Hello all,
I believe I have found my biological father through Ancestry DNA and have spent the intervening weeks researching the details and ordering certificates from GRO to verify facts as much as I can at this stage. I only knew a few details about him (including his name) and it all adds up so far. I haven't yet approached my AncestryDNA match, who is his maternal cousin. As someone who has been wondering about the other 'half' of my identity for the last 40 years, this is a really big deal and I don't want to rush in and blow it by approaching it in the wrong way. I suppose I am looking at how best to proceed.
The sting in the tail, at the outset, is that I discovered my father passed away in 2012 and it was only because he was deceased that his details (and, amazingly, his photograph!) were available for me to see through a match with his nephew's Ancestry tree.
All I had ever wanted was to know who he was, where he was from, what he looked like and if he had any health-related conditions which may affect my children; I know most of this information now and feel as though I should leave it at that as I have achieved what I wanted to achieve. However, what I didn't know was that it appears I have 3 half-brothers and it is this which is making me wonder if I should attempt to contact them. They were all born after me and to a new wife, so I don't think their father's relationship with my mum is directly linked to them or their mother (who was 16 when I was born. He wasn't married to her then, though reportedly he was married to someone else - I am trying to locate this marriage but there are several possibilities and I have certificates on order).
Has anyone else found themselves in this position? I would be interested to hear of any experiences; I have found the 3 sons on social media but am very wary of plunging straight in. Of course, I am also at the mercy of the dreaded AncestryDNA match who might not even reply to an email from me, let alone if I reveal how I think we might be related.
Any ideas as to how to approach would be most welcome. Many thanks.