General Chat

I am Scottish with a bit of Irish,as my grandfather on mums side was Irish. Marion

Re Joe's message re tracing family Roots back and including them in your nationality: Of the about 140 ancestors that I have traced. 1 may have been Irish 1 appears to be from Flintshire but appears to have lived in England most of her life The rest seem to have been 50% Scottish 50% English as that reflects one of my parents being Scottish, the other English. I wouldn't count myself really as part Irish or part Welsh because overall I doubt that their ancestry as influenced who I am. I still am proud of them and am interested in their ancestry. (Dont get me wrong - not that I have found out anything yet) However Jo it is a really interesting point that you raised x Lesley

Some interesting comments here - I noticed most people say English/Welsh/ Scottish, as opposed to British.

I was born in England. My passport says I'm British, yet these days I am supposed to be classed as European. I think of myself as British. And yet, my father and his roots are of English and Irish, my mother's side is fully Lithuanian.

I also noticed a comment ref: your nationality is the country in which you were born...I cannot agree with that. If both your parents are British and you happen to have been born in France, I don't think that makes you French, or necessarily gives you French citizenship. What about all those children born to British Forces serving overseas etc, they get British nationality, citizenship and passport, yet no automatic rights to the country in which they were born.

K

Me English mum Welsh - dad English/Welsh g/dad English- gran English /Irish rest of ancestors totaly confused

Well, I am Yorkshire born, ancesters from Oxfordshire, Kent, Essex, Gloucestershire, Northumberland. But I am Australian by choice. SuzyQ

Well Looks like I am the first Aussie on here. Aussie born, Aussie Bred, So were my parents and my 4 Grand parents. So that make me a Bloody Aussie and proud of it !!!!!!!!!

Great Britain - Wales united with England in 1536. 1707 Act of Union - Scotland united with England 1801 established the United Kingdom which consist of Great Britain plus Ireland. So if you call yourself British - that is, of Great Britain but exclude Ireland. Inm this day and age that dont sound P C - you should all be UKers !! lol Strange how nearly all these replies have been from people in U K and claim they are first and foremost English, Welsh, Scots, or Irish. Why arent there replies from people who have traced their history back through another country and strongly feel they are part of that country too. I will admit that I have family back to 1620 in Germany. Have been to the town where they all lived for several centuries and loved the place. Came back feeling very much part of THAT family. Now I feel European - and that includes U K and I am proud of both the U K and German sides of my blood.

I suppose being British makes us think about the bad things that happened as a result of the empire. I think more and more people are wantiong to claim Englishness as the Scots and Irish have very specific cultural identities and England doesn't.

Do some people seem to see being British as bad and English as good? I think of myself as both and don't see that being British is a negative thing - our country has been Great Britain for 300 years and was Britain long before that.

British & proud of it :)

Global

why sadly Derek? SUNDERLAND YEAH....... A GIRL AFTER MY OWN HEART.

CORNISH THROUGH AND THROUGH!!! (Well not really - Im lying! - equally - Norfolk, Derbyshire, and Sunderland actually!) Oh English then! Well - Cornwall did used to be a Country years 'go!! ;o)))

English through and through I think altho I still have some ancestors on dad's side to follow up and don't know far back on mum's side yet, altho I suspect they were all Norfolk Dumplings.

Liverpudlian then English. Merseyside? never was such a place. :-) Keith

sadly,,,,,,,,british derek

I've got English/ Scottish/ Irish & French but think of myself as English or British - don't really mind which though it's quite nice to think I might be descended from the Ancient Britons somewhere:)

I am English and so are all my direct ancestors as far back as I can tell. Not only English, but definitely south of the Wash too - counties of Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Norfolk. Husband is a bit more exotic - half Welsh and an eighth Jewish, the rest being London. nell

English..born in London ...with Scottish ancestors on my fathers side.

English defo although I think I'll trace my ancestors back to Scotland eventually! Ali x (Cockburn)