DNA Family Secrets

[KateMiddletonsExtensions]

Has anyone watched this? It's quite emotional though Stacey Dooley is grating on me. It's a geneALOGIST not an -ologist.

Oh that's interesting!

My DNA test is arriving today. I'm not holding out much hope as it's relying on Scottish family doing tests too. Worth a try though?

Love Stacey’s accent myself! Refreshingly different.

As of today I have 19,348 DNA matches on Ancestry 😁Nothing closer than a third cousin, however.
It tries to separate the results into father's and mother's forebears, but for me that doesn't work very well further back - most of them came from the same area, even the same town for the last 400 years - there's been quite a bit of crossover!

I've been amazed and increasingly interested in how many have worked their way around the world - mostly chasing the gold rushes to the US and Australia. Beyond an aunt that emigrated in the 1920s I had no idea I had relatives abroad.

most of them came from the same area, even the same town for the last 400 years

That's one of the reasons I've never bothered doing DNA - mine all end up in the same very small geographical area where in 5/6 big families there are multiple marriages on both sides of my family so trying to sort out who belonged to who would be impossible.

I ran a straw poll among friends who are interested in genealogy and have done a DNA test, asking how many matches they have at 100 cM or more. This is at the level of half second cousin, third cousin. So not particularly close. Most people had 20-30 matches at that level, some (mostly Americans) had many more.

I have three. THREE on Ancestry. I manage husband's kit too and he has 13 matches over 100 cM, although a couple of them are father/son to each other.

This is a real issue for those of us who know we have British ancestry going back hundreds of years, people are just not interested in testing. I also got a Y-DNA kit for my dad and luckily he agreed to take the swab, again just two matches, both in Australia but they do share his surname so the link is there.

I do get frustrated with the shows when they say take a DNA test as if it's the magic answer to everything. If all you are getting is matches at 60-100 cM and 4th-5th cousins, that is a LOT of family tree building and possibilities.

That's not to say it isn't useful either though.

It has helped me confirm a couple of links I was unsure about further back in my tree. And to eliminate a few options too.

And it's clearly identified a 'rogue uncle' in my family by that same element of chance, which I think is nice to know.

DH has a few mysteries in his family which it may or may not clear up so will probably do one at some point.

But to get the most out of it you still need to do the 'paperwork' research too.

LOL- out of my 19,348 matches only 3 are over 100cM as well.

One parent has 14 matches over 100cM.
Two are cousins on their Dad's side who are seeking their father who disappeared a number of years ago (my parent knew they were looking for him).
The rest are their mother side which is all Irish or American. My grandmother on this side was one of 13 born in the UK and there's nothing from any of their nieces/nephews.

My other parent has 21 matches over 100cM.
Two are the long lost illegitimate cousins (see above). One is a second cousin who we know there is a story about her father going awol many years ago. One is a third cousin we found through doing family history a number of years ago and I've met in person and shared a lot of stuff with previously (she's been researching heavily for years). One is a second cousin in Scotland we don't know. I think all the rest are 2nd or 3rd cousins in Canada.
My grandmother on this side was one of 11 born in the Uk and there's nothing from any of their nieces/nephews.

Its a really interesting snap shot - all the Brits seem to either been really interested in family history as a long term hobby OR have a particular reason why they test, whereas its much more common mere curiousity for the US/Canada/Ireland.

It sounds like my parents have a decent number of hits from the sound of it, but this is likely due to a large family and a lot of emigration. There just aren't the hits coming from the family branches that DID stay in the UK.

DH has a higher number of hits than me - but also has more Irish heritage and Irish people in general are keener on DNA testing than English/Scottish/Welsh people.

I've done ancestry and have matched to what appears to be a half first cousin on my dad's side, his dm didn't have any other children and he doesn't know anything about his father so it looks highly possible that this person is the child of a half-sibling of my dad's on his father's side. It looks like this person is no longer active on ancestry and we haven't tried to message him.

I'd love to see Prof Turi King speak in person.
I've been so impressed with her demeanour (as shown on TV anyway!)
with the participants. She has just the 'right' mix of professionalism & caring.
I'd really like to contact her directly to help me solve the mystery of a person who I thought was 1 kind of relation but DNA says may be another. I need to know but I don't know if she would help for that? I guess I could email & ask!

