Flemish DNA & Ancestry: History of Three Families over Five Centuries Using Conventional and Genetic Genealogy

Flemish DNA & Ancestry: History of Three Families over Five Centuries Using Conventional and Genetic Genealogy; by Guido J. Deboeck; Hardcover; Size:8 ½x11, 393 pp.; Published: 2007; ISBN: 9780972552677; Item# GPC1406.

This ground-breaking and informative book documents the history of three families from Flanders: The Deboeck family, whose surname represents one of the oldest names in Flanders; the Girardin family; and the De Zutter family. The scope of the book, however, is much broader than just a genealogical case-study. Flemish DNA & Ancestry also provides an in-depth introduction to genetic genealogy, including how to take a DNA test, what to expect in terms of results, and concrete examples showing how DNA results can be used to investigate paternal and maternal lineages, as well as interpret and solve family puzzles.

Conventional genealogy relies on historical documents, and author Guido Deboeck describes the civil registries, parish registers, orphan acts, meiseniers letters, property transactions, militia records, and tax records he consulted to construct a detailed history of the Deboeck, Girardin, and De Zutter families, describe their occupations, and provide historical background on the places where they lived. Documents, however, can contain errors, may have been written to mislead or hide the truth, or may have been destroyed either on purpose or by accident. Additionally, some relationships may never have been recorded. This book shows family history researchers how to go beyond the constraints of the document world by using DNA testing to verify or potentially correct information extracted from historical documents.

The breadth of this book is such that a variety of other topics are covered as well, including Flemish emigration, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries; the history of embroidery, lace-making, and beer brewing; a summary of what is currently known about the deep ancestry of the author's paternal and maternal ancestors and hence the deep ancestry of many Flemish people; and an introduction to the Flanders-Flemish DNA project, which brings together the DNA from people who have roots in Flanders.
Flemish DNA & Ancestry will greatly benefit not only those interested in Flemish-American heritage and the specific history of the three families documented in this book, but also all genealogists seeking insight into how to integrate the findings of conventional genealogy research with results from DNA testing.