I was hoping to smash down 2 brick walls but doesn't look like either will happen. Both of my grandmother's had a father who was illegitimate so you know you're then stuck with no father on the BC.
G. Grandfather 1 nobody has tested in that line.
G. Grandfather 2 had me very confused as the matches all seem to have gone no further back than I have myself.
Now I admit to being very naive thinking it was like those DNA Family Secrets type TV programmes. One line further back had all these half siblings so I spent 4 hours retracing all steps to see what I had gotten wrong.
I had been contacted by a young guy who is very into DNA and I told him I didn't understand. He told me that these tests are only as good as the people who you match with who've done the research. For instance if 20 people have all copied and copied from one another that your G.G.Grandfather is Father Christmas then that's what you'll be shown on the Thruline. He said "it's all just recycled user input".
Light bulb moment!! 💡
He is not quite right.
The only caveat that is need with a DNA match is identifying them by actual name, and said actual name does not necessarily need to be the user name you see. Using shared DNA matches and cross referencing you can identify the match by birth name.
Ideally you want the Matches birth name displayed by them and at least one of their parents, but of course if they have built an accurate tree will help even more. I have a 240 cM match who only had a tree of him and his Dad, that was enough, another 193 cM that had no tree, just his birth name took 5 minutes to link into my tree. Conversely I have a 120 cM match that has been there for six years, all I have is his name and as there are over 150 births for a guy with his name that is not helping.
A tree can be a problem especially if they are a Newbie who have only built a tree as a direct result of taking a DNA test then said tree may be full of errors.
DNA can be a simple waiting game, keeping fingers crossed that a DNA match will eventually show who will lead to a few bricks being loosened at least.
It took me three years of persuasion before First Cousins took a DNA test, whereas look at videos online and they all have every Tom, Dick and Harriet in their close family tested
