My Great-Great-Great-Great Grandmother On My Birth-Mother’s Side

Aboriginal Ancestry

I apologize to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as this article contains information about a deceased person and may cause distress.

I’m adopted. In 2004, I got the chance to meet my birth mother as she was dying of cancer in hospital. DOCS in Australia had pulled out all the stops to help us to meet, and I was really glad that I was able to make contact with her and her families before she died.

My existence had been a mystery for her for over 30 years and she was very happy to finally close that door. I was also happy to have some answers as well.

One of my newly discovered aunties furnished me with my genetic history. At the time, the list of names in the files since 1788 filled me with dread to go through, but I finally got around to it today, and have been able to confirm the name of my aboriginal ancestor.

On most genealogy sites she is listed as Yebomel, but on one as Yebomel Gebonel. I don’t know whether that second name is correct or not.

In any case, according to this calculation article at DNA Explained, I’m less than 1% Australian Aborigine.

Here is a rough timeline. I won’t list everyone.

I’m guessing Edward Jerry arrived in Australia in the early 1830s.

NB: I’m not using general genealogy rules here. I’m writing this so that it is easy to understand for the layperson.

1st Generation

Edward Jerry b.1806 married Yebomel of the Kamilaroi Nation (near Baradine, NSW) b.1820
– Margaret Jerry b.1837

2nd Generation

Margaret Jerry b.1837 married Samuel Sorby b.1834
– Elizabeth Sorby b. 1854 (2nd child of 7)

3rd Generation

Elizabeth Sorby b. 1854 married Charles Leffley b. 1857
– Mary Ann Leffley b.1877 (5th child of 5)

4th Generation

Mary Ann Leffley b. 1877 married George Alfred Arnold
– a son b. 1914 (4th child of 4)

From this point, most descendants are still alive, so I’ll keep everyone anonymous.

5th Generation

Man b. 1914 married Woman b. 1918
– girl b.1955 (8th child to Woman, 1st to man)

6th Generation

Girl b. 1955

– Me. b.1971 – Given up for adoption (1st child of 5?)

7th Generation

Me!

As most sites encouraging you to work out your ethnicity percentage tend to stop at 6 generations, I guess my aboriginal DNA isn’t considered large enough. Certainly, I can’t see it physically, as I’m pinkish-white with high sensitivity to sunlight, and exhibiting facial features that seem more Scottish than anything else. Even so, I like the idea that I have a bit of Aboriginal in me as the Aboriginal Dreamtime and traditional Aboriginal healing practices do interest me.

What I was surprised to find when doing my research this morning was that there are a lot of people out there descended from Yebomel.

It also made me think that it is perhaps her that I owe my interest in other cultures to. After all, if she wasn’t that progressive or open-minded to having a relationship with a British guy in the first place, I wouldn’t exist!

If you’re descended from Yebomel, and find this post at some point in the future, feel free to leave a comment about your connections.

Additional: I found out the language Yebomel might have spoken. The original site no longer exists but a backup is available via archive.org here: Gamilaraay Dictionary