We’re appealing for local residents to take part in a North Devon ancestry study that will form part of our autumn exhibition, The Peopling of North Devon.
Whether your family has lived in North Devon for countless generations, whether you are new to the area, or whether your origins remain a mystery, we would love to hear from you. Up to 100 local residents will be selected to undergo free Ancient DNA testing by providing a saliva sample.
Ancient DNA analysis compares genetic data with ancient archaeological samples, helping to reveal ancestral origins and migration patterns. Set right at the edge of England, North Devon’s rich and varied history has been shaped by many peoples and cultures. Are we Celts (like the Cornish) or Saxons? And are there traces of later migrants in our population? The arrival of Vikings, Normans, Africans and Native Americans are all recorded in our history, but have they left genetic traces behind?
In modern times, North Devon has welcomed workers from Ireland, Wales, the Commonwealth and Eastern Europe. We have been a refuge, including in the 18th century for Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in France, in the 19th and 20th centuries Jews from central Europe, and, most recently, a place of safety for Ukrainian families.
The exhibition, The Peopling of North Devon, is inspired by research undertaken by the Francis Crick Institute, a London-based biomedical research centre, which has analysed some of the “Saxon” skeletons discovered on the site of the former Barnstaple Castle as part of its 1000 Genomes Project. It will showcase objects from the museum’s collections which evidence North Devon’s ancient and recent migrations and tell the stories of some of our local families.
