Albemarle Tradewinds July 2018 Web Final

Northeast North Carolina Family History – and what does your DNA say about you?
By: Irene Hampton - nencfamilyhistory@gmail.com
For reasons unknown, all kinds of articles, blogs, sales, etc.
regarding DNA have been popping up on my social media
recently. I’ve tried to have conversations about how varied DNA
results can be in any given family, but most of the time, people
won’t believe me… SO… here is a link to a popular Ancestry blog
regarding how one sister thought she would be the most Irish
of the four sisters in her family but “surprise” she was the least.
(https://blogs.ancestry.com/cm/whos-more-irish-you-or-your-sibling/)
As she explains, we inherit 50% of our DNA from each parent
but unless you are an identical twin, the percentages from different
areas of the world may vary tremendously. This generally
comes as a surprise to most. The percentages for Ireland varied
between the four sisters from 45%, 28%, 33% to 22%. Their
DNA matches for Europe West had even greater swings 32%,
5%, 16% and less than 1%. The sister that thought she would be
most Irish ended up with a highest percentage from Great Britain,
67% while her sisters were 16%, 54% and 42%.
DNA research for genealogy purposes has become quite
popular with a few television programs devoted to fi nding family
through research and DNA as well as recent news articles involving
forensic DNA where crimes are being solved through such research.
As more individuals submit DNA, “brick walls” where the
paper trail is cold will become solved. I hope to do that for my
husband’s Hampton line. A Hampton did come to this country in
the early 1600’s but our paper trail only gets us back to a William
Hampton whose will was proved in New Jersey in February of
1757. I have mentioned this is the past, but many early Currituck
Hampton records state that the line goes back to the 1600’s.
Unfortunately, this is an error.
So in our quest to prove or disprove through DNA, my husband
took a DNA test from Ancestry.com. We haven’t proven the
Hampton connection yet, but his matches were as follows: Great
Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) 37%, Ireland, Scotland 22%,
Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark) 16%, Europe West
(Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, etc.) 11%,
Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) 6%, Europe East 6%
and traces of Europe South (Italy, Greece) and Native American.
We’ve had a lot of fun with the Scandinavian which has no basis
on paper and the Native American trace was interesting as we
had always heard there was a wife somewhere in the past was
Native American.
My recent DNA results were Europe West (France, Germany,
etc.) 47% which withmy french heritage was to be expected. I
was a little surprised by the 19% from Great Britain and 17%
from Europe South (Italy and Greece) as my paper trail has yet
to go there. Same for the 8% from Ireland and Scotland (which
may lend some truth to my father’s claim to an Irish aunt…) and
Spain and Portugal at 7%. The biggest surprise for me was a
trace of Jewish ancestry - no idea where that might be from.
For their most recent birthdays, we gave both our sons DNA
test kits but only our younger son submitted his so far. He was
disappointed as he got more of his mother’s results than his
dad’s! 41% West Europe, 29% Great Britain, 14% Ireland and
Scotland. 8% Spain and Portugal, 7% South Europe and 1%
East Europe. He was hoping for some Scandinavian like his dad
but has the wiry french build of all my male cousins and brothers
so no luck there! Many DNA kits are currently on sale - good
luck with your interesting discoveries!!
Elizabeth City
Cosmopolitan Club
We are always looking
for new members
Want to join or just ask
questions?
Call (252) 335-1700
1 Cosmo Drive
Elizabeth City, NC
In the very thoroughly researched book “Tidewater Virginia
Families: A Social History” by Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis the
claim of lineage through the Virginia Hamptons is not possible
with the lines cited in the past. William Hampton is given as the
son of John and Mary Mann born in Gloucester, Virginia. Our
William is from Gloucester, but New Jersey, not Virginia. The
Virginia William married a widow, Martha Catlett who was a
Thornton before her marriage. The ensuing Thornton-Catlett
court case verifi es her identity. Her death in Caroline County, VA
in 1761 does not match the earlier death prior to 1757 of our New
Jersey William’s wife..
Irene Hampton earned a certifi cate in Genealogy
from Brigham Young University and worked as
the Genealogical/Local history Researcher for the
Pasquotank-Camden Library for over 12 years. She
has also abstracted and published “Widow’s Years
Provisions, 1881-1899, Pasquotank County, North
Carolina”; “1840 Currituck, North Carolina Federal
Census” and “Record of Marriages, Book A (1851-
1867) Currituck County, North Carolina”.
You may contact her at
nencfamilyhistory@gmail.com.
A casual stroll through the lunatic
asylum shows that faith does not
prove anything.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Readings by Paris
Elizabeth City NC Lic 27045
Office
Scott Lawrence
Emergency Line
252-330-9988 252-339-9988
Got questions about your life, past, present,
or future. I can give you the clarity you
are looking for. I specialize in Churka & Aura
Cleansing, Love, Finances, Career, Etc.
1105 Battlefield Blvd
Chesapeake, Va 23320 757-436-3430
Did you know the
Albemarle Tradewinds
is located in more than
250 locations in NENC
and Chesapeake?
facebook.com/AlbemarleTradingPost Albemarle Tradewinds July 2018 35