Tracking your genetic genealogy - anybody know how to do this?

A friend mentioned that there is a way to determine one's ancestry through genetic testing - half of my family wonders where they sprang from - an unusual last name and a major lack of familial communication has left them clueless as to where they came from. I would love to give them this answer as a christmas gift!!!
Any links, any direction on where to look?

How many Americans are aware that Davy Crockett is of French ancestry, third generation I think with some Irish blood... ?

Elizabeth was his second wife. Unfortunately, Davy and his nephew by marriage, William died at the Alamo. She was left a widow.

http://www.joepayne.org/crockett.htm

(1) Gabriel Gustave DE CROCKETAGNE was born about 1600 in Montauban, France,
and married spouse unknown.
Children:
2+ Antoine De Sauss CROCKETAGNE b. Jul 10 1643

(2) Antoine De Sauss CROCKETAGNE, (Gabriel DE CROCKETAGNE) was born Jul
10, 1643 in Montauban, France, France, and in 1669 in France, married (3) Louise
(Crocketagni) DESSAIX who was born about 1648.
Antoine De Sauss Perronette De /CROCKETAGNE/ Crockett Family of Tennessee by
French and Armstrong.
By tradition he was one of the handsomest men in southern France. He drew the personal
attention of the King, Louis, by his fine personal appearance and love of duty. The King was
eager to retain him in his service and to place him second in command of the household
guards. He was given this commission in 1664 when he was 21. It was there that he met,
among many of the nobility,the beautiful Louise de Sais in 1669. He then resigned his
commission as second in command of the King's household guards, in order to establish a
home of his own. It was through the influence of the Maury family who he was working as a
commercial agent in the wine and salt trade of Southern France that he was converted to the
Protestant faith. It was ordered in 1672 that all heretices, Huguenots, leave the south of
France within twenty days. Antoine, with his wife and infant son, Gabrriel, fled across the
English Channel and remained in England for a short time but shortly fled to Ireland. To
escape there French identity they changed their name to Crockett.
Children:
4+ Gabriel Gustave DE CROCKETAGNE b. Oct 12 1672
5+ James CROCKETT b. Nov 20 1674
6+ Joseph Louis CROCKETT b. Jan 9 1675+ d. 1749 (Davy's line)
7+ Robert Watkins CROCKETT b. Jul 18 1678
8+ Louise Dessaix CROCKETT b. Mar 15 1679+
9+ Mary Frances CROCKETT b. Feb 20 1681+
10+ Sarah Elizabeth CROCKETT b. Apr 13 1685

(4) Gabriel Gustave DE CROCKETAGNE, (Antoine CROCKETAGNE, Gabriel DE
CROCKETAGNE) was born Oct 12, 1672 in Bordeaux, France.

(5) James CROCKETT, (Antoine CROCKETAGNE, Gabriel DE CROCKETAGNE) was
born Nov 20, 1674 in Kenmore Parish, Bantry Cork, Ireland, Ireland, and about 1695 in
Ireland, married (11) Martha MONTGOMERY, daughter of Thomas MONTGOMERY,
who was born about 1674 in Ireland.

A (former?)city councilmanin Chattanooga, TN is named Davy Crockett and is related to Mr. Crockett.

That's an unusual blend for a hillbilly. Most of us have far more boring roots (English and Scots-Irish usually).

Cyndi's List is a huge index; this is the page for Genealogy and DNA links. One of them will probably give you the information you want.

http://www.cyndislist.com/surn-dna.htm

Not surprised about Davey. Having traced my own British roots, it was amazing to watch my Surname change over the centuries. When I finally, after about 25 years of research, got back to the Norman Conquest, I did find that my ancestor, too, was French. In hindsight, it was easy to see how my surname had been Anglicized.

I've played the genealogist for the last couple of decades, and also use it to teach history research methods. Cyndi's makes a good first stop for many reasons.

I'll go there and check back in with the results - they have a truly unique surname that, so far, hasn't yielded much of anything....

