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Ancestry testing

81 replies

dustydrawers · 24/08/2024 07:46

Has anyone done it? I’ve looked at 23andme and ancestry uk. But wondering which is better. Thanks

OP posts:
Orangecar25 · 25/08/2024 09:58

I've done both.
23 and me is more interesting in terms of traits and health insights.
Ancestry is better for family tree research and tracing relatives as it links to your tree and works out how you are related.

theDudesmummy · 25/08/2024 10:02

Subscription gives you access to the full information database, which is huge, allowing you to build your own tree, also enables various other useful tools in relation to your DNA research. I love messing around on Ancestry when I have some time I have found so many interesting documents, stories, photos etc.

I also found out about two hereditary health conditions in my family and my DH's, which has been important information (in my case I had a test to rule it out, in his he needed to be aware of his daughters needing more frequent breast screening than is usual). So very useful.

Lifeinlists · 25/08/2024 10:04

Ancestry has by far the biggest database.

I was surprised how much information I got back and which parent supplied which ethnicity. The closest matches were indeed my first cousins and then it spread out from there. The accuracy seemed pretty good to me. A cousin who was adopted into the family showed zero match, which wasn't surprising, but that was quite reassuring that it wasn't just guesswork.

I've found it fascinating, though it does eat up time I should be doing other things! I have been able to find out much more about various branches of my family, some quite surprising.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Gifgaf · 25/08/2024 10:05

theDudesmummy · 25/08/2024 10:02

Subscription gives you access to the full information database, which is huge, allowing you to build your own tree, also enables various other useful tools in relation to your DNA research. I love messing around on Ancestry when I have some time I have found so many interesting documents, stories, photos etc.

I also found out about two hereditary health conditions in my family and my DH's, which has been important information (in my case I had a test to rule it out, in his he needed to be aware of his daughters needing more frequent breast screening than is usual). So very useful.

Sounds good, I may defo go for this. Does it matter too much on the last names ? As I mentioned I am not too sure as they have changed it a few times given the era of war at the time.

theDudesmummy · 25/08/2024 10:13

@Lifeinlists same here! It's a rabbit hole at times! I have had a mixture of finding out a lot more about the ancestors and relatives I already knew about, and discovering whole new branches and ethnicities I had known nothing about. Also connecting with people who have shared very interesting information. I even found that one of my relatives (from a branch I had known nothing about) had written an autobiography, which I obtained and found fascinating. Another one I hadn't known about was quite a famous person (in his day). All so interesting.

NancyPickford · 25/08/2024 10:14

@gifgaf- my Ancestry results showed up a bunch of first cousins I'd never heard of. The answer to this can be upsetting or painful if you are not already leaping to conclusions.

theDudesmummy · 25/08/2024 10:16

@Gifgaf Name changes can make building the tree more challenging, I am sure, but I would say have a go and see what you can find out. You will find relatives among your matches who may be able to give you much more information, as some of mine did.

theDudesmummy · 25/08/2024 10:18

@NancyPickford yes, that is why they always say think carefully about how you will react to unexpected results and what it could mean for family relationships. I had suspicions which were confirmed, so what I found wasn't a complete shock, but it may be different for others.

Gifgaf · 25/08/2024 10:19

NancyPickford · 25/08/2024 10:14

@gifgaf- my Ancestry results showed up a bunch of first cousins I'd never heard of. The answer to this can be upsetting or painful if you are not already leaping to conclusions.

Makes me nervous thinking about it but think I am ready to try it again

Gifgaf · 25/08/2024 10:20

theDudesmummy · 25/08/2024 10:16

@Gifgaf Name changes can make building the tree more challenging, I am sure, but I would say have a go and see what you can find out. You will find relatives among your matches who may be able to give you much more information, as some of mine did.

I think I may try both as I am also curious about the health line also. When you did both, write the results the same in terms of background?

LadyGaGasPokerFace · 25/08/2024 10:23

I did Ancestry after lockdown. My results came back and as were expected where both my parents were from. No one could guess my heritage by my name. Had to shut a science teacher down in his theory that they were bunkum.

RedToothBrush · 25/08/2024 10:34

dustydrawers · 25/08/2024 04:58

It’s to find genetic history for ds, my side is mainly uk, but his dads side is mainly eastern europe

sounds like ancestry is the way to go, thanks for the replies

Definitely ancestry for genealogy. It's got a bigger database.

The issue you may have is that testing isn't so widespread in other parts of Europe and the records not online so you may or may not find what you are looking for.

What you are more likely to find are distant cousins in the US or Canada (or even Australia) where testing is much more common than even the UK than relatives in Eastern Europe as a result (if they are even still there).

