This is a DNA map of my maternal grandfather from FamilyTreeDNA. And the DNA that always has me scratching my head in puzzlement is the Spain/Italy/Turkey colored bits. Here are the percentages (about 6% total):

Here is his DNA breakdown from MyHeritage:

“Iberian” pertains to Portugal and surrounding countries and on this map it is 11%.

Now, we should take these percentages with a grain of salt, and I do, but the Portuguese/Spain locals have been persistent with my grandfather’s DNA since I first had it tested about 10-15 years ago. And, as far as I have been able to tell any DNA from that part of the world in my grandfather, would likely be several hundred years further back in time, so not likely to show up. Needless to say, I have always been curious about why these DNA locals keeps showing up on his maps.

Then I saw this interesting entry from a book while researching Sarah Asher’s possible father, Anthony Asher. (Sarah is the source of my grandfather’s mtDNA.)

The “Anthony Machaee, Portuguese, of the Island of Tersara (alisa Asher)”, mentioned in this book, is a possible ancestor for our Sarah Asher. Her father is believed to be Anthony Asher who was living in Greene County, PA in the latter 1700s and early 1800s, and moved to Monongalia County, WV where his daughter Sarah (Asher) Headlee’s family had also moved about the same time. This Anthony would possibly be a grandson of the Anthony mentioned in this book. (I don’t have good dates for Anthony, so can only guess about when he was born. Right now I think it was the 1750s.)

I have to say this possible line of descent does make an intriguing argument for, and explanation to the origins of the DNA that keeps showing up as from Portugal and Spain in my Grandfather’s results. It would be the perfect answer to the question. But, we need more proof.

I really hope that I am able to prove that this connection is a correct one. It would be pretty cool to have some Portuguese or Spanish ancestors waiting to be added to our family tree.