Ethnicity question [Archive] - Genealogists' Forum

HarrysMum

01-09-20, 21:51

On Ancestry I have 44% Irish and Scottish.
My grandfather came from Irish stock through and through. My grandmother’s father was Scottish highlands through and through.

6% German.......my great grandmother was German.

3% Icelandic region. I know one was a Viking so presume that is where that bit came in.

1% Baltic

46% East of England, Mostly Essex. My great grandfather was from an Essex family.

My great grandmother, his wife, was from Cornwall for many generations.
Another great grandfather was Devon way back to Sir John Hawkins.

Why are those areas not showing in my DNA?

Phoenix

01-09-20, 22:27

Not enough people have tested? Granny came from Norfolk, as did virtually all her ancestors, but I don't show any East Anglian ancestry.

Also, Devon/Cornwall would include lots of incomers, so you might have Irish etc who settled in Devon years ago.

Or Ancestry is wrong :p

HarrysMum

01-09-20, 23:01

So...........if not enough people from Cornwall/ Devon have been tested, regardless of whether they are related to me, that could be the issue?

Of all my relations, I only have one great grandparent from Essex and one GG grandparent from Hastings. No other East of England at all. Yet 46%.

Phoenix

02-09-20, 07:19

The vast majority of my matches are Americans. As many have no obvious links to the UK they cannot provide legitimate ethnicity matching.

I have no means of knowing how many UK researchers have NOT been tested. And ethnicity has to rely on enough people (like Granny) with demonstrable roots in an area. But then, it was always said that Granny's grandfather was (on the strength of his colouring) the son of a Spanish gipsy!

Should there be a wider base of UK testing (with accurate trees) there might be a better fit for our ethnicities.

kiterunner

02-09-20, 09:11

Is it definitely saying 46% East of England, Libby, or is it 46% England, Wales and NW Europe, with some of that being East of England?

HarrysMum

02-09-20, 10:49

It says England, Wales and NW Europe, but if I click on that it has only East of England and Essex.

Phoenix

02-09-20, 11:24

That doesn't mean that 46% of your ethnicity is East Anglia, just that the East is the only area they feel they can identify as your heritage.

They say I have southern ancestors and ancestors in the south west, but don't quantify proportions for those groups.

Just as well, as a second cousin with strong Portsmouth roots in common is shown as having Devon/Cornwall roots in common.

Margaret in Burton

02-09-20, 19:57