I was given a DNA kit from Ancestry Uk for my birthday back in October. I’ve been tracing my family history for over 20 years and I always thought the DNA kit would be the icing on the cake. You know, to open those really hard closed doors that I’ve been trying to break down by running around mid-Wales for nearly a quarter of a century, sniffing out every gravestone in Cardiganshire (Ceredigion), all to no avail for ancestors from the late 18th century.
Dribble
For those who aren’t familiar with these kits, they send you a little bottle with a plastic funnel that you have to dribble in! Then it’s sealed and sent away to Ireland where it gets ‘mooched’ through and I suppose a computer sorts out the bits that us mere Humans can understand. I don’t recommend it though if you’re wanted for a bank robbery some 20 to 30 years ago. However, with my good character, I have nothing to worry about.
Results
The results were quite quick, about three weeks in all, and they’re fascinating to go through. Although I have to admit, that after a month or so of sifting through a gazillion records on the likes of Ancestry I am now getting a little bit fed up and bonk eyed. The results throw up literally thousands of potential relatives from a cousin once removed to an 8th cousin 4 times removed. Removed from what I don’t know!
Too Many Relatives!
The problem I’m having isn’t the people who are distant relatives, the DNA backs it up. However, it says they have the same 3rd Great Grandmother as me, well they do by name, but they are a completely different lady from my 3rd Great Grandmother. It means that either I’ve got the wrong Ann Griffiths or my newly found 35th cousin 14 times removed has got the wrong Ann Griffiths. I’m 99.9% certain my Ann Griffiths from Llanbadarn Fawr is my 3rd Great Grandmother.
Ancestors, Who Would Have Them?
And this is only one ancestor. On my Mothers side, because a Great Grandmother was re-married, well, I think I could fill Wembley Stadium for 7 nights with the number of DNA relatives who are greater than a 5% match. I find it truly mind-boggling the sheer number of people classed as either distant or close relatives. I am starting to think that we are all related directly back to Adam and Eve.
Overwhelmed
I am completely overwhelmed with these results, I think I am going back to the old-fashioned way of sitting in the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth for days on end and reeling through every microfiche reel I could lay my hands on to find my Ann Griffiths who married my 3rd Great Grandfather in 1830 in Llanbadarn Fawr Church.
That’s It For Now
I shall leave it there for now as my brain is completely ‘addled and fried’. I do think that DNA will prove very useful for things like researching family history, but for now, for me at least, it seems to be adding a lot of sawdust to the woodpile.
If you are interested in having your own DNA, then here’s the UK website.
Wow. I have considered doing a gene search but decided to not move forward…
Likewise, I waited a couple of years. Thank you, John. 😊
I have had a go at this, but never managed to get anywhere…
I’m finding it difficult. Maybe something will turn up. Thank you. 😊
very interesting 👍👍👏👏 although i’ll never do this…. the bank robbery…30 years ago 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤘🤘🤘
Thank you. 😃
Thanks for all of the info and heads up Trev!
Thank you. 😊
I often thought of doing this, but only because I wanted to know if I was pure English or Muggle (Harry Potter). 🙂
I was surprised that being born and raised in England, I didn’t have one tiny piece of English in me. I was 56% Welsh, 26% Irish and 24% Scottish! Thank you, Sue. 😊
Griffith’s 😂😂 you’re related to me. 😂😂 on my Great Grandmother. You never know 😂😂
Yes, you never know. Have your DNA tested. Thank you 😊
Yes I have 😁
Cool. Were your Griffiths from Wales? 😊
Given the size of Welsh families back in the day (my Welsh Grandfather was one of 13!) I think it quite probable that everyone is related to everyone else somehow! And as you discovered with your great grandmother, so many people died young and it was so difficult to be a single person that re-marriages were also common so that half-siblings and step-siblings came into the mix. Good luck with your searching.
Thank you. And with a surname like Jones, needles and haystacks come to mind. 😊
I live in West Wales, but I’m not “Welsh” and however long I live here, I will always be considered not “Welsh”, unless I became good at rugby and they want me on a team. I’m considered “British” and well yes, I am British from birth, but have genetics from the norse gods and consider myself Viking.
I thought I may have had some Viking in my DNA, but apparently not. 😊
Hello Trev! I think the most surprising thing the DNA test did for me is not discovering that my family is solidly Anglo-Saxon on both sides all the way back to before 1066. It was hearing from a new first cousin in France, one whose mother was abandoned by one of my uncles who was stationed there in the US Airforce in the 1960s. I’m in regular contact with my cousin now and he is a terrific person, the same age as one of my brothers.
Thank you, Connie. I know a couple of people who have found new cousins like you have from similar circumstances. Good luck 😊
Overwhelmed sounds like an understatement. Talk about too much information. I think you are right when you say that we are all related in some way if you go way back far enough. Given the nature of some of the relatives that I already know about I thing ignorance is bliss in my case.
Thank you. I laughed at your last sentence!! 😃
{{{giggles}}} ‘ignorance is bliss’ for who knows who had “relations” with who?
Indeed 😃😊
I haven’t done this test yet, but it sounds like there are some pros and cons. I like your discovery of “the sheer number of people classed as either distant or close relatives.” And that you are “starting to think that we are all related directly back to Adam and Eve.” We could certainly use more reasons to see connections rather than divisions in the human species these days… Thanks for this report!
Thank you and I certainly agree with your comments. 😊
It can get very confusing with re-marriages to sisters and cousins. I have been doing it for a decade now and have never crossed so many Chamberlains not in my lineage. I am assuming the DNA was from Ancestry? Try Family Search also. Sometimes Ancestry can get confused because they take it from other family trees. Good luck on your search. I can’t wait to hear more.
