Little England Beyond Wales - Blood and Genetic Studies

Blood and Genetic Studies

The Welsh scientist Morgan Watkin originally noticed high levels of Group A blood in the area, which are 5-10 per cent higher than in the surrounding areas. Watkin suggested that it was due to a substantial Viking settlement, instead of from the forcible transfer by Henry I of a colony of Flemish refugees from Holland and Belgium in the early twelfth century. Brian Sykes commented on the "Flemish" explanation that the levels of blood group A in the Low Countries are not particularly high, but that it is not possible to decide from blood sampling whether the high levels in 'Little England' were caused by rampaging Vikings or by a few cartloads of Belgians. But from his Oxford Genetic Atlas Project genetic data Sykes said that the lack of patrilineal Y-chromosomes from the “Sigurd” clan in south Wales (and very few in other parts of Wales) is strong evidence against any Norse Viking settlement in Wales, and means that the Viking explanation of Morgan Watkin for the high frequency of blood group A in ‘Little England beyond Wales’ is wrong.

A Y-chromosome study in Haverfordwest revealed a singularly undiluted "Celtic" population.

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