The issue is the pay wall to find out additional information. I believe there is a free three month trial but you have to pay beyond that.

If you are really interested and want to take it further it is worth it. I've also got the pro tools option which lets you see how you are related to people at greater depth but this is yet another additional cost. It really depends on how interested and how far you want to take it.

If you just do the test it is more limited in what it tells you than you might think. It will show you, your origins and your DNA journey matches (communities of people who have either been located in a single location or followed a common migration pattern from a single place of origin) and your DNA matches but not much more. It will give you a very rough guesstimate of how closely you are related (which can be misleading in some cases where communities have been isolated and the DNA pool is limited due to intermarriage).

Also please be aware of the possibility of unexpected result and matches. It's is exceptionally common. Between my family and DHs family we have found three different family groups which shouldn't be there relating to within great grandparent generations. In parts of the family we really weren't expecting it too! (We thought there would be one but nothing in that part of the family to date!). And there's always the possibility of more in the future. It can really be a shock - don't underestimate it.

RedToothBrush · 25/08/2024 10:40

I found out one of my distant ancestors born in 1759 was a foundling earlier this week. I've also been able to confirm this with DNA matches. I'm really pleased because he had an unusual name which was uncommon in the area. Church records have confirmed a name change too (which was standard practice for the foundling hospital that took him in). It's now linked my to a totally different part of the country which I didn't previously have a connection with.

So you can use ancestry to this level of detail if so inclined.

I've been doing family history for around 20 years now, and DNA has helped me make some significant breakthroughs on some brickwalls which have been an issue for years. I still have massive gaps in the Irish part of my family because of the loss of records though.

theDudesmummy · 25/08/2024 11:09

@Gifgaf We didn't find out the health issues from the DNA. In my case it was from communicating with cousins I had not known about before. In DH's case it was from seeing his grandmother and great grandmother's death certificates.

theDudesmummy · 25/08/2024 11:13

@redtoothbrush yes, the Irish issue is frustrating! I too have been able to find out little about my Irish connections, because of lack of records. In another context too: I have bought an old Irish farmhouse, from pre-famine times in all probability, but finding the history of the house and who lived in it before about 1900 has been impossible.

Another2Cats · 25/08/2024 11:16

Gifgaf · 25/08/2024 10:20

I think I may try both as I am also curious about the health line also. When you did both, write the results the same in terms of background?

I did both Ancestry and 23andme. The results as to background were broadly the same but Ancestry was a lot more specific. Even right down to one specific county in the southwest of England (you can tell that my ancestors didn't move about much).

One thing I will say is that if you can get either or both of your parents (if they are still alive) to also do a DNA test then that will help a lot as you are going back one generation earlier which makes it a lot easier to find DNA matches.

Between them, my mum and dad have more than double the number of matches that I do and since I know that they are my real parents that means that all of these matches are also my DNA matches as well.

With changing names etc that makes life more difficult but Ancestry is much better for sorting this out.

Just to give one example. A woman on 23andme was shown as being related to me quite closely but I had never heard of her. We got talking and it turned out that her mother and aunt had both been adopted at an early age and she was interested in finding out who her mother's birth parents (maternal grandparents) were.

23andme can't help with that but Ancestry can (with a bit of help from FindMyPast as well).

So I did some digging and found the following:

It turns out that the grandmother was born in County Galway, Ireland and then married while she was living in Wexford.

Her husband was a policeman who had recently returned from China where he had served for six years in the Shanghai Municipal Police (many Shanghai policemen at this time were Irish or British).

After marrying, they then relocated to what is nowadays Kenya where he joined the British East African Mounted Police based in Nairobi. Unfortunately he died two years later and her grandmother returned to the UK.

About five years after his death, her grandmother gave birth to two daughters (my relative’s mother and aunt) in London and they were both adopted at an early age.

They had earlier been fostered and were shown on the 1921 Census as foster children.

Normally, if a woman was unmarried then no father would be shown on the birth certificate. But in both cases her widowed grandmother gave the name of her (five year) deceased husband as the father.

In reality, given the DNA test, it appears that it is some relation of mine (likely from my grandparent's or great grandparent's generation) that was the father.

I’m still working on exactly which relative of mine might have been her grandfather but my best guess at the moment is a man who was the cousin of my great grandfather.

All this came from searching the records available on Ancestry (and also FindMyPast which has the 1921 Census)

Also, you don't have to sign up for an annual subscription, you can do it for just 3 months or even one month at a time.

