RootsChat.Com

Many Thanks for your replies.
of course, I knew what a half sibling is, but had never previously thought it woud apply to other ancestors.
But I realise it is a guess based on the number of shared cMs etc.
I am finding it very interesting.
The one name I recognised is my mother's sister's daughter's daughter (ie a 2nd cousin to my son, whose dna was tested, which came out at half 3rd cousin. The interesting thing though, are the names which came out higher, and which I do not recognise, so will have to work on finding out who they are, and how they are related.

My son has undertaken a DNA search with 23andme, and in the results tree, it has described some name matches as 'Half 2nd Cousin, once removed'.
It is higher than my cousin's daughter (whose name I have recognised), who is described as 'Half 3rd Cousin'.
I really do not understand the 'half' bit.
I realise that these things are not entirely exact, but it would help to know how far back I need to check in my family tree.

His birth could have been registered under a different name
(I recently found a birth reg like this, which I have assumed to be the correct birth based on the first and middle names, names of mother and especially the father's occupation, which is consistent with a baptism 8 years later and marriage at which was given a made up father's name, but the occupation was the same)
This could apply if the mother was single etc.
Or he could have been born somewhere else; a different country.

Mainly baptism records; (they usually include the occupation of the father
There are also wills, but they are mainly for men/householders; sometimes widows;
There are also aprenticeship records; mainly young men around the age of 14 or 15, but this will give the occupation they are aprenticed to.
Sometimes there are records from the 'Parish Chest', such as settlement records, taxes (orders to pay for bridges, etc);
Sometimes burial records will include an occupation, but this depends on the parish priest/ or whoever recorded the burial

I do have some very early memories, of before I was three - some were talked about and 'reinforced' over the years, but others I have never spoken of.
For example, I remember sitting in my High Chair, next to my Dad, at the table, and a specific Aunty was there.
I clearly see the table with faces all around (I come from a large family).
Yet this memory confused me as I was growing up, as my High Chair was always next to my mother, and the Aunty was never there.
I assumed I must have just got mixed. Now I realise that this must have been a special occassion, and my High Chair was next to my Father, simply because my mother's sister was sitting next to my mother.
(With hindsight, I assume a fuss was made of me, etc, but I dont remember that. I just remember having the knowledge of an Aunt being there)
I never spoke of this because I assumed I must have got mixed up. I remember thinking about it occassionally and being very confused. But I can still see the picture in my mind of the table, etc

I have a few other memories of before I was 3. A holiday we took when I was 2.
Since my mother's death, I have found some photos taken in the garden, she has written on the back that I am nearly 3. But I actually remember this occassion. (But some will say I only rememer because of the photos)