ethnicity estimates update ~ 9.30.21

Barbara’s latest ethnicity estimate from Ancestry DNA

Eastern Europe & Russia 29%
Germanic Europe 23%
England & Northwestern Europe 23%
Wales 11%
Sweden & Denmark 9%
Balkans 3%
Norway 2%

Tim’s latest ethnicity estimate from Ancestry DNA

England & Northwestern Europe 67%
Wales 13%
Ireland 9%
Germanic Europe 5%
Sweden & Denmark 2%
Scotland 2%
Norway 2%

Ancestry.com has updated its ethnicity estimates for us again. See past ones here.

What I found of interest was some of the “genetic communities” we were placed in. Communities are formed when they identify AncestryDNA members whose ancestors probably came from the same place or cultural group.

Tim was added to the Early Connecticut & New York Settlers group, which agrees with his ancestors’ paper trails.


I was added to the Poland, Slovakia, Hungary & Romania group. I found this one interesting in light of my cousin’s recent discoveries of our Ukrainian grandparents’ Polish/Ruthenian/Rusyn roots.

Another curious group for me is Northern New England Settlers. The paper trail hasn’t led me to this area. But, for many years I have been frustrated in my dream of tracing my maternal line back to my first foremother to come to this country. I haven’t got very far.

Emma Freeman Thompson b. 1906 Lynn, Massachusetts
Amanda Eliza Hamblin b. 1879 Dennis, Massachusetts
Annie Eliza Baker b. 1845 Dennis, Massachusetts
Eliza R. Eldridge b. 1823 Dennis, Massachusetts
Nancy Roberson b. c. 1807 in Maine (?)

I have a record of Nancy Roberson’s marriage to Leonard Eldridge in Harwich, Massachusetts on 20 October 1820. The 1870 census record and her death record say she was born in Maine. But no names for her parents! So many questions but this seems to explain my inclusion in the Northern New England Settlers genetic community. The search continues!

19 thoughts on “ethnicity estimates update ~ 9.30.21”

    1. It’s been kind of amazing how many new family tree branches get discovered when adding DNA results to the paper trail. The more time one spends looking the more one finds! (Same holds true for birdwatching, right? 😊)

    1. Hello! I’m amazed at how that 2% Norway stays the same through every update, and how it makes perfect sense because my 3rd-great-grandfather came from Norway. 😊 Ingebrigt Martinus Hansen (1818-1896)

    1. Have you ever thought of getting your DNA analyzed, Kathy? Our extended family has been having loads of fun comparing notes. 😊

  1. It is wonderful to have this kind of information these days, and so enlightening. It’s a great reminder of how connected we all are. Have fun, Barbara.

    1. Thanks, Jet. It is a fun journey. 🙂 And the more we know, the more we understand how much we don’t know — yet!

  2. Amazing depth of your research, Barbara! I have not done DNA testing for ancestry or relatives. About five years back, I had some curiosity because there are some many missing pieces to my family puzzle. I did use ancestry dot com for a little research to try to build some sort of picture. I found it interesting similar to building a puzzle without any verifiable accountability. I did not spend much energy on curiosity of the past.

    It’s great that you and Tim are enjoying the project together. Is there something or someone that you two are hoping to find?

    1. It’s definitely a puzzle, TD, I call it the never-ending puzzle. My curiosity about the ancestors is impossible to satisfy. I love how the pieces fit together, especially in colonial times when there were so many marriages between cousins. Ancestry.com helps me to sort those out.

      I’d like to find the first ancestor in Tim’s paternal line to come to this continent and I’d like to find the first ancestor in my maternal line, as mentioned at the end of my post. I’ve traced many of our lines back to the first immigrant, but not these two direct ones…

          1. Oh Barbara I absolutely love that you linked the diagram! At age 11 you were certainly much more knowledgeable about this sort of thing than I and your family was much more willing to share their knowledge of their past. What a wonderful surprise to find the diagram!!

          2. Glad you enjoyed my little beginner diagram, TD. 🙂 I was lucky to have parents and grandparents who tolerated my interviewing them. Some other relatives were not so cooperative at times. But I enjoy being the family historian and feel happy when extended family comes to me with questions.

  3. I’m thrilled that you are the family historian! And I’m glad that you can emphasize that some relatives prefer privacy.I was so open hearted as a child and a young adult that I had some difficulty with what is best private and what is helpful shared with strangers.

    I must say that I found the same birds here spreading the wings to dry is very funny as we have the that type of bird here in the water lands.

    On another note I have been enjoying sparrows for the very first time. I am allowing the grass to grow in my backyard. The house sparrows have noticed. They are so cute to watch eating seeds reseeding; until something startles one and they all fly to safety on the top of the fence in a row. Then the leader says it’s okay to graze on the grass. Cycles! Started with about 25 sparrows and now about 75 all in a row. So cute!

    1. I, too, had a lot to learn about privacy boundaries because I tend to share everything and am puzzled when others are secretive and witholding. But I’ve learned to respect other people’s sensitivities.

      Sparrows are adorable, even though they get pretty noisy at times! I’m slowly learning the different kinds of sparrows we have around here. So far I’ve found house, song, white-throated and swamp sparrows. I’m so happy you’re enjoying the activities of the sparrows in your yard. Birdwatching is so entertaining. 😊

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