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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 2002-01 > 1010842625


From: Renia <>
Subject: Re: Overall Reliability of Medieval Lineages
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 13:37:05 +0000 (UTC)
References: <169.707c1ce.297124d1@aol.com>


wrote:

> Friday, 11 January, 2002
>
> Hello Renia, Bronwen, Ed, et al.,
>
> The questions you have raised, or responded to, concerning questions as
> to the 'types' who migrated from the British Isles vs. those who stayed (and
> the problems in tracing ancestry for these two 'groups', if such they were)
> are not likely to be resolved, or readily answered outside the anecdotal.
>
> Assuming that to be the case, I thought I would dig up more anecdotal
> evidence for the mulling. To that end, I reviewed my own ancestry to
> determine some specifics in my own case. To-Wit:
>
> 17th Century Ancestors Migrating from
> Great Britain to the American colonies:
>
> Individuals 52
> Family Groups (Husbands/Wives
> married prior to migration;
> incl. minor children who were
> ancestors) 30
>
> Proven Ancestry for above Family
> Groups:
>
> Family Groups with proven Ancestry
> prior to 1550 4
> Family Groups with proven Royal
> Ancestry 2
>
> I extrapolate from the above the following raw statistics [NOT directly
> applicable to ALL 17th century colonists, individually or as a group] for
> your consideration or refutation:
>
> Percentage of family groups of 17th
> century colonists with traceable
> (pre-1550) ancestry 13.3%
> Percentage of above groups with
> proven Royal ancestry 6.7%
>
> I submit, the above indicates a noticeable if not overly significant
> percentage of colonists with proveable ancestry of high birth/royal origin.
> I would also submit that Mark Twain (aka Samuel Clemens) was right [1].
>
> Good luck, and good continued hunting.
>
> John *
>
> * John P. Ravilious
>
> [1] "There are three types of lies: lies; damned lies;
> and statistics."

Without access to any other lies . . . sorry, statistics! . . your percentages
seem about right. The impression one gets is that all or most American families
can trace back to royal ancestors, which certainly what I would dispute. But
your statistics indicate that you really have to meander through as many lines
as possible to get there.

Renia


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