My Ancestry DNA arrived yesterday!

Applegran There is a box to tick so that it doesn't automatically renew. If you have a membership, you can look at all the census returns (1841 to 1911) and birth, marriage and deaths records. There is a wealth of other records like schools, church, military records. I find the wills and probate fascinating! Finding out what some ancestors were worth!! My membership of Find my Past, covers old newspapers and I could spend all day reading them.

Oopsadaisy1* The Vikings when invading took people as slaves from the north all the way down. (Yes, not just British into slavery.) Perhaps your Scottish link came from people way back then.

I have used Ancestry and Find My Past for nearly 20 years (Spent a fortune but I love this hobby!) I love putting together family trees and my Mother in Law, and Parents were so interested in what I found out and were able to share their childhood memories about ancestors. My husband and I both did DNA tests about three years ago with Ancestry and I uploaded the results to other sites that accept the information. It is absolutely fascinating. My regret is not asking my Mother in Law to do a test before she died. She would have been quite happy to. and it might have helped to find her father's father as the one on the birth certificate died two years before he was born! There are some very helpful forums on facebook. A word of warning....many trees on Ancestry have mistakes so if you are doing your tree, it is worth checking carefully before accepting hints from another tree. Ancestry often have special offers and if you are on a cashback site like Topcashback, they offer money back too. The thing that surprised me was how many American DNA matches I had, but it was explained by the fact that many more Americans have tested, and many of them are linked 5 to 8 generations back.

Bobbysgirl

It’s possible he belonged to a religion like the Plymouth Brethren - I know one of our tutors at college was expected to marry hi wife’s sister when his wife died!

My grandfather was Irish Catholic. I am just intrigued by the back story. My father never mentioned it or knew nothing about it.!

I looked at Ancestry on line and couldn't work out how long my payment covered - is it a year? or 3 months? and I noticed that it automatically re-news - or that is the impression I got. What would I get for e.g a year's membership in addition to ethnic blood lines? Can anyone explain this to me? I looked at the FAQs and they didn't answer these questions. Grateful for illumination!

My test showed that a woman I sang with for years is a cousin. Also I’m 1 per cent European Jewish. My fair haired, blue eyed husband is 1 per cent Indian. It’s fascinating.

It’s possible he belonged to a religion like the Plymouth Brethren - I know one of our tutors at college was expected to marry hi wife’s sister when his wife died!

I too did my DNA and am going over to Ireland to meet first cousins I never knew existed! It's very exciting and extremely addictive! Happy. DNA
Journey

Grammaretto Have your French friends send the envelope to yours so that when you met up in either in the UK or France, they can do the swap, leaving you to post it in the UK with the results going to their email address in France. I is was it did.

Loobs

I discovered, a few years ago, that my late mother was the illegitimate daughter of the son of the owner of a 'big house' where my maternal grandmother worked as a parlour maid (very upstairs downstairs). However, apart from knowing his name and him having paid maintenance for my mother for 16 years, I have no other information - he is not named officially on her birth certificate - would this Ancestry DNA test show up relatives from that side of the family?

Yes, if they have taken Ancestry DNA tests but not otherwise. Ancestry now separate results between mother’s family and father’s family which is very helpful.

If they have done the DNA test. My granddaughter recently did a test, she doesn’t have a tree on ancestry.

I received a message from Ancestry informing me she was a first cousin.

I had mine done a few years ago. I was hoping to find out who one of my great-grannies really was (almost every document conflicts with every other and I've not been able to verify anything. She seems to have been rather a naughty girl in her youth....) So far no good, but I live in hope.

My ethnicity estimate is odd too because it shows me as much more Scottish than I should be - nearly 30% rather than 13%. So possibly mystery g-granny had Scots blood, although I'm no nearer tracking her down through it.

Marydoll

This definitely appeals to me, but I was always wary of trying it.
Years ago, DD was doing a project in high school and we fished out the grandparents birth certificates.
I couldn't quite fathom, what transpired, but it looked like my paternal grandfather married his deceased wife's sister. I would love to find out more.

