I believe the rumor started as political...and it is more likely than not....a relative of Thomas’.
“I believe the rumor started as political...and it is more likely than not....a relative of Thomas’.”
Jefferson once had a journalist hatchetman named James Callender working for him. Probably an 1800 version of James Carville.
At some point Callender had a falling out with Jefferson and turned on him. Callender is supposedly a source of the story.
Hemming’s kids would have resembled Jefferson’s due to Sally and Jefferson’s wife being half sisters. Even more so if Jefferson or one of his male relatives was the father.