The Fugate Family of Kentucky

Cher Almoustine,

While you are up enjoying the brisk Canadian Weather, I am busy holding down the fort here at home. My son and his family just moved into the apartments downstairs, the house is busy but the up side is I get to enjoy my granddaughter on a daily basis. it slows down the research somewhat but is will worth it.

Regarding the blue men legends… I encountered a tidbit about our shared ancestry that may interest you. It seems many of the descendants of the Muscheon/Legant/Fougere family of Huguenots (at least those who maintained the maritime trade between the East/West Indies, Europe and Middle Colonies during the 1600s) are carriers of Methemoglobinemia (aka. the “Blue Blood/Pictish Gene”).

So far we can identify three main branches of the family who settled in Scandinavia (Musteen/Muscheon), Ireland (Leggat/Legant/Legare), and Kentucky (Fugate/Fougere).

This trait results in a blue tint to the skin (particularly lips and nail beds) and can lead to blue baby syndrome (babies born blue but with otherwise healthy Apgar scores). Also, contrary to popular belief… Methemoglobinemia is not a disease (unless it is occasioned by chemical poisoning, or a heart defect) nor is it deadly; studies indicate that individuals (even the most blue) frequently live lengthy, healthy, lives. Hereditary Methemoglobinemia it is an autosomal recessive genetic trait with a yet undetermined origin. Although the blue skin tones associated with this trait usually fade during infancy, population bottlenecks where cousins frequently intermarry may give rise to a race of people who have blue skin permanently. This bottleneck phenomenon has been documented in Finland, Ireland, and Kentucky.

Almoustine, you and I are both carriers of this trait. Your ancestor, Thomas “The Musteen” of Virginia had ties to the East Indies, Madagascar, East Asia, and Haiti, the Musteen’s of Finland were frequent traders between Scotland, Scandinavia, and Holland along the Baltic and Barent Sea routes. My family tree links to both Fougere and Legant (all documented carriers of this trait).

I am posting this on the site in case anyone interested in helping me to research this unique lineage may contact either of us via our Research Page on Methemoglobinemia .

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