using dna to try and find unknown grandfather

[Nanna52]

Annie it was nearly a hundred years ago so doubt there is anyone left who really knows.  I am enjoying the chase.  If my assumptions are right I have it down to two men.  My first cousin match is an eighty plus niece of them.  I am dealing with her daughter.
The funny thing though is on another branch I have contacted someone born in 1944 who doesn't know who his father is.  He is a third/fourth cousin to me so I am trying to help him.  I only have six matches in this line, but more than twenty in my unknown father line.
We should be prepared I'm sure DNA testing is going to find lots of surprises.

[Rosinish]

Nanna...

I was a complete sceptic probably less than a yr ago, possibly a bit longer but now having read some good stories from RCers who I "believe" rather than 'Joe Soap' on an unknown site & talking to a RC 'friend' (never met, only on RC), I have a different outlook now & seriously thinking of having the 'test'!!!

I've come a long way so to speak & it's stories like yours which intrigue me & make me wonder what I may find?

My brother had his done with 23&me but not uploaded to other sites (he's not into 'genealogy'), I'm the Genealogist in the family.

I did have access to his 23&me info. but I didn't find anything interesting as the ones I could see who'd done the test, I already knew & it was myself who gave them a lot of info. on our tree i.e. I know that side & the ones more distant weren't much interested in finding the connection (for whatever reason)?

I think I may go forward with this in the next month & looking forward to it, especially as I was so 'against it' originally but I suppose it was a case of dipping into something I didn't really understand just as you wouldn't eat eels as they're not the 'norm' in a diet?

I hope you find the connection!

Annie

[Nanna52]

Annie I have had two possible branches confirmed through DNA testing.  One before I had mine done.  My cousin had his done a couple of years ago.  Later he was contacted by someone in New Zealand who had found a match.  He had no idea who she was talking about, but I immediately put him right.  She was descended from a sister of my 2 X great grandmother.
The second was descended from another sister of the same 2 X great grandmother. 
As you can see I came from a dysfunctional family, on both sides. 

[GailB]

I too am looking for the father of my illegitimate grandmother. I got a pretty high match straight away but this has had its ups and downs from one way of being related to another. I missed a vital clue to start with but got my mothers results last week which has helped a lot. I have now narrowed it down to two men, who were brothers.

I have also found that two of my great grandfathers had illegitimate children before they married. I have confirmed another great great grandfather and have found that my father possibly had an unknown half brother.

It's all fascinating stuff.

[Old Bristolian]

Have you uploaded your results to other sites?  You don't mention which site you've tested with. I tested with Ancestry but have uploaded my results to My Heritage, FTdna and gedmatch. That way you get a wider sweep.


Gadget

I too am searching for a "missing" grandfather and have uploaded my Ancestry DNA file to My Heritage and Gedmatch. FTDNA however will not accept it saying it's in the wrong format or corrupted - strange as it's a zip file

Steve

[Gadget]

Steve - I had same problem. Try this conversion - it worked for me:

http://www.mapmy23.com/tools/ancestry_ftdna_fix.php


Gadget

[Flattybasher9]

I wonder about using DNA to trace missing relatives. What will the outcome be, when someone finds his/her father/grandfather was a sperm donor, and has hundreds of half brothers/sisters. Some are claiming that they are sending their sperm world-wide and have fathered hundreds of children. Linking DNA to family history may become quite complicated in the future.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35262535

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/health/06donor.html

And there's "loads" more. 

Malky

[Hmootm]

I'm getting nowhere fast with the search for my unknown grandfather  My closest match is a 4th cousin, he is actually my closest 4th cousin at 63 centimorgans over 3 dna segments.  he has a small tree which I have tried to use to make a mirror tree, i got back further than he has but not nearly far enough

I was thinking about sending him a message asking for help but I'm not sure, do people generally mind being approached and asked about possible relatives even if it means uncovering a secret? I don't know if he would be able to help me anyway, if he had closer cousins that are also shared matches with me, would that help me at all?  I cant get my head around it!  Maybe he has wondered about me, the strange random match from England lol

I'd love to help someone if I could but no one ever messages me or replies to my messages

[Mart 'n' Al]

Hmootm, I've only just got my DNA results and uploaded them to GED match the weekend. My closest relative I was already in touch with, but this confirmed that we were actually descended from the same grandfather. I've contacted the next on the list, but it's too soon to expect to have heard from her. If anyone else contacts me and tells me anything else however shocking or unbelievable I will be greatly interested. However DNA tests are trendy presents these days and the Test companies even try to push them as Mother's Day and Father's Day presents. I can imagine that leading to tears. What I'm saying is if somebody receives a kit as a present they are less likely to respond to emails about it than if the person had paid for the test themselves. It is a complex business, and if you haven't chosen to Delve into this complexity you possibly wouldn't bother. So if you don't get an answer, perhaps it's worth trying again a few weeks later explaining things from a different point of view.

Martin