My Ancestry DNA kit arrives tomorrow...

[Arlanymor]

... I was inspired to buy one because my late uncle was really interested in genealogy and did a lot to track back his family line - this was before DNA tests were commercially available. I have often thought how interesting it would be to pick up where he left off and a random conversation with a BT engineer (!) a couple of weeks ago convinced me to do it. Obviously - and egotistically! - the starting point is me and working out what my initial results tell me. I think something like 80% Welsh, 20% English - but with some Irish chucked in for good measure - just based on knowing where great and great-great grandparents came from. If you've done it, do you have any advice on next steps? I know our family are on Ancestry and I will now have my own log in. But I am very much a novice. If it turns out I am 99% Viking I may have to talk to my parents (!) but truly I am just interested in tracking a trail back through history. I used to work in archaeology, so I've always been very interested in this area.

Wrong, they're being rude arseholes. This is not my first time on the internet!

People who come on here say it's terrible have shit to hide... and don't want to be found out. You must think I am stupid; all of this sudden shower of fake concern for my mental health in case my dad isn't my dad. He is by the way!

SCAM, SCAM, SCAM. You're worried about being caught out for some crime. Normal people are just interested in their anthropology - I know exactly how this nonsense works. Starts with aggression and then a 'sweet' post to try and get me on side. Relax. I am fairly sure I am not related to people like you. So my DNA poses no threat to you. Cool your jets and I am not going to be intimidated by you in any way. And also, if you had nothing to be scared about, it wouldn't bother you in the slightest would it? I don't give a shit if others get a DNA test...

Wow. This thread is heating up even faster than the planet. I don’t know what exact percentage of tests are NPE (non parental event, or not parent expected) but in the States it’s not greater than 10%, somewhere between 5 and 10%.

And it's not even about that for me. I am a very unimportant person.

It’s like warning everyone who is trying to conceive that they might have a multiple pregnancy or a miscarriage, or that their child might be colour blind!

Right?! Don't breathe... it might be your last!

And it's embarrassingly stupid now - obnoxious and self-satisfied. Eff off.

Seriously, OP listen to The Gift, it’s fascinating! There are 3 series now. The chances are you won’t discover a dark secret but it’s worth a listen whilst you’re waiting for your results to come back.

No thanks.

You're the good normal person on this thread right?!

Deep dark things are pretty rare but often talked about. I was unsure if I would stay on Ancestry much beyond my DNA results. A year later I have ProTools, am subscribed to more genealogy sites and am obsessed to the extent I have spreadsheets. That's the real danger.

I don't really know why you're reacting so angrily to people who warn that there can be unexpected and difficult consequences to doing these tests. They're just being kind and giving you a heads up about a podcast!
And as a fellow Cymraes who has also been told I'm related to Glyndŵr, pleeease let us know if you're related to Dic Penderyn! I managed to trace my tree back to around the year 900 😱 because I managed to go back to a semi-famous person in the 1700s who traced his lineage back to the Tywysogion. I think most of us up in the mountains have extremely diluted royal blood!

I decided not to do a DNA test because of any potential family secrets that might be exposed, and any hurt it would cause. But let us know if you're a Penderyn!

People aren't saying these things to be mean. When genetic testing is done in a medical setting, counselling is necessary first for good reason. These companies couldn't give a toss about anything but your money which is why they skip these important steps.

Angrily? When people were rude to me? Normally.

Sort your own bloodline out.

Where are you from - if indeed you are a person?

I work in medicine - tell me what is wrong.

I don’t know about good or normal but I think everyone has a right to know their own genetic background for any reason.

I think it's entirely bizarre that people would pop on here to be matrix people. Honestly fuck offf with the faux concern. Do people really fall for it?

This thread 👀 Adding to Watch list just for the bizarre drama.

I’ve done this test as I’m really into genealogy. In six generations three illegitimate children have been discovered, one whose parentage can’t be traced, one who was the result of a relationship before marriage and one from a ONS. The intended purpose was to match up with relatives in Europe but frustratingly they haven’t been online for several years.
My DNA results have been interesting. I hope you feel the same @Arlanymor.
And yes, I have listened to The Gift.

I already know of several skeletons in my family’s closet.. best left uncovered

It can be harder to trace back beyond a certain point in Wales, due to the patronymic naming system. I also have a surprising number of people with the same name, or the name reversed. DNA can rule someone in but not out, as even with not too distant matches, you may not have enough shared dna to show up as a match. I have definite relatives who don’t show as matches.
It did help me find one ancestor where I was stuck on three possible options with the same name, and had a dna match which showed me the correct one, who grew up about ten or fifteen miles from where I thought she probably came from.
Also the transcriptions on the census can be dodgy possibly depending on whether the person noting the records was Welsh speaking or not ? Place names not always accurately transcribed, ( this may happen in England too I suppose). Always click to look at the actual census record , not the list that initially pops up, would be my tip.
The census is written in English, but many of the older records are of people who didn’t speak it, which I also think doesn’t help. It says in the margin of some censuses whether the person spoke Welsh, English or both.
Pob lwc !

My DNA turned out to be downright boring. 😁
Ancestry says I am 98% Cornish. I think my father would have been peeved to discover that was his background, as a Devonshire man he kept away from Cornwall, didn't like the place!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 omg. Are you okay 🤣🤣🤣

Unless you are into your family history the autosomal dna tests aren’t really worth it tbh. All they will do is telly you how much dna you have in common with people living in a particular area.
i had a npe surprise in my results which I could spot as I’d already spent over a decade researching my tree.

OMG - are you!?

Diolch yn fawr - dw i'n siarad Cymraeg. Thanks for your advice, that's great. Yes from the little I know it's more about ruling out than ruling in. I have a friend who is an archivist who has given me some great advice about how to research documents - I am looking at the parish records for Bedwellty as we speak!

Thanks for being normal - honestly - my ghast has been a bit flabbered by people insisting I listen to a random podcast and predicting that I will uncover terrible secrets. I spoke to my dad this morning and asked if he had any terrible secrets... he said not to tell my mum that when he went to get petrol earlier today he also bought himself a Freddo and put the wrapper in a street bin so that she wouldn't find out!

Ha ha! I said to my dad this morning that if it comes back that I am more English than Welsh, then what will he feel?! He said: "Send it back, it's faulty!" And that's because it's HIS side of the family that has English roots, not my mam's! Hers is Welsh and Irish. I love Devon, I still have a little ceramic kitten with a ball of 'wool' that changes colour according to the weather - bought it with my pocket money in Clovelly when I was seven... 40 years ago!