Lately I have been immersed in Genealogy research for my
family history and for my husband’s family as well. It started when we both decided to do an
Ancestry DNA test out of curiosity and discovered, to no one’s surprise that we
are both basically similar Northern European derivation. Mine being: (In descending order) Welsh/Irish/Scottish/French/German/Scandinavian. I have
a bit of Iberian which I am assuming is from some suspected Basque/Welsh crossing.
Knowing some of our actual ancestors for three to four generations
back, using hints and family lore (mostly wrong though), I started out trying
to fill in the blanks and trace backwards from the present to the past. It is fascinating.
It has also been instructive, in being a lesson of History
in Reverse. It turns out that our
families, while having separate histories, are basically the story of the colonization
of America, the story of the westward expansion in America. Relatives who fought in many conflicts that
shaped the Country. The Revolutionary
War, the War of 1812, the Cherokee Indian Wars, the Civil War, Spanish American
War, WWI and WW I, Korea, Vietnam.
The settlement of the colonies, early pioneers in crossing
over the Appalachian Mountains into the unknown wilderness of what is now
Tennessee, early colonization of the lowlands of the Carolinas, hardy settlers
in colonial Vermont and Maine, Welsh coal
miners in Wyoming Territory, trekking West to settle in Oregon in the 1830’s,
traveling from Germany to San Francisco by boat in the 1860’s, Irish Potato Famine refugees…… all that and
more are reflected in the history and lives of our ancestors.
Looking at the records of birth (lots of children!), deaths,
marriages, military records, I am amazed at the perseverance, strength and hardiness
of our ancestors. Their trials and
tribulations were astounding. It is amazing that they were even able to survive. Many didn’t.
Especially the young children.
There are stories of persecution and persistence. I was
finally able to trace my Quaker ancestors back to the earliest settlements in
Vermont from England, and then to them moving onto Pennsylvania when it was
founded, and then westward to Illinois where that branch of the family still
lives and practices their Quaker religion (My Grandmother and her family
descendants).
Reaching back beyond the settlement of the Colonies, I find
the history of the key line that I was tracing in my family’s history being
closely involved with the troubles in England with Cromwell and further back to
the Normans invasion of England and Settlement in Scotland in the 1300’s . Veitch or one of the various spellings. People
weren’t so precise about spelling back then.
 |
| Yeah. I know. Cows. There is an explanation for that. |
Here is a link to a story about the first Veitch to arrive in
the New World from Scotland in 1651. James
(the Sherriffe) Veitch. Talk
about living in interesting times!
Fascinating, instructive and humbling. I am
PROUD of my ancestors.
In contemplating that this history of mine and my husbands,
has all been performed by people of Irish, Scottish, French, German, Italian….WHITE
people stock who settled and shaped America, I have this to say to those who
want us to repent of our WHITENESS, to be ashamed of our European Heritage and who
want us to grovel because of our WHITE PRIVILEGE ……..Go Pound Sand. We earned it!!.
Other ethnic groups have also contributed to the shaping of
America. Blacks, Native Americans,
Chinese, Japanese etc (too numerous to detail). I do not discount their sufferings or contributions.
They earned it too.
They also should be proud of their heritage and their power in shaping
what America is today. HOWEVER, their heritage doesn’t eclipse mine and mine
doesn’t eclipse theirs. They too can pound sand if they think otherwise..
23 comments:
Great post, DBQ, and your family got here 13 years before Captain William Hilton. Dang - I hate finishing second in a race.
Well, that comment got sent, but wait, there's more. Using the resources at the Library of Congress and the Mormon Temple in DC I was able to trace my father's family back to about 1700, plus or minus a few years, in Virginia. By the mid-1800s they were in Kentucky, where, as I have mentioned before, there is a holler named after them. For direct stories I can only get back as far as my great-grandfathers on both sides, although my father knew many more stories, but he would never write them down nor tell them in a way that was coherent. I do know he cared much more about the Pettus side of his family than his father's side. Who knows what that was all about.
Anyway, now that my youngest son has children perhaps he will have some interest in our roots. Or not. Maybe I should write down the stories. Nah - that would be going totally against the family tradition!
You go, girl.
I have a bit of Iberian which I am assuming is from some suspected Basque/Welsh crossing.
oopsy, that's more likely a survivor of the Armada who swam ashore into the arms of a tender-hearted colleen.
The rise of the term Black Irish.
Of which I have a lot.
Also, Celts lived in Iberia. Celtic music, culture, sculpture and traditions existed in both places.
Damn straight, DBQ.
I have a 9% splash of Iberian, too. Thnx to all of you for the possible explanations.
I'm also all in on the Ancestry thing. I've been at this for quite a while and now have 544 4th cousins or closer. I have over 3400 ancestors on my family tree. Never did I expect how many of my cousins were adopted, and joined Ancestry to find out who they are. Good for you, DBQ.
Fascinating post.
Another plus side of the DNA dealio on Ancestry is that it actually connected me with a couple of my long lost first cousins who I had last had contact with in the 1960's. The families moved around a lot and we lost touch. It was so exciting to be able to reconnect after 50 years.
