Monday, November 28, 2011

Good Stuff!

The human species is controlled (defined) by 46-chromosomes. These 46 chromosomes are packaged in 23 pair, numbered 1-23. [Imagine that!] Numbers 1-22 are called "somatic". They control the cells. Number 23 gets all the fun, and is called the "sex chromosome". It is passed down during reproduction. The Y-chromosome is transmitted from father to son. The X-chromosome is transmitted from father and mother to daughter. [Gives the mitrochrondial DNA written as mtDNA.]

Each chromosome is a series of nucleotide bases which are arranged in units of three (3). These units 0f three (3) are called the codon. It is a series of codons that make proteins. A series of codons that work is called a "gene"!

The "gene" falls along a section of the much longer DNA molecule. [Containing multiple genes.] Its location is called a "loci". Each gene has two sides opposite. These sides are called "alleles". Allele numbers identify the address along the long strand of DNA molecules (genome). A loci number gives the street address of these alleles. [Its cytogenetic location!]

DYS nomenclature is: D = DNA, Y = Y-chromosome, S = (unique) segment. This identifies the unique location along the Y-chromosome where a change (mutation) has occurred. A single nucleotide change is called a SNP (snip). A number of changes that have occurred very near to one another, is called STR (short tandem repeat.)

Haplogroups are determined by the methods called SNP analysis.

Haplotypes are determined by STR analysis.

Wow...good stuff!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Roots

Roots are the foundation of the plant. In Welsh, the word "plant" means children. As you know, in genealogy, the roots of the children are their ancestors. Ancestors (roots)...children (plant)...interesting use of words.

Since the JONES surname is Welsh, our roots go back to the tribal groups that occupied the Islands from its early days. (Albion and Hiberna) [Claudius Ptolemy tagged these islands around 150 AD! Of course Albion is the big island, and Hiberna is the little.] Thus our Y-chromosome would take these roots.

The following tables list the Celtic tribal groups that have been named among those who occupied the islands. They are arranged by somewhat of a geographic location, with those known above Antonine Wall (Firth of Forth), North of Hadrian's Wall (Solway Firth), and south of Hadrian's Wall. [Roughly Scotland today.] The tribal groups in Wales and the Marches are next, with the single tribe from what is now Cornwall. Those tribes in the central, southern, and eastern area of the big island are listed next.

The nine tribal groups from Ireland are:

Dalriata
Nagnatae
Erdani
Cauci
Auteini
Gangani
Vellabori
Brigantes
Iverni.

This gives a total of 35 tribes. What a group it is! The roots of our Y-DNA. Somewhere there is the Y-chromosomes for the JONES surname! Any guesses?

Various sources have been used to compile this list, the major ones are:

Celtic Britain, by Lloyd Laing, p.11, Charles Scribner's Sons, NY, 1979

A History of Britain, by Simon Schama, p.59, p.83, talk miramax books, NY, 2000

The Oxford Illustrated History of Roman Britain,p.4, p.29, p.94, p.143, p.147, by Peter Salway, Oxford University Press, 1993.

Roman Britain, Outpost of The Empire, by H.H. Scullard, p.24, Jarrold and Sons, Ltd., Norwich, 1979.

The Celts, Uncovering the Mythic and Historic Origins of Western Culture, by Jean Markale,p. 11, Inner Traditions International, Rochester, Vermont, 1993.

Please note that not all spellings were the same, and not all sources listed the same number of tribes.






Thursday, November 10, 2011

House of Trevor (Tudor Trevor)

The lineage of the House of Trevor is given in great detail in Nicholas, "Annals and Antiquities of The Counties and County Families of Wales". This text, first published in London, 1872, gives the history, the chief physical features, and many of the lineages of the families of the counties of Wales. The author, Thomas Nicholas, states in his preface:

"Descriptions and accounts have been given from personal inspection; facts, dates, names, have been obtained from the documents or direct testimony of the Families recorded." [Vol. I, p. v]

Of course, the House of Trevor, has many branches :

The surname Mostyn is given Vol. I, on pp. 451-452, (Co. Flintshire, Mostyn).

The surname Pennant is given Vol.I, pp.453 (Co. Flintshire, Basingwerk and Holywell).

The surname Trevor (of Trevalyn) Vol.I, p.457.

The surname Lloyd (of Pengwern) Vol.I, p. 450.

The surname Eyton (of Rhuabon) Vol. I, p. 446.

The surname Young (of Hanmer) Vol.I, p.440.

The surname Trevor (of Brynkinallt, Co. Denbigh) VoI. I, pp. 415-416.

The surname Griffith (of Wrexham) Vol.I, p.408.

The surname Jones (of Llwyn-Onn) Vol.I, pp. 354-356.

Wow, surnames that share a common Y-DNA.

Nicholas was reprinted by the Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1991.

The geographic locations of the families listed above center around Wat's Dyke. See:

http://welshgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/10/wats-dyke.html

Friday, November 4, 2011

On the Other Side of the Fence

The last post discussed some of the factors that introduced the JONES surname to the world. Multiple families, multiple roots, and multiple Y-DNA! For those of us from Wales (R1b1a2), it will take a somewhat different approach to climb to the other side of the fence. Just what family groups existed before all this English annexation?

The following post outlines a series of Welsh family groups that have produced a JONES surname branch. This research is the result of many, many years looking for my own JONES family connections. They will be listed as "House of ....", representing the roots of the Welsh family that produced the origin of the JONES surname today. If one can connected back to a Welsh family line, then this would be the origin of your Y-DNA! Starting with my own family line:

House of Trevor (Tudor Trevor) before 900 AD

House of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn before 1000 AD

House of Goch before 1460 AD

House of Herbert

House of Llowarch ap Bran

House of Griffith ap Nicholas

House of Shrewsbury

House of Jestyn ap Gwrgrant

House of Ievan ap Ievan

House of Cadifn vawr

House of Cowryn Cadvan

House of Trench (Ireland)

House of Treownes

...just a start to the other side of the fence!