Sorry not been on here for several months and what a result

Haven't been on for some time due to real life getting in the way, and it will do so for a few more months unfortunately.

But I thought I would share my good news after 17 years of looking and many questions asked of you wonderful people I have at last identified which James Smith son of William Smith is my paternal great grandfather. Thanks to a DNA test kit I was given for my birthday and some investigations of my matches trees.

Hope you are all keeping well

 

Great news! That's really some achievement.

Hope you're well, too.

 

Yes I am keeping well thank you

 

Brilliant news on discovering 'your' paternal great grandfather! Such a great feeling.....

Nice to see you back

 

Well done, nothing compares to 'that' feeling when you finally find the right person

I hope life gets easier for you soon

 

Lets face it, isn't DNA b****y wonderful

 

Yay congratulations that is brilliant news and welcome back

 

Brilliant!

Janet

 

Brilliant news, congratulations. I have been deliberately avoiding DNA but with a very similar problem to this ( a Fenwick, which in the North East might as well be Smith!) But your success perhaps has me thinking again

 

I held off DNA until I was certain I had the two most likely candidates then built out both of those trees before i took the test, and if the kit hadn't been a birthday present I still may not have taken it

 

I'm just wary/clueless with the whole DNA thing having steered well clear up to now. Which provider did you use ? My birthday is next month, might start dropping hints !

 

I was given Ancestry. Before I dove into the matches etc I watched a load of youtube videos on how to make the most of your matches and hypothesis that the testing companies give as to who is the common ancestor you share

 

I didn't think of Youtube.

 

Ancestry by far as the largest database of DNA. Also, from Ancestry you can upload your DNA to other sites but not the other way around.

Thru DNA I have finally found the birth of my gtgrandfather, who was born illegitimate and took on the surname of his step father (no wonder I couldn't find his birth!). He named his stepfather as father on his marriage certificate.

One of my 3xgt grandfathers, fathered two children in between census with a lady he did not marry. They went their own ways & this only came to light through a DNA match. He then went on to marry, have more children & emigrate to Australia - not surprising I couldn't find his death here (several death certificates purchased on that pursuit )

Lost Cousins newsletter has an excellent DNA Masterclass

Good Luck

 

Thanks Dizzy Me, might give that a read. x

 

Well done WelchRegLost for finding your paternal great grandfather. I have also done DNA and two things surprised me, one was how much work you have to put in after you get your results and the other was the lack of response from some DNA matches. That is so frustrating as often I knew they had the answers. I guess people tested for different reasons and are not so interested with family history, or they might have been bought the test as a well meaning gift. On the whole though I am pleased with the success I have had.
I look forward to you posting again WelchRegLost when you can.

 

Yes there is a lot of work i think I was very fortunate that one of my matches had a very well researched tree which made it a quick job to verify the link also helped by it being a direct male line so no surname changes etc.

 

One tip is to do a 'quick & dirty' tree as it is known, where you build out a tree from the match without verifying the information until hopefully, you find a common ancestor. Shared matches are another clue and one of them may have a tree that you can build from.

I make this tree private & unsearchable on Ancestry. Of course, it is more difficult to do if you have a person with a really common name.