Just received by Ancestry DNA results...

[Knight-Sunderland]

Got by Ancestry DNA results back today. Ordered the kit 31 Jan, sent off sample 2 Feb, received results 11 March - not a bad speed in my opinion!

Besides from the ethnicity results (38% Irish who would have guessed it!), I notice that out of THIRTY SEVEN pages of potential DNA matches, about 98% of them are American and I only found three people with an obvious link to my family tree - even then it was vague (same surname in a particular area etc.)

I am pleased I ordered it and am enjoying the experience, but I feel that, as a Brit, I may be a bit early to the party! Perhaps I should have waited a year or so until its popularity picked up here - but someone's got to go first!

I call on all my fellow British genealogists to join me on Ancestry DNA - it's very lonely here right now!

Regards,
Jack

[DevonCruwys]

Jack

Ancestry have been selling their test in the US for the last two years now. They got a big take up when they dropped the price to $99. They also had flash sales when the price went down to $79. There were about 700,000 Americans in the database when the test is launched in the UK so we're just a drop in the ocean. I think it's a shame that Ancestry are making us pay so much more than the Americans as I don't think they're going to get the same take up when we're being charged almost double the price.

You might like to have a look at my blog post on the subject:

http://cruwys.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/ancestrydna-test-now-on-sale-in-uk-and.html

Make sure you do the free transfer to Family Tree DNA. There already lots of Brits in the FTDNA database:

https://www.familytreedna.com/learn/imports/transfer-autosomal-ancestry/family-tree-dna-family-finder-transfer-program/

[davidft]

Congratulations in getting your results back. The 38% Irish is maybe not so surprising as there was quite a bit of Irish immigration to the NE, indeed there are books on it and it has been mentioned on here.

I would agree with DevonCruwys about using the free transfer to ftDNA as that could increase your possibility of getting a match. I tested with ftDNA a few years ago but have no near matches on my paternal line which is disappointing but seeing as my ancestors appear to come from a Northumberland black hole I may be waiting some time. (I have had some luck with autosomal matches but on lines I was not chasing).

Good luck with the DNA searches

 

[Craclyn]

As DevonCruwys said you should be able to find matches with other Brits if you transfer your data to FTDNA. For those like myself who have left the UK to live in Europe there is still no DNA service offered by Ancestry. The transfer to FTDNA involves a small fee if you want to be able to access contact information for the matches. Another option is the free transfer to gedmatch.com where you can find a subset of users from Ancestry, FTDNA and 23andme.

[hmserge]

Hi

I received my DNA results on a very similar timescale to yourself (sent the 3rd February, received back 11th March). 

I had a feeling they might have said over 90% Great Britain but in fact the results are 69% Great Britain, 22% West European and 5% Irish (I've not come across anyone in my tree from Ireland or know of anyone), also traces of Scandinavia and Finland.  I'm also very surprised that West European is 22%, I wonder if this is for the countries of France/Germany?  I don't know of any in my tree.   

I too have about 40 pages of potential DNA matches but have so far only managed to find about 4 people with links to my tree (they are all in the US), but it's nice to have that connection. 

I'm also very pleased that I've done the Ancestry DNA test, I find it fascinating and exciting.  It would be nice to have more connections especially in Great Britain.  I'll look into the FTDNA as I haven't heard of it before. 

[DevonCruwys]

You can't take these ethnicity percentages too seriously as it's not really possible to distinguish between British, Irish, French and German people with the currently available tests. I come out as 20% Irish but I have just one Irish ggg great grandparent. Ancestry have done quite a nice blog post showing the distribution of the ethnicity percentages amongst their staff:

http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2015/03/13/behind-the-scenes-find-out-whats-in-our-dna-here-in-the-ancestry-office/

[Knight-Sunderland]

Thanks for the reply's everyone, and thank you DevonCruwys for your advice, I have signed up to FTDNA - I'm still getting used to it! I have many matches on FTDNA, and I was relieved to see that the top match had a CLEAR connection to me, which made me feel kind of relieved! I was getting frustrated with all of these matches having NO apparent link whatsoever!

Looking at the forums on FTDNA it looks like I have a LOT to learn! As you can see from the time of this post I have been up quite a while trying to get my head round it all, time for a good night's sleep I think! Look forward to diving in again tomorrow!

[DevonCruwys]

There's lots of useful information available. I would suggested starting with Kelly Wheaton's excellent learning guide:

https://sites.google.com/site/wheatonsurname/beginners-guide-to-genetic-genealogy

Sue Griffith has lots of material on her website:

http://www.genealogyjunkie.net/genetic-genealogy.html

There are lots of articles in the ISOGG Wiki:

http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Portal:Autosomal_DNA

Make sure you read the page on autosomal DNA statistics and identical by descent.

[hmserge]

Hi

Are there any fees for FTDNA? If so are they a reasonable cost? 

Thanks