I thought that members of the list may like to hear about a story which has
been carried on the BBC here in the UK in the last couple of days.
It concerns a doctor by the name of Sykes who decided to undertake research
into the genetic identity of apparently unrelated men who have this
relatively rare surname. He was surprised when the reseach identified a
gene carried on the Y chromosome (as you probably know, this is carried by
males only)which was identical in all of the several hundred people
researched. This led him to conclude that all were directly related to each
other, and almost certainly were direct descendants from one common ancestor
who lived approximately 600 years ago.
He further concluded that the same almost certainly applies to other people
who share unusual surnames. So it seems that we really may all be cousins,
albeit pretty distant ones in some cases!
Lastly whilst I am on, here's a long shot to identify some fairly close
relatives. I understand from my father that I almost certainly have second
cousins unknown to me in the US as two of his uncles emigrated to America
from Co West Meath in the Republic of Ireland (village of Rochfortbridge)
never to be heard of again. The time of this emigration would, I guess,
probably be sometime between 1920 and 1930. Anyone out there with a pretty
close relative who arrived in the States at about this time? Dad doesn't
know the names (this perhaps seems a little strange, but they would have
left before he was born, perhaps the family didn't talk about them much).
Any leads, even tenuous, gratefully received.
Regards
Andy
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