Thanks for the posts here. I actually know that one of my recent (within 200 years) went back to visit family in Arles France (sp?) I have done a lot of research and it seems I have a DNA cousin in Aachen Germany which was Aix le Chappelle in the time of Charlemagne. I guess you know that the Noresemen were granted what became Normandy for their service protecting Paris from other Vikings and thus the Norms under William thence to England. The fellow, Dirk Bruer, in Aachen said he has information that Anne of Clives took some servants to England with the surname Place. That is another route possible. I found a very close DNA match in Yorkshire and a 110/111 FTDNA Place surname match in California who is on the family tree of the fellow in Yorkshire. His name is Michael and he was living in Bedale Yorkshire. Thomas Place, the fellow in California has been buying clocks manufactured by a fellow who lived in Yorkshire about 150 years ago who relates to his tree and likely mine. I found out that there were about 4 families with the surname Place and they are not all blood related. One was in mining, one in timber, one a druggist and perhaps the same fellow who built the clocks and an unknown. Oxford said my DNA was linked to a family in Norway, and I found a possible link. They also told me they were quite sure due to the uniqueness of my DNA sample that we were in the early Viking raders. Even though I run the Place site on FTDNA I get almost no hits other than about 5-6 people already on the site and they also get no additional hits compared to the others on my list. Interesting at least. If I can help with anything drop me a note at ve4pn@mts.net. That is my ham radio call sign at the front of the e-mail.
