Family History and Genealogy

Oh the hours spent at archive offices scanning for past records & clues. Well, hello Sister Anne.

Hey, our ancestors might have come over on the same longboat, Anne! I did my DNA last year, and am 15% Scandinavian. There's a region on the north coast of Norway named Orland, which got us wondering if that name came over from there? It hasn't made me particularly enjoy freezing cold weather though!

Maybe your ancestors didn't like the cold either and that's why they relocated? For dating purposes, they have trouble telling Viking invasion DNA from Norman invasion DNA because the Normans were also Vikings. In addition, Viking armies weren't pure and picked up willing members as they went along eg Eadric Streona (who was Ealdorman of Mercia, son in law of king Aethelred the Unready) and Northman, (who was Leofric's older brother).

That may answer one of my questions Helen. I have traced one branch of my family back to Normandy through the Sacheverel Family. I have also read that Yardley was once Gelderlay who also came over with William the Conquerer, although my DNA does not show any French ancestry.

Some people may have known it for ages but I only found out relatively recently. Norman comes from Nortmanni meaning "Northmen". Similarly Norsemen. They got about.

Having now researched the Norwegian area of Orland online, I realise that their name changed and developed in more recent centuries, long after our name was already in use in Leicestershire in the 1500s. So, sadly it appears that we're not named after a Norwegian territory after all. Oh well.