Anybody done an Ancestry DNA test? Worth it?

[wheneverwhereverwhatever]

Hi,

I always tell myself that I'll buy an Ancestry DNA test next time I see them on offer. They're on offer now, but I'm unsure. Any one done one? Worth it? Can't help thinking that it would be an expensive way to discover that I'm totally English (as I suspect!) but I am interested in knowing for sure what my back ground is.

Anyone found out anything interesting from one? Or discovered distant family?

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/c/dna

I did one. But I did it for a specific reason. I'm not sure I'd spend the effort/money on it for no reason.

I did one to find my biological father. He wasn't on Ancestry but, thanks to a MN thread, I uploaded my details to Heritage and found a whole new family (who had no idea I even existed!).

Hi, I did mine about 2 years ago and it opens up lots of door and connects you people that are linked by dna.

I did it because my family tree searches were coming to an end and I was able to link to other peoples trees to extend my searches.

I found a number of 2nd and 4th cousins from all over the world.

I wouldn't do it for the heritage part alone.
It tells you which parts of the world people with similar dna to yourself live which is not quite the same information that people think they will receive.
I'd also advise caution as some families do discover unexpected relatives! We did!
Family history though is a fascinating hobby and combining dna with records and research is very addictive.

This is my area of expertise.

The heritage side, take with a pinch of salt. This type of DNA test only goes back about 200 years and often you should discount the 1-3% random results like "Scandinavian" , but people don't, they then think they're Vikings!

DNA matches can be illuminating, but are sometimes unexpected and can cause trauma as well as joy. I have reunited adoptees with birth mothers and other very happy reuniting stories but analysing the DNA can sometimes be complex....don't accept Ancestry's first suggestion as to the relationship between you and a match as there are normally multiple options.

£49 is the cheapest I've seen it all year though so if you're interested, now is the time.

Feel free to drop me a line if you get stuck with anything.

I found a long lost relative so definitely worth it for me.

I did it to keep my dad happy when my mum refused.
he’s found lots of interesting relatives including some in Illinois that he has flown out to visit twice!
it’s interesting if you’re interested

Thanks for all your replies.

I think one of the reasons I'm interested is because I'm getting a bit stuck with my family tree tracing. No surviving relatives at all on my dad's side I can ask, so potentially finding out more would be interesting. And my mum never likes to talk about her family (although I have found some info) so that would be interesting too.

I might give it a go. I'll probably regret it if I don't. And then have the same conversation when it's cheap again next November!

My parents are very keep geneaolgists so their DNs tests very really helpful and connected them to lots of new relatives.

I did one and I’m so glad I did. I was prepared to find out about some unknown half siblings but instead found some cousins of my mum who shed a light on all sorts of missing bits that we had no idea about, and a very nice cousin on my paternal side who I’ve stayed in touch with. I also uncovered a few skeletons from several generations back.

There were no massive surprises on the heritage side in respect of the countries (English and Irish) but it did manage to narrow down the specific locations of England and Ireland my family come from, which largely matched the information I found out via my family tree. I also really like that it tells you whether matches are likely to be maternal or paternal. Be prepared to be matched with an awful lot of people though. I have over 1000 matches which are estimated to be up to eighth cousins etc, but you can arrange the results in order of closeness to save you time pouring through them.

You just have to be really careful if you’re planning on murdering anyone in the future, because you’ll be easier to track down.

Yes I’ve done one! Found out 30 years later that my best friend since 11 years old is my cousin! No idea how so I’ve just ordered a kit for my dad to do!

Just about to do this tomorrow so I'm interested!

I'm not sure if I'd be scared. Kind of ‘once the genie is out of the bottle’ - no going back.

Exciting or a worry?

I would never willingly share my DNA with a company in this way.

Given how inheritance works, it's not able to tell you if your background is totally English or not.

For me it was just a bit of fun. And it was interesting to find that my DNA wasn’t 80%+ English as I’d guessed (I am nearly 30% Sweden/Denmark - that’ll be all the Vikings attacking the east of England I guess!)

I did it on MyHeritage but so far the links are very tenuous - parent’s fifth cousin etc. Can I link it to Ancestry? There may be more people in there.

I did one. Found a brother for my dad who he didn't know existed. Found a potential additional sibling, but they haven't responded to contact so I presume it was a shock for them.

For me, the heritage part was pretty much accurate. It pinpointed almost exactly places that I know my ancestors came from. Although the data is constantly being updated so a few things have changed such as countries disappearing and new ones appearing.

I did it and found a cousin I didn’t know I had, as they had been adopted at birth (unmarried mother, 1960s, Irish Catholic family).

I've been listening to this podcast on radio 4 which covers stories of some people who took a test and uncovered unexpected issues. So like a few pp have warned, be prepared to find out something you may have preferred not to:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gd2dgb

My Dad's cousin used it for family tree research and an unknown half sister who was looking for her biological father traced him. Although it is lovely to make a connection with her, it has caused a huge amount of upset to my Mum at a time when she could have done without it. So yes - be careful. You may not have been careless with your sperm, but someone you love might have been....

Not my new siblings fault at all, and I am delighted she was able to find a piece of her story that was missing. Someone up the thread mentioned not being able to put the genie back in the bottle, so be mindful that what you find might not just impact you.

I did one a few years ago hoping to find any family from my Dad's side. i don't know my Dad and he doesn't know I exist. I haven't found anyone from that side of my family but still found it interesting.

A cousin asked me to do one so yes, fine, why not? From this it became clear that the pregnant young woman for whom my grandfather had abandoned his wife and two kids 70 years before had not told the whole truth. My cousin was not my cousin, nor was his sister or other brother. His mother and her brother were the children of a previously unrevealed lover and we were not related. So do a DNA test but be prepared for surprises.

I have, mainly because researching my family tree had provided evidence that some of the long held beliefs about our family's origins were wrong, and I wanted to see if the DNA confirmed my findings. (It did.) I've also located a couple of 2nd and 3rd cousins who are also tracing their family histories and we have been able to share info and photographs to our mutual benefit.
You do have to be prepared for the possibility of unpleasant surprises when you delve into your family history though and DNA analysis does carry the risk of turning over stones that might have been best left undisturbed. I haven't discovered anything bad personally but you do need to be prepared for that possibility.

My Heritage is doing them for £33 + £5 post.

Not the case I'm afraid. These sort of tests only go back about 200 years. However 30% is very significant. Have you looked at your much more recent family history to see where the Scandinavian could be? Drop me a line if you get stuck x