In addition, I discovered a couple of second cousins, my father's cousins who he never ever talked about. I don't think he even knew he had them or didn't think to say anything about it. Dad wasn't much into the whole family history. /shrug. The 2nd cousin is really into the genealogy stuff and has given me lots of leads as well as sharing family photos from long long ago.
The Long Slog To Dominion
Not a single drop of royal blood was flowing in his veins,
Time immemorial his kind made their way in dirt and stains,
Yet such was their number crossing hills and filling valley floors
That it could be said in truth they owned the earth and all its stores.
I took the DNA test and traced my ancestry back to the 19th century. My Irish side had a lot of English blood. From my foremothers time in domestic service probably. Wouldn't surprise me if I'm a direct descendant of the Duke of Wellington or some other Anglo-Irish toff. That would explain my aristocratic bearing..... On the German side, I'm part Jewish. That's a relief. You can't pin that holocaust shit on me. My mother's grandfather had a Jewish name. Back in the 19th century a lot of German Jews felt that assimilation was the cure for all their troubles. Well, it worked out for my great grandfather. Others not so much......None of my known ancestors did anything especially noteworthy or scandalous. History happened to them. I've kept up the family tradition of avoiding jail or glory.
#545 this morning.
Cool, AllenS - all this talk about DNA testing almost has me convinced to give it a go. I know I have hundreds of distant cousins on my mother's side of the family, Simpson county Mississippi is full to the point of overflowing with them, but I know almost nothing about my father's side. I have two first cousins on that side and am in contact with one of them, the other - who knows where she is.
But over 500 other cousins? That is a lot to deal with, especially for a hermit.
What most people find out through a DNA test, is that they aren't exactly what they thought they were, and have DNA that they never would have guessed that they had. Most importantly, is making a family tree, and that's where Ancestry has an enormous amount of info. It's easy to find your ancestors through their system. It's not cheap, but once you become addicted, like I am, it's well worth the money. Having a family tree, and then cousins show up and they have a family tree also, Ancestry will show both of your trees and to whom you are related through. Also, matched cousins for both of you. Way cool.
"What most people find out through a DNA test, is that they aren't exactly what they thought they were, and have DNA that they never would have guessed that they had.
Spot on.
My sister told me that she had a test done, and lo and behold, we're not 1/4 Irish or 1/4 French, as we've been told all our lives. We are 25% Italian. Really? And, we're 1.2% Nigerian. I'm assuming she and I are the same mixture, being siblings, but I've heard that the tests don't necessarily produce the same results. So, it appears that I missed out on some affirmative action cash if I had known about that 1.2% Nigerian things. One drop rule, right? I've never been particularly interested in my lineage, but now I'm curious, just to compare the results with my sister. And I'm perplexed by the zero Irish result. Why do I often eat only a baked potato for dinner?
windbag, before I was with AncestryDNA, my cousin Larry (3rd cousin) talked me into taking my first DNA test with Family Tree. Larry and his sister Loraine had both taken a test with them. Checking the chromosome browser that they have, I share more DNA with Loraine than Larry.
Centimorgans shared --
Lorraine 199
Larry 177
Not a real lot, but a difference nonetheless. I spelled Lorraine's name wrong before. Sorry, cuz.
Windbag.
I think the reason that the tests may be different has something to do with whether they are tracing or testing for the Y chromosome which ONLY comes from the Paternal line or the X chromosomes which comes from both paternal and maternal immediate parents but which also is following the mitochondrial DNA of the female line.
Clear as mud? It is actually pretty confusing. This Sort of explains it better
My husband was told, guaranteed that his family line from Arkansas had Cherokee in it. Absolutely, take it to the bank according to his mother and grandmother. Just like Fauxahauntus Warren. When he got his Ancestry test....NADA. Nope.
He wasn't disappointed and just chalked it up to yet another one of his mom's and grandmother's delusions. The supposed Cherokee (isn't it always Cherokee) amount wasn't enough to get him into the Indian Clinic or a share of the Casino loot. Ah well.
Biology wasn't my strong suit back in school...40 years ago...I can sort of follow the explanations, but I sure couldn't explain it to someone else. The bit about not being Irish really threw me, because my mom's maiden name, the physical characteristics, sure point to it. My family is fairly disintegrated, going back generations on both sides, so I'm not overly intrigued. My sister is, so I should have expected her to pursue it.
I think it's great when people are connected to family. My wife's family gets together periodically, down to the third cousins. The fourth cousin generation is just starting to be born, so it'll be neat if that group continues to keep in touch. My family...not so much.
#547 just now.
Okay, now I am concerned - what if I sign up and discover that AllenS is my cousin?
It'll be just like winning the lottery, except for the cash.
LOL Allen.
We should all be so lucky as to be related to you. Wouldn't that be a hoot though? To find out that some of us are distant cousins.
That could explain a lot.
Here's something to figure out, if you have a calculator handy. You have 2 parents, and 4 grandparents. Now figure out how many great.... grandparents you have starting with 8 great grandparents. X2, X2... When you reach 10 great grandparents there are 4096 of them. Think about how many offspring that is. I heard that back in/around 1950, one third of the country was related.
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