Your Ancestors

[sumskilz]

I'm mainly English, but I have 1/8th greek

If you look in a mirror and visually divide yourself into eight equal parts, you may find that you're only Greek in your head.

[Leesin]

If you look in a mirror and visually divide yourself into eight equal parts, you may find that you're only Greek in your head.

Lol, not sure if you're trying to say I only imagine it, but my great grandfather was greek .

[lacostet12]

probably some peasant, lived in eastern norway. time to time joining the local viking chiefs raids on western europeans towns...

[jazstl]

heh, a peasant in Istria, probably colonisated from germany.

[hull19]

I am from a line of French noble. My family lived in Aquitaine, France. It is believed that my family comes from the famous Knight Roland, the favorite Knight of Charlemagne.

Later one, my family went to New France as land Lords. And later we became more common people

On the english side, probably anglo-saxon

[Bonemarrow]

On my dads side one of my ancestors was German and he was in the Teutonic order Then on my moms side we are Italians. So im some weird hybrid lol.

[Tuskin4]

Wow this thread got big.

[husker9.2]

I know some information but not all.

Based off limited research i have done there aren't many of my family. We originate from Meissen, Sachsen.
My family does have a coat of arms. But it is hard too tell if it is exactly my family's and not one of the others.

Obviously we must have had something too do with propping up the then kingdom of Meissen until it was incorporated into the Empire.

I have a huge blank spot here until the 30 year war when the family shows up again, this time heading east too russia.

[Aquila Romana]

interesting thread.

hmmm well on my Italian side, my great great grandfather was the son of a Habsburg Marquis that had land in Istria- i don't know his first name, but his last name was Von Waldenstein. And further back on my Italian side there is a Venetian ancestor who was in the Templar order. My mother's side is very interesting, as her city, Trieste, came under a lot of occupations that mingled with the society e.g. Byzantines, Franks, Austrians, Swabians and some Norman mercenaries, so really its a whole mix of very interesting peoples I would like to think that the majority of my ancestors were Italian, though.

My 'English' side is more or less Norman. One of my ancestors came here with William the Conqueror/Bastard and was given land in Somerset or Cornwall (forgot which one), and his descendants also became Templars for some reason.

To be honest, though, I think one has to be careful with ancestry. People all too often feel that they have to relate themselves to a great lord or something, when the truth probably is that most of use come from peasants. Now thinking about it, I'd rather descend from an honest, hard-working peasant than a corrupt and greedy noble.

[Hengest]

My 'English' side is more or less Norman.

Are you sure about that?

[Aquila Romana]

Well my aunt had a family tree passed down to her as a gift drawn up by a distant relation from the US that went back to Hastings, and according to that we descend from a man named Nicholas Pierrun - our name was then anglicised to Perring over the years. In the doomsday book he is recorded to have owned land in either Somerset or Cornwall, I've forgotten which, I think I'll look more into it. My grand-mother's maiden name is Edwards - I don't know whether that has Norman descent or not, however.

[sumskilz]

Well my aunt had a family tree passed down to her as a gift drawn up by a distant relation from the US that went back to Hastings, and according to that we descend from a man named Nicholas Pierrun - our name was then anglicised to Perring over the years. In the doomsday book he is recorded to have owned land in either Somerset or Cornwall, I've forgotten which, I think I'll look more into it.

But that's only the direct descent of your surname which comprises a miniscule fraction of your English ancestry. All "native" English people are descended from Normans but it's not as if the Normans exterminated and replaced the Anglo-Saxons which no doubt account for considerably more of the English genetic heritage.

[Aquila Romana]

But that's only the direct descent of your surname which comprises a miniscule fraction of your English ancestry. All "native" English people are descended from Normans but it's not as if the Normans exterminated and replaced the Anglo-Saxons which no doubt account for considerably more of the English genetic heritage.

Yes I can see what you mean. England, and indeed a lot of European countries, have quite diverse ancestry. I've always been interested in this sort of stuff, but don't really know where to start if I'm honest.

[bobbin]

One half of my family were farmers in Worcestershire for as far back as anyone knows, the other half were clansmen fighting on a bog somewhere in the Western Isles.

But that's only the direct descent of your surname which comprises a miniscule fraction of your English ancestry. All "native" English people are descended from Normans but it's not as if the Normans exterminated and replaced the Anglo-Saxonswhich no doubt account for considerably more of the English genetic heritage.

From what I understand the Normans were a tiny elite of landowners, who while leaving a significant cultural heritage, were far too few in numbers to make any real genetic impact on a nation of millions.
Most recent genetic studies are showing that even the Anglo Saxons don't seem make up the majority of England's genetic makeup, with Mesolithic/Neolithic settlers believed to be the main component.

[Border Patrol]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernan_Cortez
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moctezuma_II
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_de_O%C3%B1ate

I'm a bit torn. Haha

[brennas]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernan_Cortez
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moctezuma_II
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_de_O%C3%B1ate

I'm a bit torn. Haha

Buenos antepasados!

[Border Patrol]

Criollos are a small population, we're probably all related in one way or another. Especially since we don't intermix with the "Indians" quite so much as the other colonists. I wouldn't be surprised if most of us couldn't trace some form of lineage back to Cortez.

[brennas]

Criollos are a small population, we're probably all related in one way or another. Especially since we don't intermix with the "Indians" quite so much as the other colonists. I wouldn't be surprised if most of us couldn't trace some form of lineage back to Cortez.

Quite nteresting. You finally won your well deserved independence, but we will always have a common legacy.

[Border Patrol]

Oh, we didn't get independence, my family got conquered by the Americans, as they lived in New Mexico at the time, and my family was stripped of its land. And we somehow ended up in California.

[Lord Minotaur]

i guess i am a Samogotian , sudovian, lithuanian and maybe polish