I have been doing a course in the last few weeks. The subject is Genetic Genealogy. It has helped to clarify a few points. One of the suggestions made by the course tutors has paid immediate dividends. I had my DNA analysed by Ancestry. But, as some broadcasters are fond of pointing out, in the name of impartiality, other suppliers are available. Not only that, you can upload your results onto their websites. This enables comparisons to be made with huge numbers of additional samples. Ancestry has the largest database, currently standing at over 20 million. The other main players make up another 20 million. Why look at half the market when you can look at it all?
I have uploaded my results onto the following databases:
- My Heritage
- Family Tree DNA
- Living DNA
I now have new lists of contacts to pursue. A few of the names are familiar as other people have carried out the same exercise and uploaded their results to multiple places. As is the case with Ancestry, it is necessary to pay extra to release comprehensive information. Even basic information is useful. I have already contacted a lady in the USA. We are reasonably sure that the common ancestor came from the Roscommon/East Galway area. As a consequence of researching her family’s time in England (1850s to 1873) I found that they had lived within 15 miles of my current home. Furthermore, I learnt that there had been a concentration of people from Roscommon/East Galway in the area. Where one goes, others follow. Right under my nose, and I didn’t know!
Picture: National Library of Wales, accessed via Wikipedia 15/5/2024