DNA survey - please respond

[peter]

I was about to attach my "new format" results when I saw the above. On adding "columns" for numbers of 1gt to 5gt direct ancestors for my reference (though I have only identified 30 for both 3gt and 4gt) I realised there was an anomaly (= error) for one branch where the "place of birth" was based on Parish records, supported by the Civil Registration District of Farringdon, which state "Parish of Langford" "County of Berkshire" whereas census returns correctly give "Langford, Oxfordshire".

It's very difficult dealing with ancestors who lived near a county boundary. If that's all the information you have to go on then it's arguably just as likely that your ancestors from that line originated in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire, or Wiltshire - the simplest solution is to split the line between the 4 counties.

 

[Helen7]

A very interesting project - just read about it in the newsletter. Here is my contribution, for what it's worth. My expected main county of Lancashire came out top (in the revised spreadsheet, in the original one it was halfway down) and also I reached the 40 page cut-off for that county so it would be even more dominant. Strangely Cheshire and Oxfordshire came 2nd and 3rd despite me not having any known ancestors from there, and Hertfordshire and Leicestershire are much lower than expected (23rd and 27th), but Yorkshire and Derbyshire are high up (at 4th and 7th) as might be expected from my 3x great grandparents' origins as below:
Lancashire: 12
Leicestershire: 3
Derbyshire: 2
Hertfordshire: 2
Yorkshire: 2
Bedfordshire: 1
Cambridgeshire: 1
Essex: 1
Huntingdonshire: 1
Middlesex: 1
Norfolk: 1
Rutland: 1
Unknown: 2 (probably Yorkshire)
Ireland: 2

 

[HeyerFan]

I've completed the spreadsheet but I can't work out how to attach it to my post?

 

[Helen7]

I've completed the spreadsheet but I can't work out how to attach it to my post?

Same here!

 

[HeyerFan]

I've completed the spreadsheet but I can't work out how to attach it to my post?

I have sent by email.

I have no paper trail to Lancashire nor Yorkshire but receive a high no of hits for these counties (18 pgs/40k and 21 pgs/44k). Nearly half of all my ancestors (30 out of 64) come from Surrey and I get 16 pgs/18k of hits.

 

[peter]

New members aren't allowed to upload files, I'm afraid - but you'll be upgraded automatically after you've made 5 posts. You can easily increase the number of messages you have posted by playing in the Sandbox.

 

[peter]

Cheshire and Oxfordshire came 2nd and 3rd despite me not having any known ancestors from there

Cheshire is next to Lancashire, and even if your ancestors didn't cross the border it's likely that your cousins' ancestors did, so this could skew the figures given how dominant Lancashire is in your ancestry. Leicestershire and Hertfordshire aren't far from Oxfordshire, so maybe a hint there? For what it's worth my Hertfordshire 3G grandfather married my 3G grandmother from Oxfordshire, and both lived near inland waterways. I note that Leicester is on a branch of the Grand Union canal.

 

[HeyerFan]

Eureka! I now have the "Upload a File" button.

 

[Helen7]

New members aren't allowed to upload files, I'm afraid - but you'll be upgraded automatically after you've made 5 posts. You can easily increase the number of messages you have posted by playing in the Sandbox.

OK, that's fine. I have sent my file by email.

 

[Helen7]

Cheshire is next to Lancashire, and even if your ancestors didn't cross the border it's likely that your cousins' ancestors did, so this could skew the figures given how dominant Lancashire is in your ancestry. Leicestershire and Hertfordahire aren't far from Oxfordshire, so maybe a hint there? For what it's worth my Hertfordshire 3G grandfather married my 3G grandmother from Oxfordshire, and both lived near inland waterways. I note that Leicester is on a branch of the Grand Union canal.

Yes, I think you are right about county boundaries, especially Lancs/Cheshire. I also have ancestors close to the Rutland/Leics/Northants borders which may have skewed the figures there, and my Herts ancestors are from Tring, not far from Oxfordshire and Bucks borders.

 

[BerylMC]

I'm trying to develop a technique that would help people figure out where in England their ancestors came from by analysing the trees of their Ancestry matches.

The attached spreadsheet lists the English counties in the first column; the population in 1801 is shown in the second column. In the third column is the number of pages of results you get when you search your DNA matches for birthplaces in each county - the numbers currently shown are my own DNA results, just replace them with your own numbers (these are the only numbers you need to enter).

Note: you must select the county from Ancestry's dropdown menu, which appears as you type

In the 4th column 0.5 is deducted from the figures in the 3rd column - because the last page of results will, on average, be only half full.

Finally, the 5th column shows the population of the county divided by the adjusted number of pages.

After inserting your own numbers in the 3rd column sort the table according to the final column from low to high. Now highlight the names of the counties where you know you have ancestors - if your results are anything like mine they will tend to be nearer the top of the list.

Either send me the resulting spreadsheet or post it in this discussion, whichever you prefer.

Tip: you don't need to step through page by page to find out how many pages of results there are - you can jump.

 

[stevejm]

My first post to the forum, fingers crossed that this works.

My results attached, including 3xGs.

No surprises with Berkshire at the top (God's Own County), but I was surprised that Bucks was so far down, especially as I have no ancestry in some of the counties above it, eg Yorks.

Lord knows where Kent comes into this!

 

[stevejm]

Sorry folks - couldn't attach my results.

I don't get the upload file button, despite Peter working away for me in the background, and 8 posts to the sandbox.

Anyway Peter has had my spreadsheet by email.

 

[peter]

OK, upload problem now definitely fixed for stevejm, Helen7, and BerylMC. Please upload your sorted spreadsheets, making sure you are using the latest version, not the one at the beginning of the thread.

Anyone else who doesn't see the Upload a File button please contact me by click my profile photo on the left.

 

[Tim]

Results for my 3xG's

Lancashire: 16
Unknown: 10
Isle of Man: 3
Surrey: 1
Norway: 1
Ireland: 1

 

[Helen7]

OK, upload problem now definitely fixed for stevejm, Helen7, and BerylMC. Please upload your sorted spreadsheets, making sure you are using the latest version, not the one at the beginning of the thread.

Anyone else who doesn't see the Upload a File button please contact me by click my profile photo on the left.

Thanks for this. My spreadsheet is attached.

 

[PhilGee]

My revised results attached. Glos (Bristol) and Devon could be influenced by family movements from and to Somerset respectively.

In order with 3xG numbers.
1 Somerset 7
2 Wiltshire 9
4 Gloucestershire 1
5 Devon 2
20 Oxfordshire 2
25 Leicestershire 3
38 Nottinghamshire 1

Unknown English county 3
Wales (Carms + Glam) 2
Names unknown (Wales, high probability Glam) 2

Phil

 

[Andrew Lloyd]

Thanks for fixing my Upload a file problem.

Here are my results (figures in brackets are number of 'Best Guesses' in the total):

Warwickshire 11(1)
Staffordshire 4(1)
Devon 4(0)
Worcestershire 2(0)
Shropshire 2(0)
Herefordshire 2(0)
Middlesex 2(2)
Lancashire 1(0)
Yorkshire 1(0)

Ireland 2(2)
Wales 1(0)

 

[peter]

Here are my results (figures in brackets are number of 'Best Guesses' in the total)

Looking at your results I wonder whether your 'best guess' Middlesex ancestors originated from Kent (as some of mine did)? Just a thought.....

 

[Andrew Lloyd]

I hadn't considered that, but it is quite possible and may well explain why Kent is so inexplicably high in the chart, They were in Holborn in 1800 but born 25 years earlier. Thanks.