Storms and chickens

[Egluntyne]

Anyone used this? I have just ordered a kit (there is a sale on - it is £49 + p&p till tomorrow I think). I want to see if I can find any connection to my paternal birth family.

[Charlottechicken]

Ooh, spooky, I was just looking at these this morning.

 

I managed to fall for some click bait about a set of US triplets who took several of these tests to discover they all had slightly different ancestry, but it turned out to be a misinterpretation of the results (so a complete non-story!) but it got me interested

 

Will be interested to see how you get on

[Egluntyne]

I'll let you know!

[soapdragon]

I do recall hearing something on the wireless about how your submitted DNA info can be kept on file by these companies and sold on (not sure to whom or why ) unless you deliberatly opt out at the point of submission. Otherwise sounds very interesting - another vote here for an update in due course please

[Lydia]

I had mine done earlier this year and the results were nothing like I expected at all. A cousin of my mother’s had had hers done, too, and her results were quite different, which helped narrow down which strand came from which side of my family.

 

It threw up a lot of 1st-4th cousin matches and I am now in touch with distant family members from far flung areas of the world. Interestingly they are all from my mother’s side but it does depend on who has also done the test.

 

You have to do quite a bit detective work to identify where the familial link is as you get a list of surnames that people have in their trees so if the surnames in your family are common ones, it’s a bit needle in haystack trying to identify whether it’s your family strand or just coincidence, if you see what I mean.

 

Like you I was keen to trace more about my paternal side, however, my dad was the product of a brief wartime affair with a man married to someone else, and this man is not named on his birth certificate. We know who he was but not much else, and none of his family knew, or know about my father. As my father carried his maternal surname and then later his stepfather’s (although there was no formal adoption), and both surnames are very common ones, the people who may be from that side of the family do not see the link at all, so I have to tread carefully as family members involved could still be alive.

 

It was a hugely interesting exercise to see what’s out there and I am pleased I did it. When work calms down a bit next month I will return to the results and do lots more drilling down.

[Alis girls]

OH did it for himself as boys pestering him. He's British born Cypriot and his threw up Greek connections from Greece,Italy and Turkey and 5% Jewish. I am going to do mine. OH thanks I !might have German blood as always mistaken for German on holiday. My dad was a southerner with a surname often found in Wales. Mum was a Midland lass but he dad had London relatives. Our sons are a mish mash of both. Lol

[Valkyrie]

It's a fascinating thing, so I'd like to know for myself, just for genealogy purposes. OH wanted to have his done with regard to health issues. He said it would be good to know what to have checked if there's a tendency for whatever may be potentially life threatening. I said being a passenger in a car with you won't show up in that test, so I'm not interested in that aspect.

[The Dogmother]

I'd not thought about it for myself as I know a reasonable amount about my family and ancestors, but I can understand that, in your situation, you would be dying to know. I just hope they're more accurate than the ones they use on dogs; the results from those are pretty random!

 

Would be interested to hear others' experience though

[clootie]

I said being a passenger in a car with you won't show up in that test, so I'm not interested in that aspect.

 

 

I'm just reading your "gone but not forgotten list" - that takes me back missus. Look forward to your findings Egluntyne, kinda keen to do one myself. Hugs to all.

[Egluntyne]

Umpteen 2nd cousins have come up. I am in touch with two of them, who have confirmed that they have heard of my birth father. One of them remembers him from when she was a child. They have told the extended family, all of whom, of course, knew nothing about me, but knew from family anecdotes that he was in England (he was Irish) at the right time. I sent a photo of my family to one 2nd cousin, who declared that my sons were definitely 'of the blood' as they look so like her uncles. I had already been told by my birth mother's sister that my youngest son was the image of my birth father.

All very interesting and exciting.

[soapdragon]

Sound fascinating.........genetics are amazing! It's funny how certain features and traits carry down through (and across) the generations. YS has exactly the same tilt of the head when he is puzzled as my late MIL. He can't have 'picked it up' as she died before he was born!

[clootie]

Very interesting indeed! I wonder if I want to open that particular can of wormsies!

[Valkyrie]

Double dare ya Cloots. Who knows - you may be the next in line to the throne. And I don't mean in the little room either!

 

Interesting results Eggers! His Lordship still hasn't done anything about the test just yet.

 

My son looked exactly like my father did at a similar age - my son's school leavers ball and my dad in his Naval uniform. Looking at a photo given to me via one of dad's cousins (that we didn't know existed and found via Ancestry) of my great grandmother - my dad also looked like her at a similar age. My daughter is very similar to my husband's sister - thankfully "Ooops, word censored!"ody seems to look like my brother!

[Egluntyne]

Another mini update. Further discussion with the second cousins has thrown up the fact that my birth father was killed in a car crash in the 70's and that he was married and had half a dozen children.  I have been sent a picture of his father, and it is like looking at a picture of my youngest son with a dodgy haircut. The resemblance is mind blowing.

The cousins are pondering what to do about letting the half siblings know about me. Understandable, as it is all a bit of a bombshell and they don't know them very well. TBH I would just like to see a picture of them, and him, and perhaps know their names. 

[Grandmashazzie]

Am sure this is a daft question. So this finding cousins etc depends on them already having done DNA profile themselves? I didn’t realise it was so mainstream. I would love to be in touch with relatives prob more distant than cousins as I know them. I don’t know anyone who has had this done so wouldn’t think distant relatives would either. As a child I went to a youth Scheme and when I signed in the man said you must be George’s sister, no I replied I don’t have a brother. The man was quite disbelieving,especially when we had same surname. I mentioned it at home and my mother vaguely mentioned an uncle of my dad kids and I never found out anymore.

[GrannyTrish]

I'm not sure checking DNA would find your family, but it could confirm they are your family. You'd have to go onto Ancestry.com or a similar site, and maybe your library for birth and marriage records to trace your family background.

[Valkyrie]

The DNA thing has only recently been open to the UK.  Before it was USA only - I did try but they said it was unavailable at that time, so not bothered.  My husband wants to have his DNA done - not for relatives but apparently for a likelihood of family illnesses or diseases that he could take steps to avoid them.  That was sparked off because of his heart thing - and they told him it was likely to be running in the family!  Then he read an article about someone doing that - so he'd like to know if there are any more surprises around the corner.

Whereas I'm just curious about family!  Especially the Irish side - and the Viking side.  There must be a load of Saxon mixed in too.  Someone somewhere has passed down the ginger genes - my great grandfather was very ginger even into his ripe old age - bit miffed that mine only catches in the sun! 

 

 

[Egluntyne]

On 05/03/2018 at 10:05 AM, Grandmashazzie said:

Am sure this is a daft question. So this finding cousins etc depends on them already having done DNA profile themselves? I didn’t realise it was so mainstream. I would love to be in touch with relatives prob more distant than cousins as I know them. I don’t know anyone who has had this done so wouldn’t think distant relatives would either. As a child I went to a youth Scheme and when I signed in the man said you must be George’s sister, no I replied I don’t have a brother. The man was quite disbelieving,especially when we had same surname. I mentioned it at home and my mother vaguely mentioned an uncle of my dad kids and I never found out anymore.

Yes, the cousins had already had their DNA done, and came up as matches.