It's nearly a year since I got my DNA results, and all I've done is confirm that two half-first-cousins, who I knew about from my paper research, were definitely related to me as expected. On Monday I finally contacted my third match, with whom I share 92cM including one 76cM segment. Almost by return email I heard from a lady JH who told me that her great grandfather FH came from the same Durham mining village as my great-grandmother, JA. This sounded very significant, as her great-grandfather was 20 at the same time as my great grandmother's mother was 20. That seemed an open and shut case as to who was the father of my great grandmother, who married someone else three years later.
Buoyed by this success yesterday I contacted the fourth match on my list, HC, somebody with whom I share 52cM. He very quickly replied and told me that his great grandmother MH came from the same village again, and was the sister of the aforementioned gentleman, FH. This exonerated FH from being my great grandmother's father, as our most recent common ancestor would have to be at least one generation further back.
This now suggests that the father of MH and FH could be the father of my great grandmother, however he would have been 63 when she was 20. Possible but unlikely.
JH and HC, the two descendants share 89cM with each other.
I welcome any further comments, suggestions, fantasies or informed ideas.
Martin