Your Family History

[Me-and-Boo]

Originally Posted by perchance

I traced my ancestry back to the rift valley in Africa about 2.5 million years.

Anybody interested in doing this?

National Geographic Genographic Project lets you do it.

The results are amazing. You do get to learn where your ancestors are from and where they traveled to get to where you are today. My mothers side seems to have spent a lot of time sight seeing in Africa before going north to northern Europe, where my father's side took the fast train out of Africa (like maybe they had been "asked" to leave after some kind of bar room problem).

My brother and sister did it; I asked my mother if I should do it to and she assured me that "oh please don't bother - of course your's should be just like theirs".

[anjou]

I would love to trace my ancestory. I do know my maternal grandmothers family lived and worked in Hull, England for the Dutch East Indies co.
My Maternal grandfathers family are rumoured to be either Flemish or possibly Greek/Italian.

My stepfathers family have been traced back to the first Norwegian Vikings who landed in west Wales and still have the same name which is traceable to Norway.

DNA is great for tracing liniage but cannot give personal details, just the origin

[boden36]

Anjou, DNA is great when you use it in conjunction with a paper trail. If you think about it, how many women are "confused" about paternity and simply list the most advantageous candidate? There is sure to be at least one of these if you go back through your family far enough and then you are on the wrong track even though the paperwork is seemingly OK.
Another advantage of DNA is that it can take you back in time past written history or help if records are missing. (My mother was orphaned in China, all records missing).
With DNA I found that my wife is related to my mother (!) probably through the Orkney Islands which were a great trading hub centuries ago.
My wife also found recently that she is the same haplogroup as the "Iceman" found in the alps some years ago.
Also found that my English ancestors arrived there as conscripted Syrian archers marched there by the Romans to defend Hadrian's Wall.
On the other hand my Finnish sea captain great grandfather has a written pedigree which goes back to the 1400's and I have the paperwork to show that other rels were bargemen on the Thames in the 1700's.

Regards,

Richard.

[zeehag]

dna testing will give you a clue as to weird familial hereditary conditions, also.....