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DNA testing - results
Many on here will know of my interest in tracing mine, and others, ancestry.
In June, I sent my DNA for the Ancestry test. I had been sceptical of the value of DNA testing, but having watched some programs on TV and knowing that the DNA pool is much bigger these days, I thought I'd see what came back.
I particularly wanted to see if there was a resolution to my question of who was my paternal grandfather - I had believed for years that he was ThomasC but then found a news report of an affiliation order which indicated he was in fact WCox. But I didn't really think there was much chance of closure here.
I should mention that I hadn't put my tree on Ancestry, so there is no chance they have factored in my known details.
I received my results yesterday. There were 247 close matches!
One definitely confirmed that WCox was my grt grandfather. Worth the price of the test right there.
But then it got weird.
Ancestry ping the 247 people who had matches to my profile and halfway through the morning I had a message from a guy who wanted to compare ancestries. He gave me some names, but there were no obvious links. We got into detail and he mentioned a knowledge of the Hoxton area of London. I had ancestors living there in the 19thC. Now we got serious - bloodhounds on the scent!
He told me there was a rumour in his family that his grandmother had an affair while married. He gave dates of when this likely happened. I replied with a family surname and that they were silversmiths. That was the 'Eureka' moment - the family rumour was that his Grannie had a fling with a silversmith.
Cutting a long story short, it turned out we were talkling about his biological grandfather - he never believed that the man married to his grandmother was his grandfather. We narrowed the suspects down to two brothers. I sent pictures of the brothers and he came back with a positive ID. We knew the name of his grandfather. Further investigation put him in the same street as his grandfather (on paper) in 1901 and I even had a photo of his true grandfather in that street beside a car.
I don't have to tell you how he was feeling. He said he was shaking. I discovered that he's a univeristy lecturer.
Today, I put him in touch with his first cousin who is also a grandchild. I'd love to hear that conversation!
The moral is - if you are interested, do the test
(Memo to TBG)
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Re: DNA testing - results
Thanks to your efforts we answered a puzzle in my tree which I had been trying to solve for 20 years ! However, I have a family bible with dates of Births, deaths and marriages going back to 1668. There are 5 different surnames so probably been handed down through maternal lines, but can never find the link to one 'name change'. Not sure if the DNA test will help with such an older conundrum, but think I'll definitely give it a try .
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
Many on here will know of my interest in tracing mine, and others, ancestry.
In June, I sent my DNA for the Ancestry test. I had been sceptical of the value of DNA testing, but having watched some programs on TV and knowing that the DNA pool is much bigger these days, I thought I'd see what came back.
I particularly wanted to see if there was a resolution to my question of who was my paternal grandfather - I had believed for years that he was ThomasC but then found a news report of an affiliation order which indicated he was in fact WCox. But I didn't really think there was much chance of closure here.
I should mention that I hadn't put my tree on Ancestry, so there is no chance they have factored in my known details.
I received my results yesterday. There were 247 close matches!
One definitely confirmed that WCox was my grt grandfather. Worth the price of the test right there.
But then it got weird.
Ancestry ping the 247 people who had matches to my profile and halfway through the morning I had a message from a guy who wanted to compare ancestries. He gave me some names, but there were no obvious links. We got into detail and he mentioned a knowledge of the Hoxton area of London. I had ancestors living there in the 19thC. Now we got serious - bloodhounds on the scent!
He told me there was a rumour in his family that his grandmother had an affair while married. He gave dates of when this likely happened. I replied with a family surname and that they were silversmiths. That was the 'Eureka' moment - the family rumour was that his Grannie had a fling with a silversmith.
Cutting a long story short, it turned out we were talkling about his biological grandfather - he never believed that the man married to his grandmother was his grandfather. We narrowed the suspects down to two brothers. I sent pictures of the brothers and he came back with a positive ID. We knew the name of his grandfather. Further investigation put him in the same street as his grandfather (on paper) in 1901 and I even had a photo of his true grandfather in that street beside a car.
