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August 25, 2014

What's Your Mix?

What's Your Mix?
My English great grandfather David Simpson
It occurred to me a few days ago that I don't know my mix. By "mix" I mean the % of my ethnic ancestors I have in my bloodline. 

 I know I have Irish, English, Dutch, American and Canadian but as to percentage of each group, I've never bothered to figure it out. So here goes!

 I'm only going to go back 5 generations because that way every branch of my ancestors is known to me. I can go back 15-20 generations on some lines but not my Irish McGinnis family. I don't want to assume they are Irish going back from my 2nd great grandfather Joseph McGinnis. 

So - if I take my lineage back to my 2nd great grandparents, who's in the mix? And where were they born?

Paternal Ancestors:
3 born in Ireland, 2 in England and 3 in Canada
Joseph McGinnis & Fanny Downey - both born Ireland
David King & Mary Bell - both born England
Levi Peer & Jane Greenlees - Levi born Upper Canada (Ontario). Jane born Ireland
Isaac Vollick & Lydia Jamieson - both born Ontario. Isaac and Lydia's lineage is Dutch

Maternal Ancestors: 
8 born in England!
Charles Fuller & Georgiana Golding - both born Kent England
John Caspall & Mary Ann Williams - John born Kent, Mary Ann born Devon
Charles Simpson & Sarah Jane Page - both born Kent England
William Stead & Sarah Elvery - both born Kent England

 Of my 8 great grandparents, 4 were born in Ontario and 4 in England
Of my 4 grandparents, 2 were born in Ontario and 2 in England
My mom and dad were both born in Ontario

 Ireland = 3
England = 16
Canada = 11

I'd need to go futrher back to bring in my Dutch, German and Native American ancestors. 

The total is 30 so I can calculate what % of 30 each of those numbers is.  I do it with Algebra: 

We know that Ireland is 3 out of 30
So X % = 3/30
Therefore X/100 = 3/30
Next step is X= 3x100 / 30
Thus X=300/30
X=10

 It looks like I am 53% English, 37% Canadian and 10% Irish. What's your mix?
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6 comments:

  1. Elise Ann Wormuth2:47 PM

    No math involved -- 100% German. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown9:13 PM

    Once you track your ancestor back to Ireland, and he is in Belfast, and his name is Todd - what's the nationality? I picked Scotch! All the French in Quebec, I track as French. And then Leipzig, Germany vs. Vienna Austria? German, Prussian, Saxon, Austrian? Sometimes I just pick! But I made Excel pie charts for my kids for their 4th grade family history project. It was fun! 6.25% Swedish,1.56% Native American Chippewa, 10.94% French, 4.69% Scotch, 26.56% English, 25% German, 25% Austrian.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Family Sleuther10:52 PM

    It's an interesting exercise. How did it compare with your DNA results?

    I think it's fascinating what DNA can tell us now about the migrations of man. It certainly gives deeper meaning to what it means to be one ethnic or national identity over another.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Shirley2:32 AM

    I did the same thing earlier this year with 7 generations (64 ancestors.
    My Mix
    Welsh 30%
    English 28%
    Irish 14%
    German 14%
    Cornish 6%
    Scots 3%
    French-Canadian 2%
    Belgian 2%
    Nat-American 2%

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kristin1:12 PM

    All of my great grandparents and 2 time great grandparents that I know about were born in the USA. Not sure about my masternal grandfather's paternal grandfather. I do have a DNA percentage breakdown from 23 and me.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous7:39 PM

    How did any of you verify your Native American information? Thank you.

    ReplyDelete