The only way I was able to add the above chart to this website was to add it as a Word doc, if you click on the image to download the document and then zoom in, you should be able to see the detail!
The map on the right shows the regions sampled in the 'People of the British Isles' project mentioned above - previously, DNA companies only had data from the Orkneys to represent everyone with British ancestry, so you can understand why the Living DNA test was so innovative!
This project analysed DNA results from individuals recruited because all four of their grandparents were born in rural areas of Britain, within 50 miles from one another.
Some of the more fascinating results thrown up by this project's findings can be seen if you look at the different results obtained from participants in Devon and those in Cornwall; and even more dramatically, in different parts of Wales!
And the map above shows an uncanny resemblance to the map on the left, which demonstrates the tribes living in Britain around 2,600 years ago and various later invaders. Click on the images to open larger copies!
Mastel Family History
Mastel Family History
Living DNA
The analysis used by this new company on the block is designed to show where in the world your ancestors lived - not only in long distant times, but also within the past ten generations. Although their marketing material states that they provide worldwide information, it is for those people with solely British ancestry that this test comes into its own when compared to the other companies - because their analysis uses reference data produced by the People in the British Isles Project (I have included a little information below, but I strongly recommend that you read about this fascinating project)
I understand that the company has now started adding further regional databases but as I dont have any known ancestors from Europe or the rest of the world, I can't vouch for their accuracy outside of Britain.
They have also added a matching system so that you can discover others who match your Living DNA results.
Since I first took the Living DNA test in 2017, they have regularly updated everyone's results, and I now feel that the distribution shown on the map below is more in line with my known ancestry than those I received initially. I have not managed to research any branches of my ancestry back as far as ten generations with any confidence, so I can only make general comments - but I am impressed!
See Living DNA's website for further information
Working from my KNOWN ancestors in each branch of my ancestry:
MATERNAL lines - I know most about my maternal grandmother's ancestors the Adamthwaites: Eight generations back they were in Westmorland, but of course they don't make up the entire 25% of DNA inherited from my maternal grandmother!) - but are likely to account for Cumbria, Northumbria and N Yorks, plus some of the Scottish regions.
My maternal grandfather was a GREEN from Ireland - and though in recent years I have managed to uncover a few more generations in his branch, there is still a lot to discover. But Green is not an Irish name, so it is likely that his father's earliest ancestors (and possibly some of his mother's) originated in Scotland.
PATERNAL LINES - I have gone back quite a fair way with my paternal grandmother's SNARYs - who, certainly for about six generations, came from Bristol - though they married into families known to have connections with the south west and south Midlands (and perhaps Wales?). But the huge unknown lies with my paternal grandfather's WARDs .. he was illegitimate and it is pure guesswork that his birth surname of WARD had any connection with his birth father! But he did always tell us that his real father came from London, so perhaps that huge chunk of South Eastern DNA has something to do with that!
CHARTS, click on the chart on the left to take a look at where my KNOWN ancestors going back five generations were born ... but of course the previous five generations of THEIR ancestors could have come from almost anywhere! However, as well as Living DNA are concerned, but also Ancestry and Family Tree DNA believe - all branches of my ancestry originated in the British Isles ... sad really, I would have liked at least a smidgeon of exotic ancestry!