Sunday, November 24, 2019

Sunday's Obituary ~ Henry Copeland 1912

I found the following obituary on MyHeritage for my second great-grandfather, Henry Clay Copeland. It gives a bit more information about him.

Henry Copeland obituary, Lewiston [Maine] Evening Journal, 8 November 1912, p. 16, col. 6; digital images, MyHeritage (https://www.myheritage.com : accessed 22 November 2019).

Monday, November 18, 2019

AncestryDNA Updates Ethnicity Again

As AncestryDNA says: "Your DNA doesn't change, but our science does."

I have been reading about others who have seen their AncestryDNA ethnicity estimates change and I discovered late last week that mine have as well.

You can see my prior ethnicity estimates at:

DNA Test Results (April 2012)
AncestryDNA Updates Ethnicity Results (October 2013)
Genetic Communities (March 2017)
AncestryDNA Updates Ethnicity Results (September 2018)
AncestryDNA Ethnicity (May 2019)

In May 2019, my ethnicity estimate showed the following, with 3,000 reference samples:

RegionPercentageRange
England, Wales & Northwestern Europe64%33%-90%
Europe West23%0%-45%
Ireland & Scotland6%0%-16%
Scandinavia3%0%-13%
Iberian Peninsula2%0%-7%
Europe East1%0%-5%
European Jewish<1%0%-3%

As of November 2019, my ethnicity estimate shows the following, with 16,000 reference samples:

RegionPercentageRange
England, Wales & Northwestern Europe58%57%-72%
Ireland & Scotland36%0%-36%
Germanic Europe6%0%-29%

Graphically, you can see the changes in the maps below:


Elizabeth's revised ethnicity map from September 2018

Elizabeth's revised ethnicity map from November 2019

From what I understand, the introduction of Sweden to the ethnicity estimate occurred for many who have England, Wales & Northwestern Europe in their ancestry.

Because my ancestors arrived to the North American continent between 1620 and the 1840s, and I have not confirmed all of my immigrant ancestors (not by a long shot), I cannot say for certain what I expect my ethnicity percentages should be except that England, Scotland, and Northwest Europe are regions that I would expect my ancestors to be from.

I always tell people that estimate is the key word when you're talking about your ethnicity results from DNA testing companies. (See the possible ranges in the tables above.)

If you have tested at AncestryDNA, have you checked to see if your ethnicity estimates have been updated?

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Lysle Plot at Union Dale Cemetery Pittsburgh

The last plot we visited during our August 2017 visit to Union Dale Cemetery in Pittsburgh was the Lysle family plot, burial location for yet another pair of second-great-grandparents, a pair of third-great-grandparents, and a fourth-great-grandmother.


In the middle of the obelisk is the name Lysle:


The plot has nineteen gravestones.