Mystery grandfather.

[DevonCruwys]

Romilly

I would suggest you try and get relatives in both the AncestryDNA and Family Finder databases as you never where the helpful matches will come from that will solve the problem. If you can I think it would be helpful for your cousin to do the Y-DNA test at Family Tree DNA.

The ethnicity percentages should not be taken too seriously beyond the continental level. They do not  generally correspond with our genealogy. Ancestry aren't able to distinguish between Irish and English and lots of English people are getting percentages of so-called "Irish" DNA.

I wrote a blog post here comparing my results from all three companies:

http://cruwys.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/comparing-admixture-results-from.html

Both AncestryDNA and FTDNA are supposed to have new admixture reports being rolled out later this year.

[Romilly]

Many Thanks for all of the helpful advice DevonCruwys.

I will try to get more relatives to do DNA tests, but most of them are quite resistant...:-(

Thanks for the Link to your Blog, - and btw, I am reading 'The Surnames Handbook' at the moment

Best Wishes, Romilly.

[DevonCruwys]

Thank you Romilly. I hope you like the book.

[hurworth]

I wrote a blog post here comparing my results from all three companies:

http://cruwys.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/comparing-admixture-results-from.html

Both AncestryDNA and FTDNA are supposed to have new admixture reports being rolled out later this year.

Thank you.   It's very helpful to see someone else's maps and you've confirmed something I've wondered.

I manage a kit from FtDNA for someone with no known ancestors from outside the British Isles.  I hadn't been certain what areas you COULD have and their map has no shading over France.   But I see you have a percentage for Western and Central Europe on yours, and they have absolutely none.   I'm not sure how common that would be.

[DevonCruwys]

I'm not sure about the maps but I have seen British people who've come out with 0% British at FTDNA!

[hurworth]

60% British Isles..but you'd think there'd be some trace of Norman ancestry (perhaps Normans aren't "Western or Central Europe")

The ironic thing is that the family story was that there was some French ancestry but the paper trail has shown that if there is French ancestry it was more than a couple of centuries ago.