mtDNA Haplogroup N1, subclade N1a

[eburchelli]

I just received my test results from the Genographic Project and am being led to believe all Europeans testing N1a are probably related.  That could prove quite interesting.

My earliest known maternal ancestor was my great grandmother Lydia Helmer born in 1847 in Philadelphia, PA.  Her mother may have been Margaret.  Unfortunately, I do not have a surname for her.  In the 1880 census, Margaret lists her place of birth as Pennsylvania and both parents born in Wurttemberg, Germany.  This is consistent with the Helmer connection, since her husband Frederick Helmer also listed his place of birth as Wurttemberg.

[idarupp]

I just got my dna results from FamilyTree and my maternal dna is also N1a.  My earliest known maternal ancester was Deborah Ann Hankinson born 1809 probably in Monmouth County NJ.  She is buried in the Friends Cemetery in Wall, NJ.  I don't know who her parents were but my grandmother always said that her ancestry was Dutch.