DNA testing France

[oldfashionedgirl]

I just received the results of my mother’s DNA test which she wanted for a Christmas gift.

Considering I/we have no tree on Ancestry I was intrigued by the results which mirrored what I have discovered over the years.

There were only two surprises which were 14% Germanic Europe ?

But mostly was the lack of any connection to France as I have good evidence that we have a Huguenot line.

Having done a little searching it appears that the French government doesn’t allow DNA testing for ‘recreational’ purposes.

Is this correct and have others experienced the same
.

[manukarik]

In France, DNA paternity testing is solely performed on the decision of a judge in the case of a judiciary procedure in order either to establish or contest paternity or to obtain or deny child support. Non-consensual private DNA paternity testing is illegal, including through laboratories in other countries, and is punishable by up to a year in prison and a €15,000 fine. The French Council of State has described the law's purpose as upholding the "French regime of filiation" and preserving "the peace of families." I believe this is reviewed every 7 years, but it is still in place following a review. For a while, people could upload DNA to geneanet but this service has been removed. In working on a Family Tree for a French friend the only French DNA showing is for family members who moved to Canada.

[rosie99]

The ethnicity results are dubious anyway, you will find when they 'review' them they will change. Put them on to My Heritage and they will be different again.

[melba_schmelba]

I just received the results of my mother’s DNA test which she wanted for a Christmas gift.

Considering I/we have no tree on Ancestry I was intrigued by the results which mirrored what I have discovered over the years.

There were only two surprises which were 14% Germanic Europe ?

But mostly was the lack of any connection to France as I have good evidence that we have a Huguenot line.

Having done a little searching it appears that the French government doesn’t allow DNA testing for ‘recreational’ purposes.

Is this correct and have others experienced the same
.

Yes, Ancestry do not market or send DNA tests to France because of their laws, but a few French ex pats have tested, as well as many thousands of Quebecois and French Americans. I manage a French person's DNA, and when they first tested, the result was very inaccurate giving them seomething like 25% French. But it's now over 50% so some improvement! I think Ancestry may use Quebecois as their main sample for 'French' which likely has pitfalls in that Quebecois are descended mainly from a limited number of original settlers who came from specific areas of France and not others. There is also the problem that likely northern French DNA in particular is very similar to the southern half of England, as well as Welsh for Bretons, due to a very similar ancestral mix. There are probably more French people on MyHeritage as these kits were sold for several years in supermarkets somewhat unofficially. But the accuracy of low matches on MH is also a problem, especially if you are talking about a very distant connection.
  Regarding your example in particular, what percentage of Huguenot DNA would you estimate your mother has? So, does she have one great grandparent (1/8) or one great great grandparent of mostly Huguenot ancestry which would be 1/16 or 6.25% on average? Or is it further back? When you start going past your great x 4 grandparents, you start to lose some DNA connections completely from some ancestors beyond that generation as DNA cannot be diluted infinitely.

[teragram31510]

<<it appears that the French government doesn’t allow DNA testing for ‘recreational’ purposes.>>

Yes, that's right, we heard it on the radio relatively recently, listening to the news I think (we live in France).

Margaret

[rebeccaclaire86]

Yes I’ve found absolutely no French DNA matches on Ancestry due to the laws mentioned on this thread. I do have a handful of MyHeritage ones though - I think that’s more common than Ancestry in Europe, it’s definitely worth downloading your DNA from Ancestry and uploading it to MyHeritage which is free to do.

[oldfashionedgirl]

Thank you very much everyone for your help and information.
I understand the situation so much better now.

I will be able to explain the results to my mother with a better understanding.

It’s a shame though as the Huguenot branch of our tree was the most intriguing and I was hoping that it would be confirmed.

Oh well it’s not to be.

Thanks again to all.

[teragram31510]

<<It’s a shame though as the Huguenot branch of our tree was the most intriguing and I was hoping that it would be confirmed.>>

But can't you confirm it with written records, burials, marriages, baptisms, wills etc. ? Lots of Rootchatters can help you with reading/translating French records if that's a problem.

Margaret

[coombs]

I have quite a bit of Huguenot ancestry through my 3xgreat grandmother Clara Auber, and the paper trail has gone back to Poitou in France, and Luneray in Normandy, and a lot of my Huguenot lot were among the later immigrants who came to the UK in the 1750s.

OP, if you suspect a Huguenot link, what info have you found to suggest that?