I don't have to tell you how he was feeling. He said he was shaking. I discovered that he's a univeristy lecturer.
Today, I put him in touch with his first cousin who is also a grandchild. I'd love to hear that conversation!
The moral is - if you are interested, do the test
(Memo to TBG)
As you and I once discussed, there will be (and must have already been) claims to people's estates by those who were unknown to the immediate relatives of deceased parties.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
A Quiet Monkfish
Thanks to your efforts we answered a puzzle in my tree which I had been trying to solve for 20 years ! However, I have a family bible with dates of Births, deaths and marriages going back to 1668. There are 5 different surnames so probably been handed down through maternal lines, but can never find the link to one 'name change'. Not sure if the DNA test will help with such an older conundrum, but think I'll definitely give it a try .
Many people may be disappointed to learn via DNA testing that their ancestors are not those who they have populated in their family tree as a result of using conventional records.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
A Quiet Monkfish
Thanks to your efforts we answered a puzzle in my tree which I had been trying to solve for 20 years ! However, I have a family bible with dates of Births, deaths and marriages going back to 1668. There are 5 different surnames so probably been handed down through maternal lines, but can never find the link to one 'name change'. Not sure if the DNA test will help with such an older conundrum, but think I'll definitely give it a try .
Let us know the results!
I've recently finished a course on researching Welsh ancestors which was absorbing and instructive.
To my chagrin, the DNA test revealed that I am only 1% Welsh.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
Let us know the results!
I've recently finished a course on researching Welsh ancestors which was absorbing and instructive.
To my chagrin, the DNA test revealed that I am only 1% Welsh.
Well we know that DNA doesn't actually define nationality that way. It's about geographical groupings of DNA at a certain point in history, is it not, oh font of such knowledge?
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Taunton Blue Genie
Many people may be disappointed to learn via DNA testing that their ancestors are not those who they have populated in their family tree as a result of using conventional records.
You're repeating yerself, mush. :hehe:
As I said to someone yesterday the DNA test results are like a birth certificate - but are they heck! They are far more accurate than the details dictated to the local parson by folk with an agenda.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
You're repeating yerself, mush. :hehe:
As I said to someone yesterday the DNA test results are like a birth certificate - but are they heck! They are far more accurate than the details dictated to the local parson by folk with an agenda.
It's not a case of what the parson knows.....
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Taunton Blue Genie
It's not a case of what the parson knows.....
I think I'll pretend this is another 'Whoosh' moment.
You've had a few of these recently, aint ya.
It's either a case of people getting thicker or else........ (I couldn't possibly describe the alternative......:hehe:)
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
Let us know the results!
I've recently finished a course on researching Welsh ancestors which was absorbing and instructive.
To my chagrin, the DNA test revealed that I am only 1% Welsh.
Bloody foreigners!
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Re: DNA testing - results
If anyone wants more info, have a look at this link and associated articles: https://www.dataminingdna.com/guide-to-ancestry-dna/
One of the more interesting aspects is "You can copy your Ancestry DNA results to other sites to get more DNA matches. Here are the reputable sites where I personally have uploaded my Ancestry DNA results for free.
MyHeritage
FamilyTreeDNA
GEDmatch
LivingDNA
Geni
Although the upload is free, there may be premium features that require payment."
So one can access other DNA pools with the Ancestry results
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Wales-Bales
Bloody foreigners!
I'd love to see your ethnicity, mush.
Prolly include - The Borg, The Cylons, The Goauld, The Collosi and a huge chuck of The Reavers :hehe:
(I'll get bannified for that!)
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
I'd love to see your ethnicity, mush.
Prolly include - The Borg, The Cylons, The Goauld, The Collosi and a huge chuck of The Reavers :hehe:
(I'll get bannified for that!)
I have some relatives from Ireland and London, England. :biggrin:
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Taunton Blue Genie
Many people may be disappointed to learn via DNA testing that their ancestors are not those who they have populated in their family tree as a result of using conventional records.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...obsessed-italy
Interesting and tragic story of DNA matching and the families that became entangled in a murder investigation.
