Y DNA and the Jewish connection - Part 1

Good morning everyone,

It’s a rainy day here in Southern California, so perfect for responding to emails.  I got the following questions from Cousin Glenda, and it reminded me how disjointed all this information can become to cousins who are new to the group and those who are not as familiar with DNA ins and outs as I am.  I’ll try to answer Glenda’s questions below her inquiry….

From: Glenda
Sent: Thursday, March 5, 2020 12:58 PM
Subject: Y DNA and the Jewish connection

Hi Teri,

With your recent new information, I am confused about the Jewish connection.  Is Vosper DNA showing a connection to Silesia?  I searched through your blog and our emails and can’t find the answer.  What is the DNA marker that connects? J (M304) or J 267?

I’m also confused by the information connecting the early Vospers to the mining industry, the knowledge coming out of Spain and the inference (that I read) that the Vospers may have come into Cornwall then --- or were they already there from a much earlier date eg 1066, which could mean Silesia?

Thanks for your help,

Glenda

Here is my very long and detailed response.  If you are not an Ancestry subscriber and would like me to invite you to my tree so you can see these links, please let me know.  Alternately, tell me which links you are interested in, and I will email to you.

1.  Connection to Jewish heritage.   We have two forms of evidence about the Jewish heritage – there are various references in literature that state that the Vosper family was Jewish, most of which are documented on my tree at https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/47009625/person/24454081783/facts and there is DNA evidence.  First, the literary documentation:

a.  From Visitations of Cornwall:

i.                   

                              ii.  This shows that an “… Vosper of St. Neot, a Jewish refugee, settled in Cornwall”.  Based on the names of the children, and PARISH records of Cornwall, we believe this to be Johis or Johanes Vosper (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/47009625/person/6961584721/facts)

                               iii.  Page 624, https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Visitations_of_Cornwall.html?id=t0U7AQAAIAAJ – this is the 1887 version, which includes details from the 1530, 1573 &1620 versions.

b.  From Notes and Queries:

                              i.                 

c.  From Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall:

                               i.  

d.  Cousin Malcolm states:

                               i.  

e.  David Hillman article published by the Cornwall Historical Society:

                             i.  

                             ii.  This again quotes many of the same sources, but refers to the Jews expelled from Spain.  My understanding is that the Jews expelled from Spain were Sephardic Jews, not Ashkenazi. 

                                                  iii.    David’s article is very interesting, and you can see the various pages on my tree beginning at https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/47009625/person/6961584721/media/a4f14608-6d3f-4971-a84f-2503443bbb3a

                                                 iv.      David is on our Cousin’s mailing list, but he rarely ever corresponds.  His article is on the profile page for Johanes Vosper as a fact of 1500, at https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/47009625/person/6961584721/facts.