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Does anyone know much about these results. My 2nd cousin and I (my Dad and her Mam were either full or half cousins, we are trying to establish which) have got a 2.3% match on the My Heritage DNA test. We knew there would be a match but we are trying to see how strong, as we think that my grandmother and her grandmother, who were effectively full sisters, were in fact only half sisters. Would that percentage match support that? I was working on the premise that (very roughly) siblings have about 50%, cousins 25%, 2nd cousins 12%. I know that's probably a primitive assumption but has anyone out there had experience of the results?

Hi everyone. I have a puzzle which I cannot resolve and while I think I have aired it before, I thought why not try again as you never know, someone might be able to point me somewhere.

My Grandmother was born Charlotte Gilroy in Gateshead, Co Durham on 20th June 1900. Her birth was registered by her mother Mary Ann Gilroy, who was unmarried and there is no mention of the father. I understand that the father would have had to have been present when the birth was registered for him to be on the certificate: anyway he's not mentioned. Mary Ann Gilroy's occupation at the time of the 1891 Census was 'Rope Factory Girl' and on the 1901 Census she is living with he father, occupation 'Rope Spinner' and no mention of a daughter: I can't locate a Charlotte Gilroy on the 1901 Census who would be my Grandmother.

The family story was that Charlotte's father was Thomas Drummond, who came from farming stock in Northumberland. The family moved to Gateshead and I think had some resource, as they lived in 'a big house near Saltwell Park' in Gateshead. The family disapproved of Thomas' relationship with Mary and he was not allowed to see her but they married after Charlotte's birth.

Problem was that when I started to research properly, I discovered that Thomas & Mary didn't actually marry until the June quarter of 1904, and my Grandmother's sister Margaret was born on 25th September 1904, so that looks to me like they were getting married because there was another child on the way. Anyway on the 1911 Census there is my grandmother with the family, named as Charlotte Drummond.

The next problem came was when I got to see my grandmother's wedding certificate: she married my grandfather in 1922 but is shown as 'Charlotte Gilroy' and where the father's name and occupation is shown,  it just has a line drawn through it as if her father was unknown. Yet Thomas Drummond would undoubtedly have been at the wedding and indeed one of the witnesses was a Thomas Drummond: the only other person of that name in the family was my Grandmother's younger brother who was only 14 at the time so I can't imagine a 14-year-old child being a witness at a wedding, so I assume the witness is her father/stepfather Thomas Drummond.

My Dad's cousin originally said that 'if you'd know my Grandad Drummond, there was no way he would have said a girl was a daughter of his if she hadn't been' and in addition I have one of those '4 generations' photos which shows my Dad, my Grandmother, Thomas Drummond, and Thomas' mother: but after 10-15 years or so she has changed her views and she now accepts that Thomas Drummond wasn't the father. Thinking about the physical similarity between my grandmother who was very fine-featured and her siblings who were quite heavy-featured have altered her opinion.

So I have finally detached Thomas from my Grandmother in my tree and made Mary a 'Single mother' to my Grandmother but the doubt remains in my mind, part of me says yes he was and part of me says no he wasn't.

Does anyone have any thoughts. Would DNA testing be of any value does anything think? My second cousin is into the family tree as well and would links between her and I in testing reveal anything?

David


Any thoughts anyone has would be

I've got a relative in the 1911 Census, George N Renwick, who farmed at Canada Farm, Longframlington, and his birthplace is down on the Census as 'Apelcross' - not somewhere in Northumberland that I've ever heard of, so I looked on the net and the only place with that name is Applecross in Wester Ross in Scotland. Not impossible that he was from there of course, but does anyone have any other ideas as to where that place is ?

I have an ancestor who died in 1837 and I'm trying to find a will.

'JOHN WESTERBY of Doncaster, died 21st April 1837, Lieutenant and late Paymaster of the East Yorks Militia' - from The Leeds Mercury newspaper.

It's not in the Prerogative Court Of Canterbury. The Borthwick Institute in York usually have Yorkshire wills but drew a blank on this. However they did say that I should try the West Yorkshire Archive in Wakefield who have records of the Yorkshire Deeds Registry, where it may be recorded.

Can anyone who goes to the Wakefield archive help on this as I live in North Shields?

Help much appreciated.

David Westerby

There is a listing on the IGI for a christening for ELIZABETH WESTERBY, 22 Dec 1788, at St Mary & St Nicholas in Beverley, which I would like to view the parish record of, but I live in North Shields, so if anyone has access to those parish records, would appreciate any help I can get.

Also, a marriage on 08 Jan 1810 between Elizabeth Westerby and Thomas Westerby at St John & St Martin in Beverley.

Or does anyone know of the nearest place to Newcastle where this info is available 

Thanks

David