Another2Cats · 25/08/2024 11:19

dustydrawers · 25/08/2024 04:58

It’s to find genetic history for ds, my side is mainly uk, but his dads side is mainly eastern europe

sounds like ancestry is the way to go, thanks for the replies

As another poster said, Ancestry is really great for English speaking countries.

I've found though that MyHeritage has a lot more European matches compared to Ancestry.

But the thing is, you can upload your Ancestry DNA test to MyHeritage but you can't do the reverse. So I would suggest that you do the test with Ancestry then you can also use this with MyHeritage without having to do another test

HauntedbyMagpies · 25/08/2024 12:36

blackheartsgirl · 25/08/2024 05:27

I’ve never had my results for Ancestry .sent them off 3 months ago for both me and my daughter, never had them back

Edited

Have you tried logging in? They should be there. If not, then contact them

HauntedbyMagpies · 25/08/2024 12:38

@Gifgaf Sounds like your mum has some explaining to do! I'm sorry you found out like that

Isabelle70 · 25/08/2024 12:50

My late DM purchased an Ancestry test but never got to use it. I did the test and after a few years was matched with a cousin, turns out it wasn't an actual cousin it was a half brother of my DM. He messaged me and I did provide him with the information I knew, I think it was all a large shock for him.

theDudesmummy · 25/08/2024 13:39

@blackheartsgirl did you get email confirmation from Ancestry that they had received your test? IME it doesn't take three months from then to process so if so, and the results are not up on the site yet, then just contact them, of course.

Gifgaf · 25/08/2024 14:03

Another2Cats · 25/08/2024 11:16

I did both Ancestry and 23andme. The results as to background were broadly the same but Ancestry was a lot more specific. Even right down to one specific county in the southwest of England (you can tell that my ancestors didn't move about much).

One thing I will say is that if you can get either or both of your parents (if they are still alive) to also do a DNA test then that will help a lot as you are going back one generation earlier which makes it a lot easier to find DNA matches.

Between them, my mum and dad have more than double the number of matches that I do and since I know that they are my real parents that means that all of these matches are also my DNA matches as well.

With changing names etc that makes life more difficult but Ancestry is much better for sorting this out.

Just to give one example. A woman on 23andme was shown as being related to me quite closely but I had never heard of her. We got talking and it turned out that her mother and aunt had both been adopted at an early age and she was interested in finding out who her mother's birth parents (maternal grandparents) were.

23andme can't help with that but Ancestry can (with a bit of help from FindMyPast as well).

So I did some digging and found the following:

It turns out that the grandmother was born in County Galway, Ireland and then married while she was living in Wexford.

Her husband was a policeman who had recently returned from China where he had served for six years in the Shanghai Municipal Police (many Shanghai policemen at this time were Irish or British).

After marrying, they then relocated to what is nowadays Kenya where he joined the British East African Mounted Police based in Nairobi. Unfortunately he died two years later and her grandmother returned to the UK.

About five years after his death, her grandmother gave birth to two daughters (my relative’s mother and aunt) in London and they were both adopted at an early age.

They had earlier been fostered and were shown on the 1921 Census as foster children.

Normally, if a woman was unmarried then no father would be shown on the birth certificate. But in both cases her widowed grandmother gave the name of her (five year) deceased husband as the father.

In reality, given the DNA test, it appears that it is some relation of mine (likely from my grandparent's or great grandparent's generation) that was the father.

I’m still working on exactly which relative of mine might have been her grandfather but my best guess at the moment is a man who was the cousin of my great grandfather.

All this came from searching the records available on Ancestry (and also FindMyPast which has the 1921 Census)

Also, you don't have to sign up for an annual subscription, you can do it for just 3 months or even one month at a time.

Very helpful information! It's a bit hard for me to figure out everyone as records weren't kept as well or are not all entirely correct to how I may know them. A few people have said that MyHeritage is not as reliable so I definitely want to try a different one and see what I get.

Gifgaf · 25/08/2024 14:05

HauntedbyMagpies · 25/08/2024 12:38

@Gifgaf Sounds like your mum has some explaining to do! I'm sorry you found out like that

Not a chance if you knew my mother but also I am identical to my dad as is my brother, who is a twin with my sister who looks like my mum.

Podcastlover · 25/08/2024 14:25

This is worth a listen. The podcast series 'sliced bread' took a look at the different tests and whether they were accurate/safe etc. I think it depends what you are trying to find out.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0020xzb?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

Startingagainandagain · 25/08/2024 14:34

I was considering doing one of these tests as well as I have some real doubts about my grand-father being my father's real father.

The issue is that I am reluctant to give my real name or to have people contact me as I am estranged from all relatives on my mother's side...