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General => Ancestral Family Tree DNA Testing => Topic started by: Crazy Horses 81 on Saturday 08 August 20 17:09 BST (UK)
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Hello there!
My mother was a warbaby and I'd love to know if there's a way to find out who her father may have been. I've recently discovered she has two living half sisters but unfortunately, despite contacting the youngest, she is not very helpful with my enquiries. I don't believe the sisters were ever told about my mother's father.
Currently I'm aware that both Ancestry and My Heritage have offers on their tests - but which would be most beneficial for me. Yes, I'd love to know my ethnicity, and whether I have relatives abroad but I'd also love to know more about my mother's family history.
Then there's the FTDNA that does the mtDNA test...
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
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I think you need an autosomal test for your mother to find her father.
Ancestry is probably the best bet. It has the largest data base of matches. You can also upload the DNA to Gedmatch and other sites like My Heritage from Ancestry but you cannot upload from the other sites to Ancestry.
It all depends if any relatives of her father have taken a DNA test of course.
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I've gone ahead and ordered the Ancestry one.. let's see :-)
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As 'Tug said, your AncestryDNA test can also be sent to My Heritage. Sort out the Ancestry stuff first, then set up a (free) account with MH by loading up your GED file. You can do your DNA file after. A bit of a faff, but be patient. Unlike AncestryDNA, you can't interact with MH contacts until you pay for a MH subscription, but at least you are 'on show'. Good luck.
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As 'Tug said, your AncestryDNA test can also be sent to My Heritage. Sort out the Ancestry stuff first, then set up a (free) account with MH by loading up your GED file. You can do your DNA file after. A bit of a faff, but be patient. Unlike AncestryDNA, you can't interact with MH contacts until you pay for a MH subscription, but at least you are 'on show'. Good luck.
I didn’t realise that. I uploaded my raw data from FTDNA some time ago and I can contact my matches. I have never had a subscription to My Heritage.
I know that a couple of years ago they changed the goalposts somewhat, and they now ask you to pay a one off cost to “unlock” certain (the most useful) features.
Have they changed it again, so that you now need a subscription as well, or instead of paying that one off cost?
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In your situation I would go with the Ancestry test and subscribe to Ancestry as well,
Build a Tree on Ancestry and once the DNA results are in make sure it is linked to the Tree.
Just leave your Mother's actual Father blank but do include her half siblings and their families on your tree even if you only just use Surnames.
Hints will come and DNA matches will be reported, but all DNA matches, not just those of your actual Grandfather.
You mentioned Ethnicity, do take the results with a huge pinch of salt. My own Ethnicity bears no resemblance to what was presented by Ancestry when we originally had the DNA test undertaken, we presume that their Database has expanded considerably. If Ancestry has formulated the Ethnicity using the Family Trees on its site then that gives me great concern as so many Trees are simply works of fiction with errors compounded from Tree to Tree
It all takes time so upload the DNA results to other sites as well
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I also did an Ancestry autDNA test initially and have uploaded to Gedmatch(free)FTDNA(free but now requires small fee to unlock Chromosome Browser)My Heritage the same
Kim
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In your situation I would go with the Ancestry test and subscribe to Ancestry as well,
Build a Tree on Ancestry and once the DNA results are in make sure it is linked to the Tree.
Just leave your Mother's actual Father blank but do include her half siblings and their families on your tree even if you only just use Surnames.
Hints will come and DNA matches will be reported, but all DNA matches, not just those of your actual Grandfather.
You mentioned Ethnicity, do take the results with a huge pinch of salt. My own Ethnicity bears no resemblance to what was presented by Ancestry when we originally had the DNA test undertaken, we presume that their Database has expanded considerably. If Ancestry has formulated the Ethnicity using the Family Trees on its site then that gives me great concern as so many Trees are simply works of fiction with errors compounded from Tree to Tree
It all takes time so upload the DNA results to other sites as well
Thanks Biggles - I ordered my test yesterday so just have to wait now. Meantime.. still lots of other research to get on with :-)
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Currently I'm aware that both Ancestry and My Heritage have offers on their tests
I didn't know that so have at last dipped a toe in the water & ordered an autosomal DNA test. I would really like an mtDNA - stuck at 3 x great grandmother Ann Sheridan Dick - but they are so expensive....
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I don't trust MyHeritage one bit. It claimed to find many more matches than Ancestry had, but I recognized none of them as relatives although I have extensive trees on all sides of the family. Most of them were in the USA; very few were in the UK or Ireland where I would expect to find the majority. And a fair number of the names looked Jewish to me, which is suspicious.
Don't rush to subscribe to Ancestry; a few weeks after the test results I think they'll offer you four months at a special price.
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I don't trust MyHeritage one bit. It claimed to find many more matches than Ancestry had, but I recognized none of them as relatives although I have extensive trees on all sides of the family. Most of them were in the USA; very few were in the UK or Ireland where I would expect to find the majority. And a fair number of the names looked Jewish to me, which is suspicious.
Don't rush to subscribe to Ancestry; a few weeks after the test results I think they'll offer you four months at a special price.
That sounds like Sage advice to me.
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I don't trust MyHeritage one bit. It claimed to find many more matches than Ancestry had, but I recognized none of them as relatives although I have extensive trees on all sides of the family. Most of them were in the USA; very few were in the UK or Ireland where I would expect to find the majority. And a fair number of the names looked Jewish to me, which is suspicious.
Conversely I have found MyHeritage to be far more useful than Ancestry from a DNA point of view.
You pays your money and you make your choice. No one can tell you which will be best for your personal circumstances.
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I don't trust MyHeritage one bit. It claimed to find many more matches than Ancestry had, but I recognized none of them as relatives although I have extensive trees on all sides of the family. Most of them were in the USA; very few were in the UK or Ireland where I would expect to find the majority. And a fair number of the names looked Jewish to me, which is suspicious.
Conversely I have found MyHeritage to be far more useful than Ancestry from a DNA point of view.
You pays your money and you make your choice. No one can tell you which will be best for your personal circumstances.
I don't have any experience with Ancestry DNA testing or results, but I agree with David that MyHeritage has been very useful and I find it very user friendly. I believe MyHeritage is an Israeli company which may account for the results and the popularity in certain parts of the world. I have had decent matches through My Heritage for 6 kits I have access to.
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always always test with ancestry, it's where you get the most results and you can upload your results to other sites, but you can't upload other tests to ancestry
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Wee Hugh
Regarding more american and jewish matches that is not necessarily wrong or suspicious
Your ancestors may have siblings who emigrated and married people of jewish origin
More Americans take dna tests because they dont know their origins .
None of my close Smith and Jones relatves have tested
but descendants of siblibngs of 3 great grandfathers, and one of my mothers cousins who emigrated have tested.
I have many jewish matches ...my grandmother s birth father was Jewish but we woldnt have known that from her surname
Also for some reason the Jewish ethnicity seems to show up strongly ie even if a very distant match at around 7cm ..shared matches show up which doesnt happen with my scottish relatives even at 22cm.