What to do next?

[bronnie]

Welsh paternal gt grandfather c1866 brick wall for years. Eventually succumbed to an Ancestry DNA test.

Results revealed 3 x 2nd-3rd cousin connections. Lowest one has no info on tree, the other two link to grandchildren of a common ancestor. Four 5th - 8th cousins are also linked to same two grandchildren.  Hardly any other connections to this side though.  No one has answered my friendly messages yet!

I have had this family in my Ancestry shoebox since 2010! Names, dates, locations and occupations are a fit, but my gt grandfather is nowhere to be found.
How should I proceed? The common ancestor had multiple siblings, do I explore them? My gt grandfather would have fitted in perfectly as the oldest son of 7 children in this family, but he is no where to be found until much later.

Hope this makes sense. I know nothing of DNA, learning as I go along. Do you need more specific info to advise?

Thank you

Bronwen 😊

[Biggles50]

Do you have any siblings?

If so try to get them tested.

First Cousins, same again, DNA test those willing.

The first action with any family research is to prove your own parentage.

Then to verify Grandparents that is where the test First Cousins come in.

With your matches, if you look at the highest cM do each if the others show as a Shared Match to the highest cM and to you?

Build a tree(s) around them going back to their Great Great Grandparents.

Documents and certificates only show what the person declared to the Registrar and may or may not be correct, same with Census, unless one has DNA matches linking to eack xGGP then class them as unproven

This may seem onerous but I have an NPE in my family tree and it took over eight years family research before I took a DNA test and found it, it completely changed one line of my family tree.

[bronnie]

Ok, thanks. My only sibling has done a DNA test. I’ll confer with her. We have no first cousins. Thank you

[Wexflyer]

Then to verify Grandparents that is where the test First Cousins come in.

Your logic of stepping backwards one generation at a time doesn't always need to be followed.

For example, if you do a DNA test and immediately see matches to a bunch of known 2nd cousins, then not only are the the great-grandparents, but also at least one grandparent is also thereby validated.

This logic can be extended.

[Biggles50]

Then to verify Grandparents that is where the test First Cousins come in.

Your logic of stepping backwards one generation at a time doesn't always need to be followed.

For example, if you do a DNA test and immediately see matches to a bunch of known 2nd cousins, then not only are the the great-grandparents, but also at least one grandparent is also thereby validated.

This logic can be extended.

Yes and No.

If your DNA result and the DNA of a sibling show that your relationship is only a Half Sibling then a First Cousin test is a nice to have to verify Grandparental lines.

In any case I knew of only two Second Cousins, neither of which were interested in our family tree and neither was interested in taking a DNA test.

One of my issues was it took well over three years trying to convince any Cousin to take a DNA test, we have an NPE and it is difficult to narrow it down.

[Wexflyer]

Then to verify Grandparents that is where the test First Cousins come in.

Your logic of stepping backwards one generation at a time doesn't always need to be followed.

For example, if you do a DNA test and immediately see matches to a bunch of known 2nd cousins, then not only are the the great-grandparents, but also at least one grandparent is also thereby validated.

This logic can be extended.

Yes and No.

If your DNA result and the DNA of a sibling show that your relationship is only a Half Sibling then a First Cousin test is a nice to have to verify Grandparental lines.

In any case I knew of only two Second Cousins, neither of which were interested in our family tree and neither was interested in taking a DNA test.

One of my issues was it took well over three years trying to convince any Cousin to take a DNA test, we have an NPE and it is difficult to narrow it down.

All you are saying is that you didn't meet the conditions I set, namely
"if you do a DNA test and immediately see matches to a bunch of known 2nd cousins, then...."