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General => Ancestral Family Tree DNA Testing => Topic started by: Blyth Spirit on Sunday 03 January 10 19:06 GMT (UK)
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Hi,
I am closely descended from Scottish Border Romanies on both my mother's and father's sides of my family.
I am interested in taking a DNA test to find out where my ancestors came from.
Does anyone have any advice on the best way to go about this.
Many thanks,
Blyth Spirit
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I would suggest your best option is to test through Family Tree DNA, who are the market leaders in the field. They have a huge database and you would be able to test through one of the many Scottish projects to benefit from project pricing. I've compiled a list of all the British geographical projects on my blog:
http://cruwys.blogspot.com/2009/08/dna-projects-for-british-isles.html
If you can get to London then I would recommend that you go along to Who do you think you are? Live which is being held at Olympia at the end of February. Family Tree DNA are sponsoring the DNA workshop. There will be a range of speakers, and you will be able to ask any questions you might have. The kits are usually discounted for WDYTYA. You can read more here:
http://www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.co.uk/2010/the-event/dna
Kind regards
Debbie Kennett
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I did my test with FTDNA and am told by those better informed than myself that it is better to go with them because that is their area of expertise, as opposed to companies that specialise in family history and do DNA testing as a sideline.
Don Lock runs the Romnichal DNA project through FTDNA and anyone who tests with them can join Don's project.
Those who's results land them in the Y Haplo H group (many Gypsy/Travellers do), can also join this project that has many asian participants .
You can also join the Surname project that relates to your name, regardless of racial origin.
I would be fascinated to see if someone from a Border family is in the H category or one of the Northern European groups.
Already campbells and Baileys of Scottish Gypsy origin have found out that they belong to the Asian haplotype.
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Many thanks to all of those who kindly replied to my enquiry.
I have had a look at the FTDNA site . I see that they are based in the USA, do they have offices in the UK?
I sadly attended the funeral yesterday of a first cousin who has the same Romany maternal descent as me. There are not a lot of us left now from that generation, only two now.
I know who my people are and where I come from but I would like to see it established scientifically before I go to the long drom in the sky!
Thanks again,
Blyth Spirit
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FTDNA don't have an office in the UK. You can just order a test direct from the US - the kits normally take about a week or so to arrive. Once the sample is back in the lab you can follow the progress of the testing online. Make sure however that you order through a project. You can join multiple projects so you can be in a haplogroup project, a geographical project, a surname project and in the Romnichal project mentioned by Vince. The other advantage of FTDNA is that they store the samples for 25 years which none of the other companies. Further tests can then be ordered from your sample in the future as new tests come onto the market.
For support in the UK I would recommend you join ISOGG (the International Society of Genetic Genealogy). Membership is free and there is a mailing list for England, as well as lists for DNA Newbies and project admins. You can find the website here: http://www.isogg.org