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Re: DNA testing - results
My uncle started to do our family tree and found out my great great (maybe another great or two) Grandfather was really a Young (different surname to ours) as the original great great Grandfather had been hung for sheep rustling (at least I hope it was that lol) this one moved in and kept our Surname and dropped his own.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
Many on here will know of my interest in tracing mine, and others, ancestry.
In June, I sent my DNA for the Ancestry test. I had been sceptical of the value of DNA testing, but having watched some programs on TV and knowing that the DNA pool is much bigger these days, I thought I'd see what came back.
I particularly wanted to see if there was a resolution to my question of who was my paternal grandfather - I had believed for years that he was ThomasC but then found a news report of an affiliation order which indicated he was in fact WCox. But I didn't really think there was much chance of closure here.
I should mention that I hadn't put my tree on Ancestry, so there is no chance they have factored in my known details.
I received my results yesterday. There were 247 close matches!
One definitely confirmed that WCox was my grt grandfather. Worth the price of the test right there.
But then it got weird.
Ancestry ping the 247 people who had matches to my profile and halfway through the morning I had a message from a guy who wanted to compare ancestries. He gave me some names, but there were no obvious links. We got into detail and he mentioned a knowledge of the Hoxton area of London. I had ancestors living there in the 19thC. Now we got serious - bloodhounds on the scent!
He told me there was a rumour in his family that his grandmother had an affair while married. He gave dates of when this likely happened. I replied with a family surname and that they were silversmiths. That was the 'Eureka' moment - the family rumour was that his Grannie had a fling with a silversmith.
Cutting a long story short, it turned out we were talkling about his biological grandfather - he never believed that the man married to his grandmother was his grandfather. We narrowed the suspects down to two brothers. I sent pictures of the brothers and he came back with a positive ID. We knew the name of his grandfather. Further investigation put him in the same street as his grandfather (on paper) in 1901 and I even had a photo of his true grandfather in that street beside a car.
I don't have to tell you how he was feeling. He said he was shaking. I discovered that he's a univeristy lecturer.
Today, I put him in touch with his first cousin who is also a grandchild. I'd love to hear that conversation!
The moral is - if you are interested, do the test
(Memo to TBG)
How much are those tests?
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
OurManFlint II
Interesting and tragic story of DNA matching and the families that became entangled in a murder investigation.
That's a great read - and illustrates the power of DNA matching.
I can't emphasize how helpful the DNA evidence has been to me - to trace my grt grandfather for certain - and then his ancestors. Until now, half of me believed it was the other person to the extent that his callous behaviour after a particularly unpleasant robbery from the person of a dying man reminded me of my father. It transpires there is no connection whatsoever. I can write about it on a kite and let it fly away forever....
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
North Cardiff Blue
How much are those tests?
They are usually £79 plus P&P (about £15). But Ancestry often run promotions, like around Fathers Day, for £59 (which is what I did).
They provide updates regularly as the sample goes through the system and my results were back a fortnight earlier than I was expecting.
There are different DNA tests for different results, but for my purposes the Ancestry test was definitely the one for me.
I'm so pleased with the results that I've spent £15 on additional testing for my behavioural traits. I expect to be found to be amiable, easy-going, helpful to others, incredibly interested in people and offering to research others genealogy for stupid recompense.
:hehe:
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
North Cardiff Blue
My uncle started to do our family tree and found out my great great (maybe another great or two) Grandfather was really a Young (different surname to ours) as the original great great Grandfather had been hung for sheep rustling (at least I hope it was that lol) this one moved in and kept our Surname and dropped his own.
Name changes are common. I've got two in my maternal family and my wife has one. I dont think Tuerto will mind me saying that there is one in his FH. That was a devil of a problem to unpick, but we got there in the end, even solving why it had happened.
DNA testing can obviously help here to - the question to ask is if there's a match, but you don't know why, work thru the evidence.
