New to DNA and Finding unknown GGrandfather

[Biggles50]

I had to delete #5 but essentially it pointed towards

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=863488.0

the above goes into detail on the Grouping process that I use.

Back to the topic in question.

R G 1 certainly looks the prime one to start researching, if only because they have a family tree which in turn may offer clues.

The big issue with Ancestry DNA matches is identifying them, and having enough hints available to put the match in a tree.

I managed to ID my Great Grandparents via a 240 cM match and a family tree of only two hence your matches are very workable and initially they look promising.

The key here IMO is to Group them and include the shared matches in the Group.

I’d also send messages and await responses, I try to make messages intriguing which should help to elicit a response.

Uploading DNA to other sites can help but with My Heritage they will want a fee paid to unlock the DNA Tools that they have.  This site has given me three close Second Cousins who helped to break my brickwall via contact with them, and that is without using the DNA Tools available.

To learn more about Grouping search the Leeds Method and read the details, using Ancestry Grouping feature is very similar as is the method that I use and explained in the linked thread.

Good luck.

[RainySK]

Thank you again for the replies, ill look at loading my mums DNA on to other sites also.

this was the message that i ended up settling on after a few rewrites as i wanted to not cause any issues.

 Hello, my name is S

We have a DNA match through my mums DNA test.
My mother C B nee B did a test just before Christmas and the results have shown you as a match on her Maternal line.

Her mother is Audrey Elizabeth Evans
Married Joseph Edward Brown
Born 09 APRIL 1921 • Paddington, New South Wales, Australia
Death 25/8/1982 • Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia

Would you be willing to investigate how our relatives are connected?

Cheers


I have sent it to the 5 closest matches, RG1 being one of them thanks for the recommendation biggles50 now i just cross my fingers and hope for a reply.

While i wait ill keep trying to learn better about grouping and dna matching. thank you all so much im sure ill be back soon with more questions !

[brigidmac]

Great work

These tips will be useful to many .

& It's good to see concrete examples .

Look forward to hearing more of your progress

[shanreagh]

RainySK that is a very polite and intriguing letter to the possible match/connection to your family.  Hope you get a reply.   

[RainySK]

Thank you shanreagh, I'm trying to do this respectfully as i know there are some people out there that don't like the whole skeletons in the closet thing.

Well, everyone iv either hit paydirt first go or completely screwed something up LoL

I have my first reply from my messages, and it was RG1 yay!
They gave me access to look at their private tree on ancestry and said happy hunting.

Now here is the issue when you go into the DNA page and click on RG1 it states there is no common ancestors on the left between them and my mum, there is also no green in the family tree bit on the right.

I have manually gone into the tree and searched the tree for people in the right time frame that would be of similar names and ages just in case the system missed something and zip.

Now what do I do, do I go back to them and play dumb and say I don’t know why there is no match, or do I tell them I know that nan is illegitimate, and I think someone in their tree could be the dad?

Or iv completely stuffed something up somehow and I have no clue……..

[brigidmac]

I think that is exactly the right approach .
The wording is always important just say that you don't know your nans birth father.

Also add father unknown deceased  to your nan on the tree that will help matches to understand why there are no surnames in common .

Can you go through the surnames on RG s tree and put them in a search of your DNA matches one by one

There may be a cluster of matches around one of the surnames
Then you could change name on tree from unknown .to maybe GREEN  or whatever

Have you got protools to see how your matches connect to each other .?

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

I have dozens of interlinked matches with trees but no shared surnames. Their trees can go back for generations but rarely have sources and in most cases a couple of birth searches is all it takes to uncover the illegitimate ancestor they are overlooking or the wrong maiden name of a female
somewhere. Many are obviously just 'copy and paste' from trees claiming links to Lords and Royals with no regard given to the dna results, I never cease to be amazed how their trees show alleged ancestors we have being Royalty in the early 1800's and knife polishers in Sheffield by 1850. 

[RainySK]

Afternoon all,

As i have had no more responses from any of my messages, i stared going back through my paperwork to see if i missed anything at all.

What i noticed that i hadn't before is that Elizabeth A Evans was sent from Narrandera NSW to Sydney to give birth to her Illegitimate child. Quite a distance away, so with that little nugget i returned to the tree that was shared with me by RG1 and searched the tree for males in the area of Narrandera in 1920 (by count back approximate conception would be Aug 1920)

The only Males that fit this criteria were :
Christopher Styman  Born 1881
Christopher RF Styman Born 1909
Persival RE Styman Born 1911
Reginald JE Styman Born 1915

This looks like a family to me so i threw the names in to ancestry and found a wife for the first Christopher Rachel A Kennewell also 2 more daughters Evelyn EG Styman Born 1908 and Dorothy HR Styman Born 1927

Would it be unrealistic to start looking into this family (the dad because I doubt the son's would be old enough to get a 33yo pregnant) as a possibility for the Illegitimate father?

Also is there a way if i find this man in a public tree to see if that person has done a dna test?

Also is there electoral rolls or similar for 1920-1919 for that area i have googled looking for some but i cant find anything

i hope that all made sense

Cheers

[RainySK]

Small Update

I have moved to matches with a smaller cM (between 150 and 50) that have public trees and found 3 more people that mum matches to with the same man in their tree,

Christopher Styman  Born 1881 Morpeth Died 1949 Narrandera

I have grouped them all together in one colour and sent them all a message hoping some one will write back

cross your fingers guys, i couldn't possibly be this lucky to find him right?