Jsmes Conrad (1811-79),, my great-great grandfather
… Ancestry can befuddle us
When I decided to have my DNA analyzed by Ancestry.com a few years ago, I had a preliminary analysis based on the family tree information that I had.
On my mother’s side, I knew that I was 100 percent Irish. Pat Finley and Mary Norris were both immigrants from Ireland.
So, for my DNA, I figured 50 percent Irish — maternal.
On my father’s side, his maternal DNA was also Irish since Katie Brady, his mother, was an Irish immigrant.
That made me guess 75 percent Irish. However, in conversations with a first cousin many years ago, she said that my father also had some Irish blood in previous generations, and we estimated that I was probably 87 percent based on four generations.
With Conrad a German surname, that means that 13 percent of me was German.
Not at all.
My DNA estimate right now is 92 percent Irish, 4 percent Scotch, and 2 percent Norway. There is another 2 percent from Northwest Europe.
That makes no sense because my family tree links some of these people.
Conrad lineage
According to one extensive analysis of the lineage of John Conrad (Kunrat), I definitely have German blood.
Generation Number 1: “John1 Conrad. (Kunrat) was born in Alsace Loraine, France.”
We always knew that they eventually settled in Adams County in Eastern Pa. However, were we French of German.
John's parents came from Alsace-Loraine, that's part of France that sometimes belonged to France and sometimes to Germany. When John's Dad left, it belonged to France. The Conrad's were direct descendants of a German King. His grandparents also had three sons and probably more boys born down by Conewago. Joseph and his son Paul were shoemakers in Loretto. Baltzer came in 1814, far as Newry and settled along with the Baltzer was a master carpenter. He built fancy ornate stairways for wealthy people. He traveled a lot. Most of his boys were carpenters also. Baltzer settled in Newry in 1814. John and his family can be found in the "Conewago chapel Founding Families" and in Vol II of the "Catholic Trails West".
“Descendants of John Conrad (Kunrat)”
Direct descendent of a German king, but no German DNA?
Interesting.
Generation No. 2
2. JOHN2 CONRAD (JOHN1) was born 10 Aug 1778 in Frederick Co, MD (Source: WFT disk 13, #672.), and died 31 Mar 1832 in Loretto, Cambria Co., PA
Generation No. 3
James Conrad, 1811-1879
Generation No. 4
John Conrad, 1836-1914
Generation No. 5
Charles Conrad, 1874-1915
Generation No. 6
Hugh B. Conrad, Sr. 1906-1989
Conclusion
So, after all of this German background, how can I believe that I have no German DNA in me?
Both Charlie and John married Irish girls, so that is a factor, bur no German lineage?
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