Genealogy Chat

Just noticed on the dna site, we can get a 'group discount' guys!

Yes my neighbour has had the op, pretty painful by all accounts. I guess it must be a pretty good sign of Viking genes. Re Vik, well as you must know York was Yorvik and Norwich used to be Norvik

The Viking disease is Dupuytren's Contracture. My father has it. It means the tendons of the hand contract pulling the fingers inwards. It can't be cured but operations can improve movements. My Dad has had the operations twice and is OK at the moment but the condition does tend to come back. My maiden name was Wicks. This is mostly a Saxon name but the Norfolk branch are thought by many to be decendants of Vikings who arrived via the Wash. The word Viking is supposed to be from the same original word Vik. My father's family were originally from the Wash area of Norfolk. So it's very likely that he is a direct descendant of Vikings according to some researchers. Sue

Oh Ted, for a moment there when I read the title of your thread I thought maybe you suspected Mo of getting up to no good with the milkman! But, knowing what a good bloodline she comes from, she is naturally above suspicion. Wonder if it helps one's self-confidence to know that one is descended from Ghengis Khan? Tina

Yes, Ive just been googling Ted. I like that site Roots for Real - they did the BBC program, but like you said, price is a bit steep. The Oxford one - the seven sisters of Eve lot are £200 or more aswell.

Hi all, its a bit expensive to have the DNA test from what ive read, anything between £100 and £190, which is a bit steep. So my be its for another day, maybe if my pemium bonds come up. Pity that, I would love to know. TED.

Yes, its the same here Vicky - the University is doing a study of Norfolk people who have generations who havent moved, but surely even one side who are Norfolk would give some good results. Id read about those 7 tribes - I may have a look at the site Ted, sounds like you have the old Viking Hand too.

A more general response for anyone else interested. I was interested in the 'Viking' study, as my surname is supposed to be Viking, and going back to the 17th century I know their roots are in Swaledale, in an area where its known there was a strong Viking presence. But my (male) cousins were deemed not suitable for the study - like countless others, they moved away from their roots. In my opinion, the researchers should be paying much more attention to those who have a well-researched family history and not insisting that candidates have 2 or 3 generations of living in the same area. Of course there is nothing stopping us having the analysis done anyway, but if you're not part of an organised study it does cost quite a bit.

Heather - you can trace the maternal line through mitochondrial DNA. (There are companies doing this, Google) The female line is more reliable anyway - you always know who your mother is (LOL - won't go into that just now!) There are supposed to be seven main tribes that all females are descended from. If you are interested, I can recommend The Seven Daughters of Eve by Brian Sykes. It won't necessarily tell you if you're half scandinavian though, its not that precise. Some researcher (I forget who/where) has analysed some really ancient remains found in Cheddar Gorge. I'm very tempted to see if mine is a match, since that's where my maternal line comes from.

jacqueline hi. I will do that now and see what comes up. TED XX

hi heather, £80 is a bit much for me, i was thinking of £40 to 50, even that is a lot of my pension, I think SHEFFIELD UNI or one of them up North was doing it for people in CHESHIRE, but when I told them I was born in LPOOL, they didnt want to know, saying they were looking for people born in CHESHIRE. Funny enough my name is LUNT and i suffer from bent small fingers particularly on my right hand which is the worst, its stuck solid and bent till I get up in the morning and massage it. But Im gonna take your advice and GOOGLE and see what comes up. Take care TED XXXX

There is a website for DNA testing Ted for ancestry purposes - have a google, its an american uni I think and they charge about £80 or something. If you are Norfolk born and bred and so are your ancestors, the UEA (University of East Anglia) is also doing a project on dna testing at the mo. Did you see that other programme about this - it was up north again and they tested all the locals to see what genes they had - very large percentage were scandanavian, in fact they even traced one fishermens genes which were particualrly unsullied to a line in Denmark. (Vikings). There were also a large percentage of people suffering from 'Viking Hand' where for no reason the little finger becomes bent and deformed - a condition prevalent among scandanavians. (Funnily enough, my neighbour 3 doors down, blond hair, blue eyes, angular face has just had an op for this condition - I guess there are a good lot of viking genes in Norfolk also) Id like to do it to see where my genes were from but can you do it through a woman? Does it have to be through the male line?

There have been several previous threads on this I think, Ted. If you put DNA into the search at the top, you might find what you're looking for. Jack

Hi all, there was a program on ITV where the residents of one area of the LAKE DISTRICT had their DNA tested and it was found that the largest majority of them came from the area where GHENGIS KHAN lived, somewhere in ASIA I think. Which seems quite an interesting item. Wonder if anyone know where you can have your DNA tested to find out which part of the world your ancestors came from? I should imagine it would be a university that carries out these tests, I fancy having mine done. TED