100% English - New Channel 4 genealogy programme

[acceber]

Hi

Well that was a really interesting programme, good to see some quite xenophobic people who were convinced they were 100% english proved wrong. But the DNA testing was really interesting, one of my housemates who has had previously no interest in genealogy said she wanted to do a DNA test and trace her family! (I will of course convince her to join rootschat)

I would quite like to have my DNA tested but I already know I am not 100% english in the sense that my ancestors were born in england going back 1000 years. (I'm 5/8 english = 2/8 or 1/4 Lithuanian and 1/8 Irish)

Still a good programme

acceber

[annieRN]

I just watched the programme.  I thought it could have been better edited but I found it thought provoking and funny.  No-one could really define English could they?

Personally I think if you are very posh you are quite likely to be part French as the Normans took over a lot of land. I have not found any non-English ancestors but I am not prejudiced I married a half scot!!!

I did have blonde hair and have blue eyes. None of the women looked like an english rose did they?

 I thought the presenter was quite brave to tell that battle of Hastings lady she was probably descended from gypsies. I wonder if DNA tests will ever be cheap enough for ordinary people?

                Anne

[RuthieB]

Oh dear, I was born  1/4 mile to the East of Offa's Dyke although it was in Wales at the time!
And I can sing Hen wlad fy nhadau, word perfect.

What am I - an ancient Briton 

Gadget

[RuthieB]

Oh dear, I was born  1/4 mile to the East of Offa's Dyke although it was in Wales at the time!
And I can sing Hen wlad fy nhadau, word perfect.

What am I - an ancient Briton 

Gadget

(Oops, pressed post too soon!! )

Obviously, if you can sing 'hen wlad fy nhadau' or anything else in the language of Heaven,  you've no worries about the Day of Judgement!!

[Garethboxing]

Hi

Well that was a really interesting programme, good to see some quite xenophobic people who were convinced they were 100% english proved wrong.

acceber

That was fun, but the programme implied, without ever stating it, that nobody is 100 % English (or 100 % anything else, presumably). It would have been more informative if we'd been told what the breakdown is for the average person. Presumably the Far Eastern and South Asian elements arrived in Western Europe with the Huns or earlier, so it doesn't really prove anything one way or the other about how English (as in the last 500 years or so) people might be. Would the results have been significantly different if they'd been testing Scots, Welsh or Irish (or Norwegians, Dutch, etc, etc)?

  Gareth

[patrish]

I found that very interesting, especially the lady who threatened to sue them and dismissed their findings as in accurate as she did not like what she heard, she must have been paid or volunteered for it..

[linmey]

I dont usually find that seeing other peoples discomfort in any way makes enjoyable viewing for me, but boy oh boy, it did last night in this programme. The look of shock on some of their faces was just priceless and the fact that they were so upset by it I found quite worrying.
   I would love to find that I had some exotic DNA. Anything to get out of Bedfordshire for a few generations! I did think the lady in the head scarf was a `game old bird` though. I thought she was going to have 40 fits when they told her she may be descended from the `Mongol Hoards`, but the mention of Genghis Khan and she was a happy bunny. Good for her.

Linda.

[kerryb]

Linda

I was plesantly surprised by her reaction, I thought she was going to be stereotypical but she wasn't!  Good on her.

I thought the guy at the end who did the act with the balloons was the best, it really did leave him speechless!!!

Kerry

[linmey]

Oh yes kerry, it was delicious to watch the look on his face, and he just couldnt speak could he! Strange that it makes such a difference to how some people perceive themselves. I cant get my head round that at all!

Linda.