Monday, July 8, 2019

New Community At Ancestry DNA/ And more specific locations





When I accidentally clicked on DNA Story, instead of matches, a message told me I had a new community at AncestryDNA (for an explanation about how DNA communities work click this link). The DNA ethnicity predictions aren't very good for my family so I don't check them often, but was now curious. I was excited, momentarily, that I might have an American (US) Community. No it's still French Canadian, and another that is Irish   

I had been placed in a community called "French Settlers Along the St. Lawrence". I'm now in a community that includes more specific locations. These communities would be correct because my family settled early in  Trois-Rivieres and Maskinonge. There is also a mention of Vermont & Massachusetts. I'm sure some distant cousins settled there, but my direct French Canadian ancestor, Pierre Masson, settled in Illinois. 


Old Community

New Community

New French Canadian Map with Specific locations

I'm also seeing more specific locations for Ireland. Previously I only had the broad location of Connacht, Ireland as one of my communities. Now I have more specific locations of West Roscommon, East Mayo & North Galway. My Mullen family lived in the Northern Galway Townland of Pollaturick. I was just there in late May. My ancestor Patrick Mullen, of North Galway, married my ancestor Mary Huvane/Huane, who was from Co. Mayo right over the county border. There are some Mullens in Roscommon who may be distantly related as hinted by DNA matches from there?


Like I said before I have no United States American Communities at Ancestry. I would wonder whether I had any actual DNA ties to any place in the United States if not for my mother who has these communities. She definitely has Midwest Ancestry (but so does my father, and coming from two parents I still don't have these communities?). She has the specific "Indiana Settlers" because her father was born in Indiana and his family had been there since the 1820's and before. Before settling in Indiana they came from places like Virginia and Tennessee. So we do have DNA ties to America. 



The communities are turning out to be much more accurate than the ethnicity estimates for my family.



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