I have been a slow starter in the DNA stakes. I took me nearly three years from when I purchased my kit from FTDNA until I submitted my cheek swab.
When I got my MtDNA and Familyfinder results I read through the lists of supposed connections, checked out the trees of those who had submitted them and gave up. Most of the connections were from the US and I couldn't find any probable relationships.
When I checked my emails just befor going to sleep last night I found this message (I have xxxed out identifying information).
"You come up as a recent match with me in FTDNA Family finder, and looking at your family tree I suspect its either through the xxxx connection on my dad’s mother’s side (the xxxs in my family were in the Forbes area around the 1850s, pretty much straight from Ireland – mum says Grandma xxx as she became had a strong Irish accent though she was born here), or else through the xxx connection on my father’s father’s side of the family. Your great++ grandmother xxx may have been a first cousin of my great++ grandmother xxx. Does any of this make sense to you – I think we may be 3rd or 4th cousins through either of those pathways."
My first geneatask this morning was to write to this gentleman in Queensland, acknowledge his email and share his excitement. Having looked at his tree on FTDNA I agree with my new potential cousin that we must be related through one of these two matching lines.
Of course the big problem we have is that both of the xxx lines originate in Ireland!!!
When I got my MtDNA and Familyfinder results I read through the lists of supposed connections, checked out the trees of those who had submitted them and gave up. Most of the connections were from the US and I couldn't find any probable relationships.
When I checked my emails just befor going to sleep last night I found this message (I have xxxed out identifying information).
"You come up as a recent match with me in FTDNA Family finder, and looking at your family tree I suspect its either through the xxxx connection on my dad’s mother’s side (the xxxs in my family were in the Forbes area around the 1850s, pretty much straight from Ireland – mum says Grandma xxx as she became had a strong Irish accent though she was born here), or else through the xxx connection on my father’s father’s side of the family. Your great++ grandmother xxx may have been a first cousin of my great++ grandmother xxx. Does any of this make sense to you – I think we may be 3rd or 4th cousins through either of those pathways."
My first geneatask this morning was to write to this gentleman in Queensland, acknowledge his email and share his excitement. Having looked at his tree on FTDNA I agree with my new potential cousin that we must be related through one of these two matching lines.
Of course the big problem we have is that both of the xxx lines originate in Ireland!!!
4 comments:
Jill that is very exciting news indeed ! Another reason to come to the Sunshine State :)
I am been thinking about the DNA to either prove or disprove some theories. However, I am so uncertain which company to use! I really need to do some more reading or attend suitable sessions to find out more!
Jill, I am still sitting on my results with most contacts not being closely related. Fran
learning DNA is a whole other realm of confusion. I've had a few identifiable connections, the best being ones I already knew ;) I've found it very helpful to have my mother tested and my 3c1r cousin in Sydney as they've provided links and let me know which side of the family they come from. More confusing there's some that fit on both and there's no identified genealogical connections. And yes, it's those Irish who pose the most difficulties to connect - the very ones we really want...life's ironies.
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