Looking for some general advice. Female testing.

[Liviani]

Hi everyone, I'm seriously considering going for a DNA test at some point, particularly to find potential matches with distant relatives and such as a supplementary thing to my actual paperwork findings online.

My knowledge of DNA is somewhat basic. I know about the XX (female) and XY (male) stuff, and that's as far as it goes.

What I'm looking for is some advice on what would be best in my particular circumstance, how much information would I get back and how do these percentages work exactly?

From my limited understanding as a female I can only get DNA information from the direct female line and nothing else? For example, my mum, her mum and so on.

On the full female line I have managed to get back to my 6x great-grandmother. A Margaret Elder born about 1735, probably in Angus, Scotland. Due to lack of records around this time this is where my research ends.

Now, my tree as a whole is relatively boring and not very diverse in the slightest. All of the female descendants of Margaret Elder down to me were born in Angus, Scotland. The vast majority of activity and movement is in Angus. Even down to me.
Because of these circumstances, I wonder if it's even worth me going ahead with this. I have a feeling that a DNA result will come back with full 'British Isles' or maybe 'Ireland' due to the Celtic connections.

The more interesting stuff happens on my paternal line. There is some thought that one of my paternal ancestors abandoned his wife and child in Scotland and ended up working for a large company in Canada, marrying a native Canadian and having many children with her. Whether or not this is the same man that's in my tree is another story. I can't 100% link them due to the time period and lack of records back then. Now I assume if I was to get my DNA tested that none of any potential matches in Canada or the US would appear given that it's testing my maternal line? Or is there any way around this? I have no brothers unfortunately and getting a sample from my father would be incredibly difficult.

In my circumstance what would be the best thing to do in your opinion? Of course, I haven't fully researched all of the branches on my maternal line yet, it is of course probable that some siblings of my ancestors have moved around or emigrated.

I also have an unusual name crop up in my tree; a female with the surname "Stronner or Stroner". Unfortunately there are males going down from her, so does this mean that the "data" so to speak is lost if testing is coming from me?

Little bit overwhelmed and confused on what is best here.

Thanks everyone.

[shellyesq]

With autosomal DNA testing, you can get information from more than just the direct female line. 

[Liviani]

With autosomal DNA testing, you can get information from more than just the direct female line.

Thank you. Do you know how far back this would go roughly?

[hurworth]

Autosomal DNA sometimes can go back quite a LONG way, but how much DNA you inherit from an ancestor you inherit gets more random the further you go back. 

In our case we've been able to link back to mutual relatives born in the mid to late 1700s, and one of those matches confirmed that the man whose name is in the parish minutes in Scotland regarding his illegitimate son (our ancestor) is the same man who married a couple of parishes away a few years later.  One of his gtgt-granddaughters from the marriage is a strong match to some of his gtgt-grandchildren via his illegitimate son (and a weak match to some others in the same branch).

They say up to five generations but in reality often your matches are most distant (and hence quite difficult if not impossible to work out the connection to)

[Liviani]

Autosomal DNA sometimes can go back quite a LONG way, but how much DNA you inherit from an ancestor you inherit gets more random the further you go back. 

In our case we've been able to link back to mutual relatives born in the mid to late 1700s, and one of those matches confirmed that the man whose name is in the parish minutes in Scotland regarding his illegitimate son (our ancestor) is the same man who married a couple of parishes away a few years later.  One of his gtgt-granddaughters from the marriage is a strong match to some of his gtgt-grandchildren via his illegitimate son (and a weak match to some others in the same branch).

They say up to five generations but in reality often your matches are most distant (and hence quite difficult if not impossible to work out the connection to)

Many thanks for this explanation. Very helpful. Sounds like Autosomal DNA testing is more suitable for what I'm looking for.

I will probably go for this. Thanks again!

[Ruskie]

I was going to suggest an autosomal "familyfinder" test from FTDNA too.

There is also this newish company which is getting reasonable reviews:
https://www.livingdna.com/en-gb

I don't expect you to explain the reasons, but you say that it would be difficult to get your father to take a YDNA test - if at all possible, it might be worth the effort if it is his line you are interested in.

An autosomal test is substantially cheaper though, and is a good place to start.

However, depending on his age etc, having your father take a test is an "investment" in the future, expecially as you have no brothers. I believe that results can be upgraded at a later date - in general you tend to have more chance of better matches if you take the more expensive YDNA test.

Does your father have any brothers? (Assuming you believe they have the same father)   

[hurworth]

There is also this newish company which is getting reasonable reviews:
https://www.livingdna.com/en-gb

I don't think this will help Liviani though. 

Living DNA doesn't do cousin-matching.  It just gives you percentages of your ancestry from various parts of the British Isles at this stage.

[Ruskie]

There is also this newish company which is getting reasonable reviews:
https://www.livingdna.com/en-gb

I don't think this will help Liviani though. 

Living DNA doesn't do cousin-matching.  It just gives you percentages of your ancestry from various parts of the British Isles at this stage.

Thanks for that.

[Liviani]

I was going to suggest an autosomal "familyfinder" test from FTDNA too.

There is also this newish company which is getting reasonable reviews:
https://www.livingdna.com/en-gb

I don't expect you to explain the reasons, but you say that it would be difficult to get your father to take a YDNA test - if at all possible, it might be worth the effort if it is his line you are interested in.

An autosomal test is substantially cheaper though, and is a good place to start.

However, depending on his age etc, having your father take a test is an "investment" in the future, expecially as you have no brothers. I believe that results can be upgraded at a later date - in general you tend to have more chance of better matches if you take the more expensive YDNA test.

Does your father have any brothers? (Assuming you believe they have the same father)   

Many thanks for the advice. I'll see what I can do regarding my father as that seems the best possible course of action for what I'm looking i.e. looking to confirm and see if there are connections with anyone with Cree DNA in Canada. Otherwise it would be autosomal testing. My father does have 5 brothers, but they live all over the place and nowhere near me, one in South Africa.

Thank you for the site recommendations. The livingdna site does look good but as hurworth said it doesn't do cousin matching yet. Despite this, it's one I will keep in mind for the future given how far back they can test.

Thanks everyone, much appreciate. I will consider all options and look to doing this sometime this year.