Illegitimacy and DNA Matches

[tinkerbell5]

Hi everyone,

I recently took an Ancestry DNA test and well... it's been interesting to say the least! I have also uploaded to MyHeritage and Living DNA. I have so many DNA matches that I cannot link to any of my trees. I've gone through and grouped them all and built trees for them but I'm getting nowhere. There is a lot of illegitimacy, and I'm hoping I can find out my 2nd Great-Grandfather on my Dad's maternal line, as well as my Great-Grandfather on my Dad's paternal line.

We are currently waiting on a DNA test for my Nana (Dad's Mum). She never questioned if her Dad was in fact her Dad. However, through working with my 1st-2nd and 3rd-4th cousins matches, I've found that my Great-Grandad was my Nana's Mum's best friend. I have no DNA matches to the family of her Dad (well, who we thought was her Dad). No one else will take DNA test because they think it's too expensive.

Another thing that has got me stumped is that I have no matches to my Great-Grandad's family, the Halford's. I've researched the family tree for years and have living relatives in my tree but despite this I have no matches.

I have a 2nd-3rd cousin match with 153cM - I'm wondering if this person is more likely to be related to a Great-Grandparent or Great-Great Grandparent?

If anyone has any tips or advice, I'd be so grateful.

Thank you!

[Kaybron]

Hi tinkerbell5,
I too have struggled with DNA matches.  I don't know who my mother's grandparents are.  Mum's mother was illegitimate and did not tell any of her children about her past.  The name of her father on her marriage certificate I believe has been made up and with extensive research have not been able to find a birth record.  She was born in 1882 or 1883 and the earliest I can find any record is in the 1901 Census. 
I did ask a first cousin in England (I live in Australia) to complete a DNA test purely so that I could work out our shared matches and thus know those that were connected to my maternal line. I did send money across to my cousin for the DNA test and she willingly did the test and uploaded her results to Ancestry.  This was very helpful although my close matches have extremely small trees and do not respond to my messages.
Is it possible for you to offer to pay for DNA kits?  Perhaps select a relative who you think will give you the best results, ask if they are willing to complete a test and offer to pay for this.
Regards Kaybron

[brigidmac]

Hi tinkerbell
If you take kays advice.I believe the male. DNA shows up stronger
My.male cousin took his recently and has a stronger match to some.of our relatives than me or my mother .

Even having a nephew or second cousin tested could be useful

I offered.to pay half .in.the end he paid it all and I am hepling with his tree
There is also a long line of sngle mothers

I make notes of surnames of g grandparents names of any close matches

names didnt help for his closest match because their grandfather also had a single mother
but location and professions of the great grandmother s shows.they were both maids in Yorkshire ..looks as if both seduced or raped by the same unknown man .

Try colour codng your matches by location
Also by matches to x

For instance he has matches to a few people with the apropriate surname RIDDLE I colour coded these matches red then looked at each of their sgaered matches and colour coded pink then used purple for Yorkshire location 
That way I get to see those who dont have the Riddle surname ...& ,closed trees and peoplewh have name location and shared matches of shared matches .

If a group is large I message locked tree owners and ask if they know how they connect to this family

[tinkerbell5]

Hi both,

Thank you for your replies!

I'll have a go at colour coding by location - I hadn't thought of this! I have numerous groups who all link together but I can't link them together myself, normally because they don't have a family tree so I'm trying to build as many as I can.

I've asked both sets of grandparents, and my parents, if they'd be willing to take DNA test, even if I paid. The only one who said yes was my Nana, I'm just hoping we can get somewhere with her results! They're due on the 2nd of Feb and due to the Christmas period, I doubt they'll be any quicker

[coombs]

I can only echo what the others have said as I have not much experience with DNA testing and CM and all that jazz but your Nan's dad was still her father blood or not and still your great grandfather. Your great grans best friend was just a sperm donor.

I know DNA testing can throw up some surprises but if I found out a great great grandad was not a biological ancestor then that is the only difference. They would still be an ancestor and more so than the biological sperm donor who would be just an ascendant as they did not do the hard work and shape their son/daughter.

[tinkerbell5]

Hi coombs,

It was such a shock finding out. I rang my Nana and Grandad, and saying that all the DNA was pointing to this man being my Great-Grandad. I was certain Grandad would say he knew him as a child, but then obviously Nana said she knew him, and even said the address I'd found on his will. She was initially a little upset but as you say, her Dad is still her Dad and he'll always be my Great-Grandad too.

We're excited to find out more but also a little disappointed to find all of this out when no one is around to ask about it anymore.

[JohnDoe2020]

Tinkerbell, good luck with this. If there is no match, there is no relationship. DNA doesn't lie but people keep secrets...I think it is a good idea when researching this situation with DNA is put what you have been told to the side. Stories are sometimes convenient. Use dna painter's shared cm project to identify potential relationships. Relationships are influenced by generation, so again keep an open mind and apply logic