousins discussed above), and Sarah (later called Agnus) Cousins-born 1845 (Maiden Name Tillerson). Nelsen Cousins-born in 1794, is documented in the 1870 Census (shown as living with his son Nelsen Cousins and age 77); and in both of Carter G. Woodson’s books: “Free Negro Heads of Families in the United States in 1830” written in 1925 (Pg. 115, also many other Cousins family members included), and “Free Negro Owners of Slaves in the United States in 1830 Together with Absentee Ownership of Slaves in the United States in 1830” (Pg. 25) written in 1924. The Cousins family, of which Nelsen Cousins is a descendent; is documented in Volume 1 of the Fifth Edition of the book written by Paul Heinegg, “Free African Americans of North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina From the Colonial Period to About 1820" (Pg. 356-362, Nelsen on Pg. 362). Henry Louis Gate's distant ancestor John Redman and the Redman family are also discussed in the Heinegg book. The likely Free White Progenitor of the Cousins family is Elizabeth Cousins born in about 1700 and also discussed in the Heinegg book (Pg. 356). The Elliott family is also discussed in the Heinegg book (Pg. 453-457) and included in the Carter G. Woodson book of Free Negro Heads of Households (Maryland).