How satisfied are you with your DNA test experience?

[nelwild]

Its intresting that you mention Huguenots as I had been led to believe that my 3xg grandmother might have been descended from these.She was born in Herne in 1827.My 6xg grandfather might have been James Johncock born c1732 Holy Cross,Canterbury.I believe this was an area of Canterbury where a lot of Huguenot immigrants lived.He might have been the son of James Johncock from France.I know a lot of Huguenot immigrants worked in the Faversham gunpowder industry.This info is just hearsay and came mostly from other researchers.

Another line that might have been from further afield is my 4xg grandmother Jane Spain from Margate.Her father was John Spain born in Margate in 1796.I had read on various sites that these Spains came over from Spain at the time of the Armarda.Given the Inquisition was going on,i thought they might be Gypsies who hid their heritage,or Jewish.John was a labourer,but on his daughters Australian marriage certificate,she gave his occupation as goldsmith.His brother Stephen was a hawker and dealer.Stephens sons were a horse dealers and scrapmen,as were some of his grandchildren and g grandchildren.They married at least 7 Romany women.Again the origins mostly hearsay.


The third line is my 4xgreat grandfather James Jacob.We always thought that his family was originally Jewish.At present,i know nothing about him pre 1800.


Could any of this be so given my DNA result?Having been here for centuries,and mostly just marrying into the local population,would these potential roots still show up?Or can I dismiss it all as fantasy?


Any thoughts appreciated.

[melba_schmelba]

Its intresting that you mention Huguenots as I had been led to believe that my 3xg grandmother might have been descended from these.She was born in Herne in 1827.My 6xg grandfather might have been James Johncock born c1732 Holy Cross,Canterbury.I believe this was an area of Canterbury where a lot of Huguenot immigrants lived.He might have been the son of James Johncock from France.I know a lot of Huguenot immigrants worked in the Faversham gunpowder industry.This info is just hearsay and came mostly from other researchers.

Another line that might have been from further afield is my 4xg grandmother Jane Spain from Margate.Her father was John Spain born in Margate in 1796.I had read on various sites that these Spains came over from Spain at the time of the Armarda.Given the Inquisition was going on,i thought they might be Gypsies who hid their heritage,or Jewish.John was a labourer,but on his daughters Australian marriage certificate,she gave his occupation as goldsmith.His brother Stephen was a hawker and dealer.Stephens sons were a horse dealers and scrapmen,as were some of his grandchildren and g grandchildren.They married at least 7 Romany women.Again the origins mostly hearsay.


The third line is my 4xgreat grandfather James Jacob.We always thought that his family was originally Jewish.At present,i know nothing about him pre 1800.


Could any of this be so given my DNA result?Having been here for centuries,and mostly just marrying into the local population,would these potential roots still show up?Or can I dismiss it all as fantasy?


Any thoughts appreciated.

Nel, you'll never guess what, but my mother is also descended from the Johncocks of Canterbury! And yes they were almost certainly Huguenots. My mother is descended from Elizabeth Johncock/Jancock who married James Charles 6th March, 1728/9 at St. Mary, Northgate, Canterbury. She was baptised 14th June, 1713 at St. Mary, daughter of John Johncock/Jancock who married Ellen White 10th April, 1692 in St. Stephen, Hackington. What you find is the families in Huguenot trees that have seemingly English names, simply have names that were translated i.e. White could have been Blanc, Blanche, Smith could be Lefevre etc. Jacob could also be Huguenot, from Jacques/Jaques, but it could also be Jewish.
   Regarding Romany Gypsys, yes it is certainly possible they could have come around the Armada time, but it wouldn't have been from the Armada as there were no survivors. Romanys first came early on in Elizabeth's reign I think.

 

[nelwild]

Sorry about the delay in replying.What a coincidenc.We could be distant cousins through the Johncocks.Since I last posted,ive been trying to get back further with my Jacob line on FamilySearch,and it would appear,if ive done it right,my 8xgreat grandparents were Robert Jacob and Mary De La Pierre married St Alphage Church,Canterbury on 23rd August 1672.Around the right time and right place for the Huguenots and Walloons.Several of the baptisms between my 4xgreat grandfather James Jacob 1802 Faversham and Robert were Folkstone/Dover/New Romney way,not too far from Sandwich,where a lot of Huguenots settled.This has made me wonder whether the Jacobs could be,especially given that most of them worked in the Faversham Gunpowder and brickmaking industries.But why wouldn't French show on my DNA?This marriage was nearl 350 years ago,and the bloodlines very mixed since then,but would it not still show on my profile?Any other thoghts appreciated.