Same here. My paternal great grandfather married his first wife's sister. Also my great uncle married his step sister making his MIL his stepmother and her FIL her stepfather.

Yes, DNA testing can result in people being sadly disillusioned about a parent or grandparent they had loved and respected when they discover children born out or wedlock.

Some adoptees found out this way too that their parents were, biologically speaking, not their parents.

I am concerned too about the thought of my DNA being registered somewhere where the information might not be secure.

Witzend🤣🤣🤣

Blondiescot In France yes, but not here in the UK. of course, that’s why I waited to do mine when I was on my holiday in the UK.
What was very interesting on my record was hundreds of years ago one of my paternal ancestors wandered from Ireland to the Ukraine and settled, whereas one of my maternal’s from Russia to the UK. I fully understand times and places however, the mind boggles in imagining the two could have met on their travels.

I discovered, a few years ago, that my late mother was the illegitimate daughter of the son of the owner of a 'big house' where my maternal grandmother worked as a parlour maid (very upstairs downstairs). However, apart from knowing his name and him having paid maintenance for my mother for 16 years, I have no other information - he is not named officially on her birth certificate - would this Ancestry DNA test show up relatives from that side of the family?

It’s so good. I found out the identity of my father in 2020 when I was in my late 50s. Life changing. It’s not surprising your family shows genetics in both sides, things happened in “those days” which were covered up good style! All the best to you.

My French friends are envious Mokryna
I have no Viking nor English
I am about equal Scots and Irish (pinpointed to include the actual village!)
A bit Ashkenazi Jewish and Philippines which confirms what I knew.
However no English means some bed hopping going on..

I'd be interested to find out if I have Viking ancestry. My friend's mother was always convinced that I did, for reasons I could never quite fathom.

MiniMoon

I know I have Viking ancestors without the need for DNA testing. I went to the GP years ago about my hands. He said I had the beginning of Dupuytren's contracture, it's a Viking trait.

Snap, MM. The DNA test confirmed it!

Re. illegal DNA testing in France.. not quite sure where that sits with : "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite", but I can understand the thinking behind it. Secrets in the family etc. If it were ever opened up you can bet that many of us would find familial links there with our nearest Continental neighbour.

mokryna

It’s illegal for the ordinary person to have a DNA test, which is not for medical reasons, as it could cause problems in the family.

In France yes, but not here in the UK.

Witzend

Callistemon21

annodomini

My ancestry is quite boring - nearly all Anglo-Saxon and Celtic, with 4% Iberian which I think could be from a Spaniard washed up on the West Coast of Scotland when the storm hit the Spanish Aarmada. At least that's the best explanation I can think of.

A lot of Spanish ships used to come here to trade, particularly to Cornwall.
I had a friend whose Cornish DH had direct Spanish ancestry and a Spanish surname.

IIRC there’s a coastal village in N Devon where most of the residents are of Spanish descent, and mostly have the same Spanish-origin surname. Can’t remember the name, though - someone will know.

Is it Bucks Mills?

mokryna

It’s illegal for the ordinary person to have a DNA test, which is not for medical reasons, as it could cause problems in the family.

That reminds me of the calypso which starts with IIRC, ‘Woe is me, shame and scandal in the family!’
and ends with
‘Your daddy ain’t your daddy but your daddy don’t know!’ 😂

Callistemon21

annodomini

My ancestry is quite boring - nearly all Anglo-Saxon and Celtic, with 4% Iberian which I think could be from a Spaniard washed up on the West Coast of Scotland when the storm hit the Spanish Aarmada. At least that's the best explanation I can think of.

A lot of Spanish ships used to come here to trade, particularly to Cornwall.
I had a friend whose Cornish DH had direct Spanish ancestry and a Spanish surname.

IIRC there’s a coastal village in N Devon where most of the residents are of Spanish descent, and mostly have the same Spanish-origin surname. Can’t remember the name, though - someone will know.