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Hi Charlotte, Researching traveller heritage can offer a minefield of difficulties, and you may not find all the answers. Not trusting authority, often with good reason, they lied or refused to give information. Many had aliases and often wanted to blend in with the locals. In Wales some took Welsh names like Scamps becoming Williams. Boswell also used Lock, and from my research birth registrations where the mother was a Boswell, they used Boss, Bass and Voss, as there was a stigma. I have 8% DNA that could be Romany, but reaching 1820 there is still no link. When you say Boswell fourth cousins, that would be five generations ago. Start with what you know and then work backwards, and fill your tree as much as possible. By having a fuller tree, when you hit a brick wall as many do, you might then find a different path. And don’t trust other people’s trees. If you cannot find specific information ask on Rootschat.

The DNA Christmas presents are now appearing on GedMatch. Within one week, of my highest six matches three of them were new; then nothing much in the next 500. One of them is of interest. My widowed great-grandmother married a Romany traveller. From their first marriages my g-grandmother had three daughters, and he had two sons. One of her daughters had six children. The 1st, 3rd and 4th had no named father, though the 3rd was registered with his name, so traveller genes. As father and son had the same name, it could be either. Having followed that child, I know the match is not related through them. I now think all of the unnamed fathers were actually the same Romany. The children had common names, so it is not possible to fully trace them; and there is a redacted entry on the 1939 Register who I have not found.

Now I match someone on GedMatch with (53.3 . 19.6 . 4.04). DNA Painter says we are; 30% Half 3C . 3C1R . Half 2C2R . 2C3R. This is where I struggle. I do not know where the match fits within my family, and having made contact there has been no response. Apparently, the match has a tree that goes back to well-known Romany great-great-grandparents, and travellers for many generations. The only Romany link seems to be the one who married my g-grandmother; but the name used was not the family name, as his father changed one or both names to avoid the police. Looking through my match’s list it is full of recognised traveller names. Someone else, also related to the Romany, has a very similar set of names, with many repeated in both lists. By linking to me, there is only one traveller gene to follow. For others, travellers married other travellers, so the branches are interwoven and on times it is impossible to find the right one.

Apologies for the length of my explanation, but my family is difficult to follow and understand. When discussing DNA I am out of my depth. As the Romany is our only connection, I believe he would be my Half G-Grandfather, so my match should be Half 2C and 1-3R depending on generation differences. My match is female with an uncommon name, but I cannot find a birth or marriage record. Is there a way of connecting the Romany to my match’s tree? Secondly, apart from the link to my family, what do I need to know from my match? Basically how do I proceed?

I only have basic Welsh, but could it be the White Lion in Denbigh?
Llew yn Gwyn

In looking for the father of an illegitimate child through DNA, they need to have fathered other children, for that line to continue to the present; and one of them taking a DNA test with results available to view.

Within my family there are several illegitimate children, and on marriage certificates they gave their grandfather’s name. I am also looking for their biological father, but even with DNA it is rarely possible.