I need help understanding DNA Testing for Ancestry!

[DavidG02]

Jane I wish you well in your search 

What I am about to say may add to the confusion but I hope not. To me DNA results are a bit like a betting pool. The more who enter the bigger the pot. And if everyone said '' I will wait till it gets more names '' will be the cause of the pool not growing

Its kind of like opposite thinking. I wont do it until everyone else does. If everyone thought like that then of course the pool will be small.

Yes you do need people to have done the test. But they no longer need be alive. If you are sure of Surname then a DNA test will/should match up with people who have the same surname and are MORE likely to be related to YOUR man.

My example is this. My GGGG Grandfather is a mystery man. We have a name and surname and the family have used this name since 1860. Yet there is no link back to England for us to search further. There is a suggestion he changed his name as he was a convict and wanted to live a trouble free life.

What needs to happen now is for me to contact one of my cousins who are directly - male through male- connected to Richard to take a DNA test. What I hope this will do is throw up Surnames of people with similar/matching DNA that I can then search for in England and try and link up.

eg if the DNA test throws up matches with Blackstone surnames then it would confirm a link. If it throws up a strong link to another Surname , eg Headley. It doesn't end but it suggests looking for a Headley connection and if one came to OZ no matter how.

I hope this throws a small light on your concerns 

[weste]

I did autosomal. Partly out of interest and partly out of the fact I have a mystery great grandmother who we don't know anything other than her First name was Bridget and died in 1905 unfortunately can only find on one census. On her death certificate it's says she's the wife of my great father and we are fairly sure they were n't married and hubby had a name change. We know what surname was changed to what, photographic evidence is compelling but probably no paper proof. I had my test done at a family history show, mom, sister in law and nephew had theirs done. Moms proving difficult and she had to be retested that's driving us mad waiting! I have had some contacts but not quite proving anything definite other than my nephew being related to me at the moment. Got 2 keen contacts out of it. Pages of matches. Need to persuade one of my brothers to test whilst ancestry has an offer on. They sent an email today 10% off. It says ancestrydna members only though. You'll probably get charged extra for shipping .

[jettejjane]

Jane I wish you well in your search 

What I am about to say may add to the confusion but I hope not. To me DNA results are a bit like a betting pool. The more who enter the bigger the pot. And if everyone said '' I will wait till it gets more names '' will be the cause of the .....

I hope this throws a small light on your concerns 

Thank you. No you have not confused me you explained very well. I totally agree yes it needs more people to add DNA to the pot. But I won't be adding to it at the moment. So you may think that is wrong approach but to be perfectly honest  I am still sceptical , it will need millions of people to fill the pot enough to help everyone.

I can't quite believe the surname DNA being a great help to me. Its not really matching real DNA. I could find people sharing my research names with Google.
Just my opinion.

Thanks also weste. I appreciate both your replies. Have given me more to think about and more understanding. You both explain very well.

Jane

[coombs]

Some people may inherit traits from an ancestor many generations ago, the genes can be carried, some Eastern Europeans say they have slightly Oriental features and I have been told this. I would say that the Vikings may have bought back slaves from there and some people from Mongolia did get as far west as Poland and Germany so I read. DNA testing would help. If an Asian was born with blue eyes and they still had all other Asian features, then it could indicate European blood many generations back. You'd be surprised how many of us may have ancestors from a place far away from where we think they came from. Never underestimate how people travelled.

[weste]

I also printed as much as I could in respect to an 8 generation pedigree chart and if someone contacts me and I look at their tree it's easier to see if there is any match on the particular pedigree line. Looking at it you realise even more as to what damage an unknown relative in your main lines does to your research. I listened to some of ancestries talks, there's a lot on you tube and the amount of cousins you end up short of if you follow the tree through is staggering. Where as if you lare missing one relative, that's all it seems to be until you follow back through the line of what you should have. You then have to make yourself more positive!
One thing of which I'm in agreement with is , the database for matches needs as many DNA records as possible , it no good waiting till its bigger till you think there's more chance of finding a match. You'll end up losing a relative who you would have liked to have tested. You may lose a last person in a particular line.

[KGarrad]

Some people may inherit traits from an ancestor many generations ago, the genes can be carried, some Eastern Europeans say they have slightly Oriental features and I have been told this. I would say that the Vikings may have bought back slaves from there and some people from Mongolia did get as far west as Poland and Germany so I read. DNA testing would help. If an Asian was born with blue eyes and they still had all other Asian features, then it could indicate European blood many generations back. You'd be surprised how many of us may have ancestors from a place far away from where we think they came from. Never underestimate how people travelled.

Sorry, I just don't believe any of that!

For years I have been accused of being Irish, Italian or Spanish. Even as late as yesterday when some oick called "Amigo" to me from a car window!

My (documented) family tree goes back as far as 1550's on both maternal and paternal lines.
Guess what?  English all the way!  No Welsh, Scottish, Irish, or any other nationality!

My mother was born in Wales - of English parents.
I have a 3G Grandfather born in Jersey - his parents from Devon, and in Jersey for just 5 years.

So judging by looks (or judging a book by it's cover) will tell you absolutely nothing! IMHO.


I have posted before of my views on DNA testing.
That upset a few people
But I remain a skeptic

[confused73]

Jane you are not the only one who does not fully understand these DNA tests.My OH  and I  we did the Ancestry test and I got a list of 4th. cousins, none who seem to have any link with my family, not one recognisable name, and I have tried to  find links. The same with my OH, as his family stayed in one area we have traced his family back some way but the information we got back seems to contradict this.

[jettejjane]

Sorry, I just don't believe any of that!.......

So judging by looks (or judging a book by it's cover) will tell you absolutely nothing! IMHO.


I have posted before of my views on DNA testing.
That upset a few people
But I remain a skeptic

Jane you are not the only one who does not fully understand these DNA tests.My OH  and I  we did the Ancestry test and I got a list of 4th. cousins, none who seem to have any link with my family, not one recognisable name, and I have tried to  find links. The same with my OH, as his family stayed in one area we have traced his family back some way but the information we got back seems to contradict this.

KG I agree with your comments 100%. And you confused.

Before I started this thread,  with what little I understood on the subject, I was a skeptic. I still am!   
I even have OH interested in this thread.He is not interested in research but I first asked his views. His reply used an expletive I can't put in here!!!  Unlike me he didn't need it all explaining . He is with you as well KG.

Where are all the success stories? By the way how much is a DNA test?

In an earlier reply I said I would stick with certs. It was mentioned in another thread that they could be inaccurate I.e people making things up! Blimey where does all this leave us - do not believe anything? So our research could all be a load of b######s, lol
JOKE!!!!

[KGarrad]

DNA testing is just like Hollywood?

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story!