Thank you, Kathleen. Yes, it was from Ancestry. I have since added details to something called Gedcom on advice from a professional genealogist. It’s still early days, but I hope to make some progress as time moves on. 😊
My wife is very interested in Ancestry (US) and is a super-user, I think. She also does more research than just the DNA, however. It’s an interesting study. When we did our DNA thing I discovered that the man I grew up calling “father” and “dad” all my life was not related to me at all, which took a little processing. It is a useful tool but you have to use your normal methods along with it. She has found ancestors on her side that go back to the Mayflower in 1620.
I have heard a few people say they have discovered their family are not who they thought they were. That must be a real shocker, Herb! You are right though, you must use the normal tools alongside the DNA. Thank you, Herb. 😊
I took a test for the same reason. So far it has matched me to a first cousin on my mother’s side (who I do know but we’re not close) and a second cousin (his maternal grandmother was the younger sister of my paternal grandfather). Similarly a paternal great-grandmother remarried leading to step siblings, one of whom went off to Australia (which I’ve written about recently). I go so fed up of potential 4th/5th etc distant cousins messaging my that I changed my profile message/info to say I could only go back three generations with any certainty so not to message me. I have, however, confirmed my English and Irish roots with a dash of Norwegian thrown in. Like you, I expected it to be all singing all dancing and the answer to my research. So far it’s been a bit of a disappointment, but still worht doing.
I haven’t had one person contact me yet, but it’s still early days. Thank you, Eileen. 😊
I was definitely luckier because a cousin of my father’s did extensive research and wrote the history of the Zambrotta/Zamprotta family managing to go back several centuries😊
That’s great, Luisa. I wish someone had done mine. Thank you. 🙂
Thank you, Rosaliene and I am sure one day I will find her and a few more ancestors of hers. 🙂
I did Ancestry.com a few years ago but with a name like Smith… I thought I might trace relatives on my mother’s side but to pursue things further they wanted more money that I couldn’t justify, so all I got out of it was that mostly I am made up of SW English/French/Italian and Swedish. It does get a bit mind boggling, tracing family history.
Thank you, Carolyn. My surname is Jones so it’s nearly as bad as Smith for researching. You are right, it does get mind boggling. Thank you. 🙂
I can well imagine how confusing the search could become on finding individuals with the same name. All the best in finding your third Great Grandmother Ann Griffiths.
I find I am quite posh Trev. I appear to be related to an avocado!
Sounds fruity, Peter? Thank you. 🙂
Clearly you are 20% Trevor, 80% sod, and 100% silly.
Problem solved.
I love it Josie and you managed to give me 0% old! Thank you 😊
Emotions for the soul, remained for my soul! I hug you with love! Divine blessings and infinite love forever! Magical, loving and beautiful New Year! Happy New Year and Happy New Year 2023! ☘🤗🥂🎄
Thank you, Ileana. Happy new year to you too. 😊
A happy new year Trev!
Thank you 🙏
Happy New Year ❣️
Thank you, Luisa and a happy new year to you too. 😊😊🥰
Ha. My partner just got a 23&Me kit from his daughter. She and her hubby did the spit test and…however many weeks later, they are in a web of “connected to everybody”, apparently. My partner brought the box home and it has been sitting on the coffee table for a week, now. He is not in any hurry to dive into 7th cousins, removed five times. Sometimes it’s just TMI. 😵💫😵🧐
It does seem TMI, but I am assured that it will settle down over the coming weeks and months. Thank you. 😊
I have been doing my ancestry research for a couple of years on ancestry.ca and myhertiage and 23 and me. I pick it a a couple of times a week to do more review of new relatives. It will become easier as you get used to it. I’ve corresponded with a few new relatives from around the world. They sent me some cool pictures from the 19th century Have fun.
A lot of people have said it will become easier as time goes on. Thank you for your kind words. 😊
fun stuff. sometimes it’s like pandoras box the Trev. Have a great time!
Yes, you are so right, Cindy. Thank you. 🙂
Law Enforcement already swabbed me after my last bank robbery so I’m in the clear as well 😊
Lol, well I bet it cost less than what I paid for the DNA test. Thank you. 🙂
I love family history. When I retire, I might start going back through mine. I come from a large family and my relatives have asked me to think about writing a memoir of sorts.
Thank you, Lisa. You should start writing a memoir, I love genealogy. 😊
I was intrigued at first with this DNA thing but a couple of friends of mine tried it and had kind of the same technical difficulties you talk about in this post interpreting the results… now I’m thinking I’m not gonna try it.
They say the more that take part in it, the better the results will be. I will see how they stand after another 6 months. Thank you. 😊
I am a professional genealogist and I have never relied on DNA results for my research. I find them unreliable on the whole and often musleading.
It’s the first time I have tried DNA in nearly 30 years of research and I can say I am not impressed
I’ve had more than one genealogist in my family, so I feel I have too many relatives, as it is. Once you get past first and second cousins, it gets too distant to be very meaningful. And if you add in stepfamily — whew. My stepmother had 21 brothers and sisters. Sometimes skeletons come out of the closet — and the other family members are not happy about it. Imagine if your cousin turned out to be the bank robber, and your DNA convicted him. Sooner or later, none of us will have any secrets. 🙂
Thank you, Brenda. 😊
I like to think I’m related to all the nice, kind, happy freaks in the world and not to the “Normal” potential axe murderers, who’d sell their children to the fairies to get ahead or any politicians. I’ve sort of traced one relative who played the fool and doing that actually saved their life, that made me have a warm fuzzy feeling of recognition.
Well done!!👌👌