I should add that as well as my 247 close matches, there are thousands of other matches.
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Re: DNA testing - results
How much are we talking for a test
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Re: DNA testing - results
How far back can the direct DNA links go?
Just curious as DNA testing in general isn't something that's been around for that many generations. Just wondering roughly how far back they can get?
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ninja
How far back can the direct DNA links go?
Just curious as DNA testing in general isn't something that's been around for that many generations. Just wondering roughly how far back they can get?
My matches are mainly 4 to 6th cousins. For me, I have matches back to the start of the 19thC and some even earlier than that.
My new grt grandfather was born in 1840 and his parents also showed up as a match.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
WJ99mobile
How much are we talking for a test
See #18
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
My matches are mainly 4 to 6th cousins. For me, I have matches back to the start of the 19thC and some even earlier than that.
My new grt grandfather was born in 1840 and his parents also showed up as a match.
Wow, a bit further back than I would have expected to be honest.
Is this dependent on how many family members further afield have actually had DNA profiles done at some point?
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Re: DNA testing - results
I should add to all this, understanding the results is complicated and folk may want to consult an expert to help.
The experience I related at the start of the thread should give an idea of difficulties which took a several hours to sort out.
Before I bought my test I bought "Tracing Your Ancestors Using DNA". That took some wading through!
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ninja
Wow, a bit further back than I would have expected to be honest.
Is this dependent on how many family members further afield have actually had DNA profiles done at some point?
It is obviously down to who has sent in samples. I know for example that my uncles grandson has sent a sample because I recognised his name from the matches. Also, knowing the calibre of my true grt grandfather's family (council house workers and tenants) I was very doubtful that any one would have bothered sending their DNA. How wrong I was!
It's down to the pool of samples Ancestry have - which is getting bigger all the time. And when new samples match, they ping you - so it's on-going. Check out what I said earlier about using the Ancestry sample on other databases.
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Re: DNA testing - results
I should add some more provisos here.
If you are thinking of taking the test, think long and hard about the implications of making your DNA available to others. You may want to research the implications.
Also, if you've seen the ITV series 'DNA Family Secrets', you'll know the power of DNA matching. But you'll also know they work very closely with genealogists to process the results. I don't want to give a false impression that this process is easy. It'll take several days if not weeks to process what I've received. Some genealogists offer a paid service to explain the matches.
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Re: DNA testing - results
I watch Long lost family.It's very sad.One guy found his real father at the age of 88.
I'm an only child.Parents long gone.I don't some bugger knocking at the door and saying they want half of what's left.I've long spent it anyway.
Joking aside I'm thinking of doing a DNA test..I find it sad when people don't know their ancestry.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dandywarhol
I watch Long lost family.It's very sad.One guy found his real father at the age of 88.
I'm an only child.Parents long gone.I don't some bugger knocking at the door and saying they want half of what's left.I've long spent it anyway.
Joking aside I'm thinking of doing a DNA test..I find it sad when people don't know their ancestry.
I strongly suggest you research your FH first. How will you know who your matches are without a family tree?
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Re: DNA testing - results
As a result of my DNA test submitted to ancestry.co.uk I am now in contact with a distant relative, an amoeba living in Popocatépetl.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Taunton Blue Genie
As a result of my DNA test submitted to ancestry.co.uk I am now in contact with a distant relative, an amoeba living in Popocatépetl.
One-celled low life.
(not the amoeba :-))
PS By colouring the ancestry link, you really fooled me into thinking you had taken a fast-track test. And then I thought, why didn't he use the correct http link. And then I thought, 'Nah'.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
I strongly suggest you research your FH first. How will you know who your matches are without a family tree?
I have done some research via ancestry.com.I have always known I'm related to a famous 1950s cricketer.
My cousins cousin found out he was adopted when his mother died.He was in his 60s.He was so shocked he moved to Spain, literally never to be heard of again.
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Re: DNA testing - results
I’m interested in this.
