As I understand it, DNA testing only pointed to a “male in the Jefferson line,” not necessarily Thomas. He had a brother named Randolph who, apparently, was quite the lad.
I’ve got some familiarity with controversial family legends. Mine, through my mother’s family, says that we descend from Opechancanough due to his raping Mary Sizemore during the Second Anglo-Powhatan War in Jamestown. I suppose it could only possibly be confirmed through male descendants, though, much like this. I don’t doubt that they descent from “a” Jefferson, but I strongly doubt that they descend from Thomas Jefferson.
Randolph Jefferson was a very infrequent visitor to Monticello. The detailed record of visitors to Monticello show that the times that Randolph visited his brother do not match up the times the Heming would have gotten pregnant. Those records also show that Thomas Jefferson was present at Monticello when Heming became pregnant.
“As I understand it, DNA testing only pointed to a “male in the Jefferson line,” not necessarily Thomas.”
Didn’t she travel with him to France?