Genealogy Chat

Hello
I’m thinking of ordering a DNA kit - is there anyone here who has done similar ?
Would you recommend it and if so how did it help with your research?
Thanks

Personally, I don't think they are helpful and would not have one done

Others have contrary views!

I've done one on ancestry, then imported the results to MyHeritage. Found my half sister, my father and most of his family - who I'm now in contact with. So I believe it depends on what you are trying to find whether it's worth it or not.

For me it was worth it.

Added see this thread:
https://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/ancestors/thread/1374639?page=1

Thank you for sharing.
I’m trying to find out where in a Ireland my ancestors come from and have ordered the DNA kit from ancestry.
In which case will the results potentially put me in touch with relatives if they are already on ancestry ?

Did you know that the %age of ethnicities and origins in your DNA history can vary between tests from different sites, and people have even reported that doing one DNA test on ancestry and then repeating the test on ancestry later have resulted in different %ages being shown?

Only one reason why I have no intention of having my DNA done!

Oh no... I didn’t know that!. Kind of makes a farce of the whole thing - however if my results come back with some Irish heritage then I’m going to feel a bit more positive about it... fingers crossed x

As you suggest, the results could match you with other people who share a common ancestor. Assuming they respond to your message, you may be able to work out who that ancestor it. Your results won't pin down a certain town or county.

From reading reports on social media, it seems some participants aren't willing to collaborate in so far as they don't reply to messages.

Unless you're sure that your Irish heritage is passed via the female line, you might consider co-opting a brother into taking the test.

"While men can trace both their maternal haplogroup (from mitochondrial DNA) and their paternal haplogroup (through the Y chromosome passed down from their father), women can only trace their maternal haplogroup (through the mitochondrial DNA passed down from their mother). This is because the paternal haplogroup is traced through the Y chromosome, which women do not inherit."

https://www.23andme.com/en-gb/dna-ancestry/

I understand Sylvia's reservations, I had them myself. However although I know the DNA results are not absolutely conclusive they can give you leads to follow up on. Do not rely though on the ethnicity results they can be really misleading - I've no confidence in them. Also, don't rely on the relative results - you need to confirm they are in fact part of your heritage - but they give you a starting point,

Hopefully you may have a surname from your Irish heritage to find in the results, otherwise it's rather difficult to serf through them.

All I would say Det, my Irish line is through my father & I'm female so some DNA must come through and it's now been confirmed by family that he is my father and the father of my half sister.

Actually my Irish heritage does indeed come from my mother / grandmother / great grandmother so I’m more hopeful that I will glean some useful information, and yes I have a family Irish name that I’m hoping will pop up!
Might I ask how long test results from Ancestry took to come back?
Thanks all x

A reply by Ancestry, on their FB page, to a similar query suggests 6 to 8 weeks. However, as a number of kits will have been given as Christmas presents, logic says the results could take longer.

OH and I were tested through My Heritage, mainly because there was a Black Friday offer in 2017.

The ethnicity results were interesting. Although several generations of family come from NW England, I have no 'English' DNA, it's nearly all Western Europe including Scottish/Irish/Welsh. I do have a Scottish line.

I haven't found any unknown matches, most of the nearest matches I don't recognise any of the names in their trees, despite being able to name nearly all my ancestors back 5 generations. However they did predict that my parents were related, which is correct.

OH's mother is descended from 2 Scottish families, both came to Yorkshire about 4 generations back. But he has 0 Scottish DNA.

Thank you for sharing that’s really kind
I’m quite excited as I know so little if my ancestors - only what I have personally researched through this site.
Fingers crossed I find out some definite links!

The ethnicity results should certainly be treated with caution. Ancestry recalculated everyone's ethnicity a few months ago based on 16000 sites instead of 3000 and that made quite a difference in many cases.

For matching with other trees, the system seems well worth using. It is very gratifying to have confirmation of relations that you have found by conventional research.

Ways of using the results are given in this article in Lost Cousins:
https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latefeb18news.htm#Masterclass

Wow thank you Kensi that’s really helpful x

Debra

I sent in my DNA sample from Ancestry in early Dec and the results came through about 3 weeks later, the notify you of the process. You need to register with Ancestry if you have not already an account.

I have been researching 10yrs and know a lot of my Irish ancestry, the results came back I was 100% Irish which wasn't a surprise. The Region you match is shown my own is Connaught.

I would say that many people that show as a match with you have no family Tree with Ancestry, therefore it is impossible to know who the connection may be, so if you have no Tree I would suggest starting one, a Public Tree is more likely to get messages but don't put any recent family names on.

I have confirmed my research and found a few family members so I think it was worthwhile doing the DNA.

Hi Maureen,
Thank you for sharing.
I have been on Ancestry and Genes reunited for 15 years with public trees on both.
I’m also descended from Ireland but have hit the same brick wall for 15 years regarding tracing my ancestors who I’m giessing came over during the potato famine.
May ask if it identified family / surnames in Connaught and did any have a tree on Ancestry, that your u were able to make contact with?

Kind regards
Debra

Five members of my family have had their DNA done with Ancestry. In March last year we were contacted through our DNA to a second cousin living in USA. He was born in a mother and baby home in Wales and adopted and taken to USA all he had was his mothers name. From his birth certificate we found her address at time of birth. So we worked out he was connected through our paternal side of the family. Through research and help from members on this site and some luck. In December this year I managed to trace his mother and a half sister living in New Zealand. He would tell you having his DNA tested was the best thing he ever did. I would say go ahead we have meet our 2nd cousin and we regard his as a member of the family. AND it all started with a DNA test.

Wow, thank you Susan that’s most encouraging.
I’m really excited about getting my results!

Susan ............

I always ask ..... how did the mother feel when she was contacted by the son?

So many women had children illegitimately, gave them up for adoption, and never told anyone after that. They were promised that everything would be kept secret.

Although it never happened to me, I am of the age group during which many women did give up children, and then the secret was kept even from husbands and future children. I know many such women struggle when the adopted child appears, because they now might have to confess to a husband who may never forgive them.