My father died in 2013 and at his funeral I was inadvertently told I had a half brother, after an affair he had in the 70’s. He’s apparently living in Australia now. I’ve asked my cousin to ask my Aunt, his sister, but she wouldn’t press her for any information.
It’s something that just occasionally bugs me, my wife contacted people who were at his funeral, but they don’t seem to know anything else.
Curiosity is getting the better of me.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Butterwick Blue
I’m interested in this.
My father died in 2013 and at his funeral I was inadvertently told I had a half brother, after an affair he had in the 70’s. He’s apparently living in Australia now. I’ve asked my cousin to ask my Aunt, his sister, but she wouldn’t press her for any information.
It’s something that just occasionally bugs me, my wife contacted people who were at his funeral, but they don’t seem to know anything else.
Curiosity is getting the better of me.
That would bug me to/perhaps if you approached your Aunt.It is your right to know,and your brother's as well.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dandywarhol
I find it sad when people don't know their ancestry.
Why do you think that? What's sad about it?
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Butterwick Blue
I’m interested in this.
My father died in 2013 and at his funeral I was inadvertently told I had a half brother, after an affair he had in the 70’s. He’s apparently living in Australia now. I’ve asked my cousin to ask my Aunt, his sister, but she wouldn’t press her for any information.
It’s something that just occasionally bugs me, my wife contacted people who were at his funeral, but they don’t seem to know anything else.
Curiosity is getting the better of me.
Unless your half brother (if it is so) or any children he has take a DNA test, there is no way a match is going to be made with your DNA.
I hear stories like this all the time from clients about their families and the upset and heartache that's caused by either not confiding or by confiding is cruel and thoughtless. It leaves a mark and creates a rift in the family.
Incidentally, I've just heard that my match from the opening post had a long conversation with his newly-found first cousin and is visiting her in September. She had nothing but good to say about her (and his) grandfather when we spoke. It's like an episode from 'DNA Family Secrets' with a happy ending.
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Re: DNA testing - results
I bought the Ancestry kit for my wife & myself at Christmas. My was fine and as expected. Hers was a total shock & proved that her father was not her biological father. It took me 4 months to pluck up the courage to tell her. She doesn’t want to know and says it’s wrong. She has 4 half siblings & 550 close relationship but is not interested. It has caused lots of tension!
The morale be careful & be prepared
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Lone Gunman
Why do you think that? What's sad about it?
I don't think anyone can be critical of how others feel about their ancestry.
It is personal to us all.
When I spoke to both parties I've mentioned in this thread, I asked both if they were happy with continuing the journey of discovery. If I had any negative vibes, I would have stopped there and then.
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Des Parrot
I bought the Ancestry kit for my wife & myself at Christmas. My was fine and as expected. Hers was a total shock & proved that her father was not her biological father. It took me 4 months to pluck up the courage to tell her. She doesn’t want to know and says it’s wrong. She has 4 half siblings & 550 close relationship but is not interested. It has caused lots of tension!
The morale be careful & be prepared
That's good advice. You weren't to know the results. But I'm going to remember your experience when dealing with clients.
Did you feel you had to tell her?
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Re: DNA testing - results
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
Did you feel you had to tell her?
Yes, it was a huge burden, she received the initial response but didn’t understand it, it took me a few days to realise and fortunately it was via my managed tree & email so I was able to control the mass of incoming contacts.
My wife was estranged from her fathers family in Belfast, I worked for a couple of years and finally got a breakthrough, opened up her family and reconnected it. She now has an ongoing relationship with them. As you know many records were lost in Ireland so I thought a DNA test would open up more connections. Big mistake. Zero Irish blood, 50% Welsh blood.
All of the family in Ireland are not related.
It took 4 months to make the decision and tell her. because I was incapable of keeping it secret, because she might want to know, because she had brothers & sisters she doesn’t know, because she’s Welsh, because our kids have a right to know.
Her response was, I’ve heard, he’s not my father, never mention it again.