Which of the many tools should I use

[Martinjubb]

I recently convinced my father to submit his DNA to Ancestry(I have an account which is the reason I used Ancestry)
The main reason was to try and identify his Maternal Grandfather. His mother was given away at birth and was with several families in her early years.

I have spent the time going through matches linking them into my family tree.

I was them left with a group of matches I could not fit into my tree as a starting point. Several of these responded to requests and i have one match that has replied and together we think we have identified a person who may be the person we are looking for.

However due to complexities in both families i have not been able to confirm this match with any other tree branches.

I am now left with several good matches that I still cannot fit into my tree and have not replied when I have contacted them.
There is a range of between 625 cM (1st – 2nd Cousin) and 270 cm (1st cousin 2 removed) and can be broken down into two groups of shared matches. I have built trees for those I can and have found no links to my tree.

I have started to look at the various on-line tools like DNA painter i could use to establish the links i need to research,
However i am to be honest confused as to which to use. I started with the DNA painter and realised that the WATO tool needed the matches DNA matches from my matches not my own.

Are there any tools that i can use where i can use the Ancestry shared match data to help.

As an aside i have also uploaded the DNA to Gedmatch and myFTDNA but the matches i want to identify are not listed

thanks in advance

[Biggles50]

Is the tree you have built for the unresolved matches a completely stand alone tree or a floating branch in your main tree?

If the latter build a tree just of the matches.

Create a Gedcom file and then register with DNA Painter and after logging in upload the tree.  Then use the known cM values to assign them to the appropriate match.  Add in your Dad’s dob and answer the question.  Then initiate the calculations.

You will be presented with a number of hypothesis and a value for each.

These should help you.

[TonyV]

If the latter build a tree just of the matches.

I am interested in these replies having never used Painter. However, I don't understand this advice Biggles. A tree "just of matches" cannot be a tree surely. I have loads of matches on my paternal side but they need to be linked to ancestors to see how they fit and to identify common ancestors. Is that what you mean?

[Biggles50]

TonyV

What DNA Painter provides are very useful tools.

Firstly the Shared cM Tool is easy to use simply enter the cM value of your DNA Match and it displays the Percentage Probabilities of the possible relationships.

Ie enter 800 cM and it will display many possibles including 1C, enter 90 cM and amongst the possibles is 3C.  So these results can help you research the xGGP level where the shared and you have the same xGreatGrandparent(s).

OK so I have a 364cM match but they have no tree and they have not responded to messages so how do I try to break down the brick walls.

I look at the shared matches between us and find one with a tree.  I then start my own version of their tree and build it back as far as about 1841, then I look at other shared matches and build them into the tree, then the next shared match then I find how the 364 cM match fits in the tree and then I assign them as the home person.

So now I have a tree with some of my DNA matches linked together in one tree which I then create a Gedcom file for.

The Gedcom file is then uploaded to the WATO tool and for each of the DNA matches in the tree I put their cM value in their record.

Then I enter my birth date and answer the question by entering, where do I fit in the tree.

WATO then gives a whole series of hypothesis that may be possible and to each it give a numerical figure, the higher the figure the more probable the hypothesis.

WATO does have limitations which can be easily seen in hypothesis that are widely inappropriate.

Hope this helps.

[Biggles50]

Back to the OPs question.

Many of DNA Painters tools require the user to have the raw DNA file for matches, something which is very unlikely to happen in the majority of cases.

Other online comparison websites can and do offer useful triangulation and bucketing tools but the rub is that the site is dependent upon having then data uploaded.

It would be great if the likes of Ancestry had analysis tools and the signs are there in their Traits feature that has been added, maybe, just maybe they will expand their DNA tools.

Until that happens frustration rules.

[TonyV]

Thanks Biggles50. We are on the same page. It is a tree which is built up from DNA matches, which is what I assumed you meant.  I have used the Shared cM tool lots of times but never got as far as using the Painter tool.

I imagine that you are in the UK because you advise going back to 1841. My matches, or the ones I am interested in at any rate, are in the USA. Their records have lots of censuses including the recently released 1950 census (well ahead of the UK in that respect) but I’ve found it hard to find US BMD records. Often that’s because there was no legal requirement to record births and marriages in particular in some States in the 19th century.

I shall now explore Painter

Tony

[Martinjubb]

Back to the OPs question.

Many of DNA Painters tools require the user to have the raw DNA file for matches, something which is very unlikely to happen in the majority of cases.

Other online comparison websites can and do offer useful triangulation and bucketing tools but the rub is that the site is dependent upon having then data uploaded.

It would be great if the likes of Ancestry had analysis tools and the signs are there in their Traits feature that has been added, maybe, just maybe they will expand their DNA tools.

Until that happens frustration rules.

Thank you for the clear instructions. I usefully built a tree for one of the close matches and managed to place one more match within that tree. I am working on finding another before i upload to DNA painter.

My problem is that three of the closest matches have not responded at all. The names used on Ancestry make me think they could be made up.

Another issue is that the ones I have identified seem to have one thing in common, Adoption or being in a children's home. And my target for this was given away as a child due to being illegitimate

[Biggles50]

I have just deleted all my trees in the WATO function and loaded a single new tree as I now have 13 DNA matches linked to each other and each has their cM value entered.

Entered my birth year and asked the question, who is my great great grandfather.

This time one hypothesis gives a value of over 882,000 which is vastly more than the second highest hypothesis.

Do I think it is correct, no.

The hypothesis suggests that I am his Grandchild, he was born in 1860.

My Mother was born in 1921 but 4000 miles away so my Father is his son.

The issue I have with that is that my Father’s actual Great Grandmother is a common ancestor to other DNA matches who are not included in the WATO tree.

So WATO is close but inaccurate for me, had it given the hypothesis that he was my Great Grandfather then that would have worked.

So do be sceptical and use it just as a guidance tool.