This is something I've been giving thought to recently. My DNA testing showed that I'm 69% English/Scottish/Welsh with a bit more from eastern Ireland. The rest is a scattering from northwestern Europe, 5% Scandinavian, etc. Having done some genealogical research (quite a bit actually), I've discovered many interesting facts about who my ancestors were and where we came from.

My wife — her grandfather was a Tyrie who emigrated to America as a stonemason — and I have discussed this topic at length. My ancestors in Scotland were also MacIntyres, although the records I've located list the spelling of my family members as 'MacIntire,' but that was in the early 1800s.

I am still pondering what this all means to me. My family is embedded in the history of the US. But there is no denying where we came from, and that is squarely from what today is the UK. I've always known that we were from there, I just didn't realize how deeply our roots were also embedded, nor just how much of my family's history is the story of Great Britain.

This is a brilliant topic and I am looking forward to hearing what others think about this.

Cheers, Mark