This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: GayleLonderee Surnames: Howard Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.maryland.counties.stmarys/4404/mb.ashx Message Board Post: I'm looking for DNA participants from St. Mary's with surname Howard. I have one match already in Kentucky. We would like proof of parentage of James Howard, John Baptist Howard, William Howard, et al. who came to Nelson/Washington counties in 1780s. Our haplogroup is E1b1b (it used to be called E3b). This haplogroup is further divided into about 18 subgroups; ours is ultimately of Balkan origin. The haplogroup is only 2 to 3% of the English population.Surprisingly, studies have traced its early origins. In early history this group was known as Thracians. They fought with Troy against the Greeks. They fought as "peltasts" (warriors who fought with 2 javelins & slings)with Alexander the Great against Darius and the Persians. When the area (now roughly equivalent to Kosovo)was conquered by the Romans it was called Moesia Superior. The Romans formed military units from the area, and sent some to Britain. Rome continued sending troups from 120 AD to about 400 AD. Most of these soldiers stayed in Britain, and intermarried with the local population. Rome withdrew from Britain,and a few hundred years later the Anglo-Saxons invaded. They tried to kill or remove the male population living in England at the time. Our haplogroup, E1b1b, is not found at all in Ireland, Scotland, or the center of England. It comes from either an area that stretches from Caernarvon, Wales to Chester to York, or in East Anglia (Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex). This information didn't come with our Ancestry DNA test, or their website. I found it searching around, wondering why almost everyone on the Howard DNA site was R1b. There are Howards from York, VA who are E1b1b, but their markers are different, so we're not related. An excellent study about this haplogroup in England was written by Stephen C. Bird, that can be found at the address below. http://www.jogg.info/32/bird.htm Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.