I wanted to be sure re: Robert Alexander and Elizabeth Douglas

[Falleneagle]

Hello all, I wanted to be sure before I made this post but I have not heard back from the person I was trying to contact. So here is what I know.

I know there is a John Alexander and an Elizabeth Alexander who are supposed children to Robert Alexander and Elizabeth Douglas. I have a dna match to a gentleman who has the John Line. He also has a dna match to someone who has the Elizabeth line. Both clain Robert Alexander and Elizabeth Douglas are their parents. There are many trees online claiming the same thing. But without proof. So the question is this: Do these DNA matches confirm this is true or not? I would like your thoughts on this? Personally I feel it does.


Blessings
Kevin

[GR2]

There really has to be more concrete proof. A large number of "trees" showing something may mean nothing more than that lots of lazy people have accepted someone else's poor "research" as fact and reproduced it.

If these other people claim descent from Robert Alexander and Elizabeth Douglas, then they should be able to provide concrete evidence. If they can point to no source whatsoever, then they have no grounds other than wishful thinking. As Robert and Elizabeth have not provided DNA samples and nobody is prepared to reveal an authentic source, then all that the DNA shows is that there may be a link between some people today, but not that they have any link to Robert and Elizabeth.

[Craclyn]

You need to have more information about the DNA match to be able to infer where the common ancestors are. You also need to combine that information with paper trail before you can draw any conclusions.

[IanB]

DNA can be quite complicated. As you may know, YDNA passes from father to son. For example, if you and another participant share all but a few of 64 markers tested, the "scientists" may tell you there is a high probability that you and the other person share a common ancestor within, say, the last 500 years. But that is all that you will learn.  The tests cannot identify that ancestor. Someone has to start from a documented fact and work backwards. If you are really serious about constructing an accurate tree, I believe it is best not to accept anyone else's work without double-checking it. Over the years, I have wasted a lot of time following false trails.
IanB