I’ve never traced my ancestry beyond the mid 19th century, but all my relatives then were Jewish Hungarian peasants.
In the 1600s, I had ancestors scattered across the Rhineland, Lowlands, and southeast England. Plus a couple in northern France, eastern Ireland, New Netherlands, and the Ohio river valley. Going back to 1300s, I expect my ancestors were all across northwestern Europe and eastern North America.
One of my mother’s ancestors was in Nieuw Amsterdam in the 1660s. The rest of her family were Scots, Irish, Welsh, and English; I don’t know precisely where any of them came from (other than the Wallaces and the MacGregors), but I’m pretty sure none of them immigrated after the Revolution.
My father’s family were Alsatian and German, and came over in the 1850s and '60s.
In the 1300s? Gods only know Scattered around northwestern Europe, and as far as I know none of them were particularly wealthy or any sort of nobility.
I would be surprised if anyone here had no ancestors in the 1300s who were either wealthy or part of the nobility. The odds against that are quite high.
Peasants? How unique! Everyone I know is related to kings & queens! (mostly queens)
I really don’t know where my ancestors were, not for sure, in the 1300’s. But I’d lay long odds that they were in central Europe, because by the mid 1600’s some were in France, and some Germany. The first known ancestor of mine arrived in North America in 1722. One of his sons fought in the American Revolutionary War, as a rebel. Sure, he got court-martialed, but pardoned later on. Another ancestor was interned at Andersonville, and, obviously, survived. But he had continuing health problems.
My mother’s family was there. Are we 15th cousins? 
Not wealthy, but related to nobility - just not close enough to count as such themselves. On the other hand, close enough that their geneology was tracked, and they got to enjoy in the murderous scourges aimed against the families of the Comyns. Doesn’t help to be closely related to two prominient John Comyns’ in the early part of the 1300s. 
Well, there’s a hole from, say, Y1K to around 1700.
Branches of what I’ve been able to document go back from mid 1800s to early 1700s. If my research is correct (and documentation does get spotty), I can join the Sons of the American Revolution (as well as both the sons of the vets of both sides of the CW (5 ancestors, 3 Union, 2 in Rebellion)). But there the paper trail goes cold.
However, I did the spit test, and based on that I’m related to Niall of the Nine Hostages
That makes me blood relative of Bill O’Reilly and Bill Maher, as well as Henry Lewis Gates
1300? I dunno, but I have bookends.
Most of my thousands and thousands of 13th century forebears would have been ordinary serfs in England.
Some, I know, would have been Africans.
I thought people might enjoy these two videos from YouTube. One is called Latinos Get Their DNA Tested, the other is Black People Get their DNA Tested. A lot of the reactions from the Latino ones, at least, were similar to my own when I got my results back (I didn’t do the 23 and Me test, though it seems more informative than the one I took so maybe I should retake it?). Just thought I’d share it here, instead of making a new thread.
I think you miscounted. That’s 15 generations in just under 1000 years. That would be 67 years per generation. That would be a series of quite old paternities.
Half of them were still in the Motherland not yet subjected to the indignities of being chained and stuffed into a ship’s hold.
The other half were right here in what would become the good old US of A. Not yet subjected to the indignities of Andrew Jackson et al and his Indian Removal Act.
They, and I, ended up in south-east Georgia.
That would surprise me greatly, especially since Jews have unusual sets of genetic diseases to which they are vulnerable. Are you excluding Jews from “Europeans”?
Based on my family, which is well documented back to 1170 and either came over with William the Conqueror or shortly thereafter, I wouldn’t be surprised if folks coming over with William the Conqueror would presently be in their 26th generation (give or take a few), with a new generation having being born on average roughly every 36 years. For someone who’s family is in it’s 15th generation, I wouldn’t be surprised if the first generation originated about 1475. Jennshark, a roughly 38 year average per generation would fit with John Howland being your 8 x great grandfather, and about 25 generations back to Willie, so perhaps there might be some missing links.
Dad’s side ---- somewhere between Komi and Lake Baikal. Mothers side probably wandering around Georgia with the odd trip into Germany/Austria-Hungary to pick up women. At least that’s the reason I’ve been told.
I don’t know much about anything past 100 or so years, so it’s almost entirely open. On my Dad’s side, see Disney’s Moana. But for my Mum’s side, presumably very English, but who knows really. Scotland perhaps. I could believe a bit of Scandinavia might have crept in. So let’s assume they were sailors and farmers in a rugged coastal landscape.
considering I’m half sub-Saharan African, I can pretty much forget about any written or clear record of my heritage going back even 150 years back.
On my fathers side however, there’s some Greek, Arabic, Southern European ancestry.
Working back from what I know, with non-illustrious ancestors not supplying much documentation.
My father’s parents emigrated from East Galway about the turn of the last century; they met & married here. That grandfather (whom I never met) had a Tipperary name & Grandma had Burkes in her family tree. Semi-Gaelicized Normans, they fought the Burke Civil War in the 1330’s.
My mother had Famine Era Irish on both sides of her family; some settled in NYC, others in Michigan. So, back in he 14th century most of my people were doing whatever one did in Ireland. A bit of fighting, it seems.
Some ancestors came from Scotland, perhaps Wales & the Channel Islands. So–farming? Maritime affairs? Later, the Scots sojourned in Ulster a while & were the first ones to cross the Atlantic. (“Scotch-Irish” according to that Grandma.) They took the Pennsylvania/Kentucky/Indiana route.
I invested in the Ancestry DNA test but haven’t gotten results. Probably pretty pale stuff unless some of the pioneers got up to something more interesting.
Bro bothered to pay for one of thoose tests. Big surprise: Micks, Krauts, Bohunks, Norskies, and a chunk of Ashkenzi Jews. All traceable to the 19th century.