Family Tree / DNA

[Harry Monk]

Have any of you ever researched your family tree?

I've done the ancestry.co.uk DNA test and the results have come back 41% Irish and Scottish, with the other 59% made up of south Wales (obviously), west England, northern France and west Germany.

I've been chipping away at my family tree for years and can definitely say that the West England bit is very accurate as I have relatives living in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire whose direct family have lived there for at least 160 years.

I find genealogy very interesting, although I'd advise anyone who fancies a go to be very cautious with it as you can easily be thrown off track, especially if you've got loads of Jones, Davies, Thomas, Evans etc in your family.

I've been researching my family tree for about 20 years, maybe a bit more, and would never consider the DNA route for a number of reasons,
1. The enjoyment is in the research - trying to locate a lost line for a few years then that breakthrough
through that gives you another two generations back.
2. Ancestry is a private company and taking their test means you are paying them to use your DNA for their own commercial purposes. You have paid them money, and handed over the most private part of your identity.
3. Ancestry is owned by The Church of the Latter Day Saints - The Mormans. I wouldn't want any religous group owning my DNA.