On your subject of bloodlines - I have also read that in the "slave days" of West Indies trade some were brought back to England, and that when an owner died any slaves owned were automatically freed, in addition to which the Quakers were very skilled at helping those of African descent to escape from their "owners," and to disappear into rural communities, leading to the assertion that at least 10% of folks claiming to be 100% "English" actually have some African blood - quite apart from the fact that it appears that all of humanity started in Africa anyway. Warmly, Diana Robinson -----Original Message----- From: Louis Mills [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2014 12:36 PM To: Eng Lincsgen Subject: Re: [LIN] Myth vs. Reality On the issue of someone being "Irish":     I noticed as a youth that my mother's family often referred to a couple of relatives as being "Irish".  I never detected an accent when those people spoke, and over time I came to understand that this was a kind of "code talk" for their prejudice against them.  I came to see that being "Irish" was like the lowest class of British Human - somewhat better than being Dutch or German and certainly far better than being French.     Now, my family didn't consider themselves prejudiced, but you could tell by the words they used and the way they reacted to certain things.  Sociologists tell us that it is normal for groups to consider themselves elite and to put down those outside the group.  But it is embarrassing when that group is your family.  On this list, we've even heard of this kind of "class warfare" against people from Yorkshire or places south of the midlands.     I have yet to find any evidence of my family having any "Irish" lineage, other than the fact that a surname might sound Irish to someone.  And, forgive me if I laugh at you when you tell me that you are "pure English".  I almost laughed at my mother once when she said this.  We may have Dutch kin and who knows who came over with the Romans - they weren't all Italians.  And those Vikings didn't practice much birth control.     So we are who we are, and if you find yourself descended from King Canute, Charlemagne or Louie the XIII's groom (Heck of a guy), don't be ashamed.  Our language has taken in words from all over the planet.  I suspect our bloodlines aren't any purer.         Lou (list admin.)