Ancestry Composition

Among the new genealogy tools at 23andMe is the Ancestry Composition.  This tool presents the DNA that you have that is very similar to the DNA of people in other parts of the world.  Because both of my parents have tested at 23andMe, I can show my DNA broken down into the half from my mother and the half from my father.

23andMe
Ancestry Composition for Me
in relation to both of my parents

Both my parents are essentially of European descent.  My father's tree is mostly Colonial American with a splash of German and Irish.  My mother's tree better illustrates my composition.  My 22% British and Irish from my mother's side is most likely because of my maternal grandmother, Jeannette ODonnell.  All of her ancestors trace back to Ireland by the mid 1850s.  My 11.7% Ashkenazi is likely from my paternal grandfather's father.  What makes me think this?  Look at my mother's Ancestry Composition by chromosome.

23andMe
Ancestry Composition by chromosome for Jody's mom

On her 23rd pair of chromosomes, XX, a woman carries no genetic information from her father's father.  IF one paternal grandparent was Ashkenazi and the other was not, then we can tell from this analysis that it was the paternal grandfather who was Ashkenazi because there is no Ashkenazi inheritance on the XX chromosomes.

Amanuensis Monday: Blinn and Bishop births in family bible

Ongoing transcription of hand-written notes found in the BISHOP family file at the New York State Library in Albany.

Births recorded in a bible.

Mr Ashly Blinn born August 29^th 1790 in Canaan, Col[umbia] Co[unty] New York.

Miss Caroline Bishop born December 26^th 1810 in Columbia, Herkimer Co[unty], NY.

Miss Helen Blinn adopted April 4^th 1855 and born February the 22, 1847.

Mr Richard W Bishop born July the 8^th, 1781 in Canaan, Col[umbia] Co[unty], N. York.

Abigail Hatch his wife was born August the 4^th, 1791 in Lebanon?, Lieb? Co[unty], Conn.

[Note:  In 1791, Lebanon was in Windham County, Connecticut.  In 1850, the probable time this bible entry was recorded, Lebanon was in New London County, Connecticut.]

Family Heirloom: The Hatchet

One of the possessions handed down through the generations in my family is a hatchet.  The tape was added later in the tool's life.

The letters UHL are carved into the handle.

These letters could be the last name Uhl.  My great-great-great grandfather was David Uhl.  He was a toolmaker who lived in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey in the 1850s until his death from tuberculosis in 1884.

These letters could also possibly indicate initials of my great-great grandfather, Herman Lutter.  He was a wheelwright who lived in Newark in the 1880s through the 1920s.  Herman likely had other given names.  U could be the initial for one of these names that I have not discovered thus far in my research.

Thank you, Karin, for the inspiration for this post.