Best DNA test to get a result?

[rusted]

My Great great grandmother was the daughter of English convicts transported to Tasmania, she married a convict in Tasmania and they had a daughter. (shotgun wedding with the convict dragged to the alter). They moved to the Gold Rush in Victoria Australia and split up soon after with the husband (Alfred Drury) taking the daughter and moving a long way away. We have no idea when the split exactly occurs but soon the lady is in another gold rush town with another man, a Maltese (Charles Messina). They have a daughter but the daughter is given the convicts name. (Julia Drury, my Great grandmother) This couple go on to have a large family of little Messinas and my great Grandmother is called Julia Messina everywhere but on her birth registration.
The question is could a DNA test prove that my grandfather was of Maltese descent or English descent?
The other option is the possibility of contacting the descendants of the Messinas for DNA.
Alfred Drury only had a daughter that we are sure is his, maybe this is not a possible lead.
There are Messinas in the same town as I am but the Drury descendants, if there are any would be hundreds of Kilometers away. I have not spoken to any of the Messina descendants and really don't know if this would even be possible. Best to know what you are talking about before broaching the subject with possible long lost relations I think.

[Ruskie]

If your gg grandmother was married to Alfred Drury when she had Julia, she would automatically take the surname Drury no matter who her real father was. If she was known as Messina throughout her life, then either Charles was her real father or because he brought her up, then she used his surname.

As the line is female (from Charles) I'm not sure a DNA test will give you the answers you require. A Familyfinder test will give you a mish mash of results from both sides of your family, some of which may indicate Mediterranean ancestry. The YDNA test is for the male line only, and the MTDNA test is for tracing the female line, so none of these fit the bill exactly.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong regarding any of that, and advise which test might be suitable for you, if any.

[Ruskie]

I just reread your post and not sure if I mislead you.

Have a read of this, which should help explain it for you:
http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_DNA_tests

[youngtug]

or; http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/chromosomes/

[rusted]

Thanks for those links, I will sit down later and try to absorb what they are all about.

Julia's mum seems to have spent her life trying to cover up her convict background so it is extremely difficult to get to the bottom of what she was doing and with whom. She spent a lot of time moving from gold rush to gold rush with Alfred Drury and then Charles Messina and gave different information every time she had contact with record keepers. Charles died of a brain tumour when she was 32 and the last Messina child also has possibly doubtful paternaty. She married another Maltese (possibly a work mate of Charles) and they settled and lived a long life together and left decent records finally.

[Ruskie]

You have obviously gone some way to tracing the movements of Julia and her parents. Can you give details of some place names and approximate dates please? (wondering if they got any mentions in newspapers)

[rusted]

Ruskie
Here's what I know.
Ann Eliza Keep born Longford Tas 4 Aug 1839.
23 May 1853 Marriage to Alfred Drury. St Marks C of E Deloraine, apparently the church record states she had already had a child, there is no other record of a child. She was 13.
Alfred Drury had left Tas by 12 Feb 1852 (shipping record) Joseph Ewington, Anns step father followed him to Victoria and brought him back.
12 Jul 1854 Charlotte Anna Druery born at spring Gully Bendigo
12 Jun 1857 Julia Druery born at Jones Creek (Waanyarra, near Tarnagulla)
Some time around these dates Alfred left and took Charlotte with him to Young NSW and Ann Eliza met and maybe married Charles Messina. She says they were married at Jim Crow (Daylesford) and Melbourne, but no one has been able to find anything.
I found 3 things in the papers for Charles Messina, letters from Malta held by Mr Azzopardi and his death of Brain disease in Yarra Bend Asylum. Admitted 16 May, died 11 Jun 1866
Alfred Drury, a few train trips, bits and pieces about his pub in Young and buying land. Maybe a court appearance in Bendigo as a witness.
Ann Eliza, nothing in Trove, there are a couple of small articles in the Maryborough and Dunolly advertiser about a collection being taken up for her when Charles dies. (Maryborough Historical society collection).
other kids
William Messina born 1859 Amherst
Elizabeth Jane Messina born 1861 Amherst
Louis anthony messina born 1863 Bluchers reef. (Mayborough very near Maryborough cemetery)
Valetia Messina born 1867 Bluchers Reef.
Genaro Persico (third husband) born 1824 Palermo. 7 Sep 1869 admitted to hospital describes himself as married. 1872 marriage to Ann Eliza Messina. They had two boys who I have been able to track quite well, Genaro Junior drowned at age 6 in a mine dam at Bluchers Reef. John Joseph Persico married and then split up and appears all over the place without his wife and probably never had children.
Messina is pronounced Messner or Massna all the grandchildren of Ann Eliza and Charles took on the Massina spelling.

[Ruskie]

Well you seem to have been pretty thorough in your research, and have put together a substantial time line.
Are you in touch with descendants of any of Julia's siblings? I am wondering if comparing DNA of descendants of a couple of branches might help? .... 

[rusted]

No I haven't contacted any of the Massina descendants yet, I was waiting to find out if that sort of test was useful first.

The whole Question revolves around those few years between Charlotte Anna Druery being born in Spring Gully in 1854, (presumably Alfred would have had to wait until she was weaned before taking off, so probably closer to 1855 to 1856.) and Julia being born in 1857. When did Alfred shoot through?
Alfred never knew about Julia, when he died Charlotte Anna is described as his only child, though thats not surprising, he did go and lose himself and Ann Eliza was Illiterate, so there would have been no contact.
I wonder if Ann Eliza might have contacted the police about Alfred taking their daughter? Thats probably why he went to Young rather than just moving to another Victorian gold field.
Anyway my great great Grandfather was Alfred or Charles, flip a coin.