I've been so impressed with her demeanour (as shown on TV anyway!)
with the participants. She has just the 'right' mix of professionalism & caring.

I agree, she comes over so well doesn't she?

And I suppose that there's no harm in contraction her

Prof Turi King was involved in identifying Richard III via his surviving relations.

She was also a guest on the last series of The Infinite Monkey Cage and was very interesting to listen to: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0fwwxpv?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

She is great but I don’t think she takes clients. She’s a full time academic. If you look on sites like the register of qualified genealogists you should be able to find someone who knows what they’re doing and has proper training.

I enjoy watching the show and seeing the results.
My late Dm was really interested in ancestry as she was adopted as a baby and told a few lies .. she did buy the test but never got to use it so I did it.

I love the DNA based programmes. Turi is exactly the type of person you would like to meet to navigate your ancestors, calm, and explaining the procedure (& potential pitfalls) in clear and palatable way.
I like Stacey, I find her refreshingly empathetic. I do wish that she was advised about proper pronunciation though. She is intelligent & deserves the chance to get it right. This is not a indictment on local accents, more like that phrase ‘every day is a learning day.’
I often have to go on line to check the pronunciation of words that I only know through the written word, not in speech. When I get it wrong, it causes a laugh, and I can be grateful that I’m not speaking in public!

Stacey didn’t grow up with her father so brings that extra punch as a presenter of this sort of programme, I think. Likewise, Davina (absent mother) and Nicky (adopted) in Long Lost Family.

Both programmes are good, although LLF is sometimes on the saccharine side and doesn’t show the failures often enough imo. I don’t want a whole show of disappointment like last week’s DNA Family Secrets, but the more stories where things did not pan out would feel more authentic and realistic.

I really Turi's manner and accent.
Gentle and compassionate.

What do you mean by proper pronunciation?

Stacy:"So what is it that you want to know?"
Woman:"I'd like to find out who my father was....blah blah blah..."
10 mins later
Turi:"So how can I help you?"
Woman:"I'd like to find out who my father was....blah blah blah..."
10 mins later

Really they ought to trim down all the duplication.

Out of pure interest, as I live in an age where DNA testing is possible, I bought myself an Accessory kit and sent in the spit sample and watched the "progress" on line for several weeks only to be emailed to be told the test had failed. They sent me another kit and I sent another sample off and.... the same thing happened - the test failed. I gave up and asked for my money back. I got my refund but was disappointed. I believe I provided the sample exactly as they wanted me to - I'd like to try again but don't want the disappointment or to waste my time again - I'd do it again if I could walk in somewhere and have someone oversee to make sure I'm doing everything right. I also paid for all the health info - purely out of an interest in the science.

The only thing I would not be surprised to find is that my father, who had affairs, has actually fathered children with women other than my mother. I'm not in contact with my father - I don't know where he lives or even if he is still alive - I've not known anything for the last 16 years and actually couldn't care less. His side of the family is a mystery - he has a sister who he has always said isn't his real sister - possibly a half sister - both his parents had children by other people - I don't even know his mother's name. We went out to meet someone he said was his "brother" - I honestly thought he was kidding me until we meet a guy I'd never seen before who was a dead ringer for my dad - never saw him again - this is when I was a teenager: I've never understood the picture.

I enjoyed the episode about the girl who had several birth defects who had been adopted and had had several reconstructive surgeries - I thought she was so lovely.

It's a genealogist not an -ologist. The number following 19 is not twenny. A female child is not a gewowl.

And geneticist has two letter Ts in it.

It seems to me that the only “acceptable” regional accents at the BBC are Scottish and Welsh. I understand that these two accents are regarded generally as trusted/likeable but all the same, the lack of diversity isn’t great from a corporation that’s supposed to represent the UK ….

I for one find Stacey’s Luton accent refreshing. Rather than yet another standard English, Welsh or Scottish one. I also like Tess Daly’s Lancashire accent on Strictly. But each to their own!

There's a lady called Donna Rutherford (the genealogist) who does blogs etc online on how to understand DNA results, if that helps anyone.