Remember, if you're not already hooked, that genealogy is the hobby that rapidly turns into an obsession!

I'm thinking that the genetic Y tracing provides only general lineage, such as one's ancestral continent. That's a no-brainer. I guess pulling on the waders and doing the old-school research is the best course of action. It looks like they originated in the British Isles, but there are many records from the early days of the US as well.
Thanks again for the help!!

the UK's "Origins" websites -- British Origins, Scottish Origins, and (I think they've added it) Irish Origins. They cost a bit (or more depending on what you want) but they're cheaper than a plane ticket -- though not nearly as much fun!
Happy Hunting!
e.

but not all that much. I think you have to get in with a family who has had it done, for comparison purposes. And they only test men with than same name. For example, the branch of my family that did it was the Bullock family, my maternal grandmother's folks. They formed an association and they had the dna testing done as a group. It was interesting because they discovered their supposed pure Scottish blood had a lot of Norwegian in it! What I don't understand is how they factor out all the other lines since then.

You can do a lot of free searching at familysearch.com, which is the Mormon site. They are unusual folks, but they are amazing genealogists. They believe in posthumous salvation, so they are inspired.

perhaps we should approach random redheads. Anyone know how to get ahold of Carrot Top?

their lineage. They have a disposition towards curly red hair - does that indicate Moorish ancestry?

Red curly hair can be Celtic or Moorish. High cheekbones, light skin = Celtic. Wide cheekbones = Moorish. That's, of course, a gross generalization.

Oxford Ancestors can track ancestors down to the very village your families came from.
It's really amazing. 51.5 % of the US is primarily British or Irish in origin (sorry, UK folk, you're stuck with us), no matter your apparent race, so because of the preponderance of data, they generally can track down family lines fairly quickly.

If you want to see something amazing get this DVD. It is an awesome show.

http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=1402989&cp=1377983

Is that the one where they sport the crazy latex jutting foreheads and stategically placed (copious) body hair?
I'm not demeaning it - I'm a real sucker for this type of program, and the Discovery Channel. I'm the only girl that I knew growing up that had a subscription to Discover magazine. Cosmopolitan always made me :puke:

Never saw anything like that in the show. Back in the 70's some guy had started collecting DNA samples from all over the world. Several years ago someone else took up where he left off.

It's been awhile, but what I remember is they had DNA samples from the oldest known human skeleton. They began to sample males from the same area of Africa, looking for the same DNA. They found the tribe that clicks when they talk? (The Gods Must be Crazy movie) were direct descendents.

They got in to looking for DNA that was one mutation away, and they found IT all the way over in Australia. That would be the Aborigines. Then they explained how they could have got way over there, crossed the water etc.

Looking for the next mutation they ended up back in India, then up to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is where they all started to scatter...part of the people went toward China, and Russia (the reindeer herders), the rest went toward Europe. What is so awesome is they claim North/South America was populated by just ten people who crossed the Bering Strait!
The immediate ancestors of these people are the Navaho.

They went to each country in order, to visit the person who's DNA they'd used. They explained the project, and showed them pics of the other people.

Seeing those pictures in order was truly amazing! I was talking about the show for weeks.

This link here tells you how to proceed with this process.

<< Males are able to see if another male is a descendant from their direct paternal line. Our 12 marker Y-DNA test has become the world standard, being adopted by National Geographic's - Genographic Project. Our 37-marker test yields the world's tightest parameters to the Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA). You may order the 12 marker test and return to "refine" your test at a later time without the need to re-submit another DNA sample!

Women can determine which Haplogroup they are part of based upon the descent through their maternal line. Reports are compared to the Cambridge Reference Sequence, which show your deviation from this industry standard. We identify the lettered Haplogroup that your mtDNA is assigned to by the scientific community. >>

http://www.familytreedna.com/

Best of luck to you.

CountAllVotes
(and no, I don't wanna know ... :evilgrin: )

:dem: :kick: :kick: