Has anyone had an Ancestry DNA test?

[Anne McNeill]

It is indeed annoying when finding other Ancestry users with common ancestry, who don't bother answering their messages.  Why did they take a test or create even a partial tree, if not to pursue their interests.

I initially took a test to try and find out more about an illegitimate great-grandfather.  And having a distinct olive complexion and slight oriental look to my eyes when smiling, found no "exotic" connections and of course hit a brickwall re illegitimacy.

Really don't care about ethnicity per se, just an amateur genealogist seeking ancestors and their history.

Current research interests are:

Killingley and Raven families, Nottinghamshire
Godfrey family, Somerset

Cheers

[coombs]

There is no such thing as "Jewish DNA" or "English DNA". They are certain DNA types that are found among people from certain areas of the country/world etc. I am sure if you went back far enough every British person with all traceable British ancestors will find very distant ancestors from outside Europe, such as the Middle East and Asian and then Africa. It is said we all originate from Africa anyway if we go back far enough and I agree totally.

[Romilly]

I would always recommend to test with Ancestry first, because you can then upload to many other Sites from there.

I originally tested with Ancestry and then uploaded to Gedmatch, FTDNA and My Heritage. I then also tested with Living DNA and 23andme.

However, I’m still stuck with my quest to find my paternal grandfather, and so this is still ongoing for me.

Romilly.

[Keitht]

The ethnicity estimate proportions tell you almost as much about the testing company and their dataset as it does about your DNA specimen.
[/quote]

I couldn't agree more Guy and until I find some direct evidence, however slight, of  Scottish ancestry I shall continue to view Ancestry tests and estimates with extreme suspicion.

Keith

[eastender]

I bit the bullet (i.e. payed a load of money) for a test. It came back much quicker than I'd expected, but didn't tell me anything I didn't already know from my own research.It gave some very precice and impressive percentages such as, "46% England and Northwestern Europe", but what did that really tell me about where my ancestors came from when I already knew they came from Normandy?To sum up: clever but useless IMHO.

[Ruskie]

I’m not sure what you expected to learn about “where your ancestors came from”, but if you do a bit of research you will find out that the ethnicity is a rough guide only, as discussed in this and many other threads, and a multitude of online articles on the subject.

[Lisa in California]

I bit the bullet (i.e. payed a load of money) for a test. It came back much quicker than I'd expected, but didn't tell me anything I didn't already know from my own research.It gave some very precice and impressive percentages such as, "46% England and Northwestern Europe", but what did that really tell me about where my ancestors came from when I already knew they came from Normandy?To sum up: clever but useless IMHO.

As Ruskie mentioned, ethnicity is a rough guide, but you possibly might learn interesting things in the future.  While we really couldn’t afford the tests (several family members took them), I am very happy that we did.

Some of the DNA matches confirmed the research I had already done on my own.  (Sadly, I’m the type that wants 110% guarantee that I’ve found the correct ancestors.)

My initial results didn’t have any Scottish but years after taking the test, they’ve changed their algorithms(?) enough that I have an estimate of 32% which is good to see as I was told by a clan member that my Stuart ancestor at one point lived in Scotland (my brickwall ancestor was born in Sligo, Ireland).  [Note: I do realize that the Scotland result includes more than just Scotland but it’s still nice to see.]. 

Perhaps in the future your estimates might be more defined.  There’s always a chance that you could find a lead by communicating with a DNA match.  You most likely will find unknown distant relatives and you could find some skeletons in the closet. Taking the test might also at least satisfy your curiosity, but of course, your estimates might eventually change a bit.

Since your test didn’t tell you anything new, I hope in the future you are satisfied or even pleased that you did try.  All the best with your research, Lisa

[Mowsehowse]

Knowing all my ancestors came from Central and Eastern Europe for generations, I was shocked that Ancestry threw in a very small % of Scots and Welsh on each side of my DNA test analysis.
Then I read it is a fact of history that thousands of Scots emigrated to Poland in the 16 century....
So perhaps it does make sense?

https://flemish.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2015/11/13/migration-from-scotland-before-1700/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20important%20destinations%20for%20Scottish,opportunities%20offered%20there%20by%20the%20existing%20social%20system.

"One of the most important destinations for Scottish emigrants in the early modern period was Poland, which by the middle of the seventeenth century was the home of around 30,000 Scots. Some had arrived as Catholic refugees, many others as economic migrants attracted by opportunities offered there by the existing social system."

[brigidmac]

Re coombs comment
& To prove how ethnicity can be useful

This is my mother's DNA breakdown compared to her second cousin

My mother's grandfather was Latvian Jewish
Her other grandparents had Welsh and English origins with one Scottish great great grandmother

All of her second cousins grandparents were from Latvia or Russia all Jewish

If my mother has any new matches I can always tell if they connect thru this grandfather !