Mystery Match - Pointers Please

[Norfolk Nan]

My biggest Ancestry match is also my biggest mystery so if I can give you the basics could you more experienced and wiser folk point me in the right direction to continue digging please?

My biggest Ancestry match is 432cM across 6 segments, assigned to both sides, and is described by Ancestry as a 1-2nd cousin.  We share 29 other matches - all assigned to my paternal side - of between 167-21cMs.  I can't identify any of these matches either having checked and extended if possible all trees.  They are all mysteries.

I tried contacting the 167cM match without reply and of course he has no tree.  Ancestry suggest he's a 2-3rd cousin and is on my paternal side.  I've no clue as to who he is, where or when he was born so can't chase him via the records.

Going back to the main match - she has a small tree that I've extended by several generations but there's no obvious connection but we do have family in the same town around the same time. This would bring us to her 2xgreat grandmother bearing my ancestor's child (likely candidate g-g-great uncle).  Would this sound about right/possible?  The relationship isn't official so no documentary evidence but am I on the right track? 

I've tried contacting my match but had no response.  I can't explain'both sides' as it was pure chance my parents met so with all other shared matches pointing solely to my paternal side, is it important?

Any ideas or explanations gratefully received.  Thank you.

[Cas (stallc)]

Don't know if this will help, there are others more versed in DNA knowledge than me.

I have a match at 438cM, over 16 segments 1-2nd cousin.  They are a 1st cousin once removed to me (1st cousin to my parent) Both fathers were siblings. I also match to his daughter at 251cM.

I would look at your paternal line, siblings, grandparents etc and work out families. As that is where most matches are, if you have not already.

Every DNA line has a common shared set of grandparents going back. Unless there is a NPE (non parental event) meaning usually the biological father is unknown or not who is stated at birth.

I would say generally the higher the cMs the closer family match.  Unable to comment why both sides, but others with more knowledge may have imput.

Hope this makes sense

Cas

[Biggles50]

First I would look at the DNA matches who you have linked to in your family tree and verify that each of your Grandparents lines have your DNA matches linking to and beyond each of your Great Grandparents.  I did this by printing out a six generation chart and marking each Predecessor where a DNA match and I have them as a MRCA.

Depending where you have missing links I would ask Siblings and Cousins to take a DNA test.

Seek out Second Cousins and again see if they have taken or will take a DNA test.

By having close family DNA tested you can cross reference their DNA Matches with your own and use the results to narrow down the possibilities.

Keep options open and do not discount 1/2 relationships, as an example depending upon their age a 432 cM match could be the child of a 1/2 Niece or Nephew, the relationship could be that close and hence why having Siblings and Cousins DNA tested is always a good start to verify the validity or close relationships.

[Norfolk Nan]

Thanks both.  Without sounding defeatist, I think this mystery will run and run.  I've had recent matches from second cousins on my paternal mother's side and they don't match with my mystery match which, in my view, reduces the connection to just the paternal paternal line.  There are several members over recent generations who were the outcome of casual affairs and I suspect this will be another example.  Who and when is the question. 

[antonymark]

Hi there,

I am currently helping a friend with a very similar mystery so will be following your thread with interest. We've been chasing it for weeks now and made some progress but it will be a long haul.

My friends mystery match is her closest of all at 257cM/10seg and Ancestry have the match "unassigned" and the group of shared matches are either "unassigned" or "paternal".

We were lucky enough to identify who the match is and build a tree for her including eight of the shared matches and we could see how they related to each other but not how they connected to my friend. All lines on both trees seem to be centred around the same towns and counties.

Using the WATO (what are the odds?) tool on dnapainter seemed to indicate we were looking in the half first cousin to third cousin range with one of the match's ancestors or one of their siblings being the parent of one of my friend's grandparents or great grandparents. I sort of tied myself in a knot with WATO at that point!

We haven't yet attempted contact with any matches as a possible close NPE could be a sensitive area and we don't want to frighten off a useful connection at this early stage.

At the moment we are working hard to build my friends tree as high and wide as we can and, as Biggles suggests, identify matches and attach them to most recent common ancestors on each line. I'm hoping that where we find gaps will narrow the point where the mystery group will fit.

My friend also has a "both sides" match at 92cM/6seg and we've had to go back a long way to see how this has come about. This match is a 4th maternal cousin on her mum's line being descended from her 3xG grandparents. Their daughter (my friend's 2xG grandmother) had a brother who married the half sister of my friend's great grandmother on her dad's line making this match also a half 3C1R paternal cousin. The extra relationship seems to have made the match appear closer than I expected for a 4C or half 3C1R.

My friend's father has been asked about taking a test (to be bought by his daughter) which I think will advance things greatly but he is a bit reluctant at the moment, seeing it as "a waste of money".

Good luck with your search and keep us up to date.

Best wishes, Tony.

[Norfolk Nan]

Hi there, and thanks for the reply - our respective mysteries are quite similar arent they! 

Of the 29 matches she and I share the nearest and biggest match has no tree or identifying features which is a real nuisance. He would provide the clue, I'm certain.  The rest can be broken down into family groups but I can't see how they match her or me so they're not much help.  Where there's a tree I've added to it but haven't hit gold yet. 

The NPE issue is my problem too.  And no one involved has responded to my tentative contacts.

I'll plug away and will report back if I make any progress.   

[aghadowey]

I have a match of 477 cM. This is my half first cousin (we share a mutual grandfather). According to DNA Painter your 432 DNA match shares similar possibilities-
https://dnapainter.com/tools/sharedcmv4

[brigidmac]

In this case I would look at the other 29 shared matches and cross check their shared matches with you

Do any of the more distant matches have trees

As you say you have a location in common
Could you colour code for that location and for all who share with her

Have you done general surname searches which show if people have that surname on their tree even if the tree is private ?

As Biggles says it's a slow process but when new matches come in there are more clues especially as your match is quite high

could it be a half cousin having a mutual grandfather  with their grandmother having some distant connection to your maternal side
* Posted same time as agha  .my mother has a similar match who is half cousin . Matches me. my cousin's & my nephew at lower levels 

Sometimes connections can be confirmed if the younger generation test too.

Good luck

[Norfolk Nan]

Thanks all.  I'm not too worried about the 'both' part just now because it's way off into the past if it happened.

I used the Leeds method of identifying the shared matches and only the second big match links the two of us.  I can see a few with possible (but not confirmed) matches with her but not with me.  The area is a bit of a red herring as movement makes a chance encounter one likely explanation.  Without knowing everyones daily movements how can you be sure of where people were at any given time? 

None of my known DNA-tested cousins, near or far, are part of that shared-match list.  Name searches haven't thrown up any likely candidates either.  I'm convinced this is an NPE situation - there are a few in my tree so I'm not refusing to acknowledge the possibility, I just can't narrow down the possible candidates.

I'll keep chipping away.  Thank you again.