[diplodicus]

8xgrandparents are beyond the statistical capabilities of an autosomal analysis. If you CAN find a match, then you need to tear it with great caution!!

It would almost certainly be beyond any ethnicity indicator.

[nelwild]

Thanks for the reply.I think when I did this test,i slightly misunderstood how it works.I assumed it would show where direct bloodlines originated from going back thousands of years.Given that most of my ancestors for the past few hundred years or so have lived and worked here,its hard to see how this test can be of much use to me.Two French possibilities,which the test couldn't show me,and a possible Spain,but this would have been 15/1600s,so too far back.The test told me im only connected to Kent,and have no connection to anywhere else,even other counties.Yet my maternal grandad is from Dorset,my paternal nan from Somerset via Wales.Nans uncle went to Scotland his wife had 14 kids all married there and their families live there.I also have family in Grimsby.Other ancestors went to USA and Canada.My 4xgreat aunt and uncle went to Australia,their daughter had 10kids,77 grandchildren and 139 great grandchildren when she died.Would none of that show a wider match?I also had a 5xgreat grandmother from Northumberland I belive it was.I was very surprised it showed such a narrow area,does it have to be direct bloodline to show?

[nelwild]

So this test can only prove ethnicity going back fewer than 350 years?

[melba_schmelba]

Sorry about the delay in replying.What a coincidenc.We could be distant cousins through the Johncocks.Since I last posted,ive been trying to get back further with my Jacob line on FamilySearch,and it would appear,if ive done it right,my 8xgreat grandparents were Robert Jacob and Mary De La Pierre married St Alphage Church,Canterbury on 23rd August 1672.Around the right time and right place for the Huguenots and Walloons.Several of the baptisms between my 4xgreat grandfather James Jacob 1802 Faversham and Robert were Folkstone/Dover/New Romney way,not too far from Sandwich,where a lot of Huguenots settled.This has made me wonder whether the Jacobs could be,especially given that most of them worked in the Faversham Gunpowder and brickmaking industries.But why wouldn't French show on my DNA?This marriage was nearl 350 years ago,and the bloodlines very mixed since then,but would it not still show on my profile?Any other thoghts appreciated.

We probably are . Although I recently discovered Johncocks in East Anglia too, I know that there were also Huguenots up there so possibly connected. Jancoux is a possible French origin of the name. It looks like Jacob can be a French name too, not originally Jaques as I thought, Jacob is very common in France:

https://www.filae.com/nom-de-famille/jacob.html

The site above requires flash, so won't work on any Apple devices unfortunately. A few of those might be Jewish Jacobs, but certainly not the majority.
   As I said, the England, Wales and North Western Europe DNA category includes central and northern France, a lot, possibly the majority of Huguenots come from these areas. There is a problem in getting an accurate DNA map of France because commercial DNA testing is illegal there, and the samples they have are probably from medical or anthropological studies, possibly from French Quebecois also, although that wouldn't help in getting an accurate DNA map of France as they would be far too mixed of French from all different areas, but it might give them a guide as to how in general French DNA differs, to the English, Dutch etc.

[Crunwere]

Not read all the replies here but I do agree with the original poster.  Took my test in Jan and have had no amazing revelations - as said most people I link with have no tree or its private - so how can we ever find a link?  I've not pursued many of the 'tips' with DNA - think I did contact one or two with no responses - have connected vaguely with one person but think we'd have done that anyway.
Some people have had such a good response with their DNA I was wondering if I was going about it all the wrong way - I have an open tree with 12k people in so plenty there for connections to show.
I've got 250 4th cousins or closer apparently.

[Pheno]

Not read all the replies here but I do agree with the original poster.  Took my test in Jan and have had no amazing revelations - as said most people I link with have no tree or its private - so how can we ever find a link?  I've not pursued many of the 'tips' with DNA - think I did contact one or two with no responses - have connected vaguely with one person but think we'd have done that anyway.
Some people have had such a good response with their DNA I was wondering if I was going about it all the wrong way - I have an open tree with 12k people in so plenty there for connections to show.
I've got 250 4th cousins or closer apparently.

You say that some people have had such a good response from DNA implying that you haven't but if you haven't pursued any of the DNA tips then potentially you are just sitting back waiting for the connection to come to you.  What about if all your connections are also doing the same - never the twain shall meet.

You do need to be a bit proactive to at least stand a chance of a connection.  Yes lots of people have no tree but some have unlinked trees which you can peruse to find a connection.  Take the bull by the horns and send some messages - you never know. 

Pheno