Family History Research and DNA Tests

I've not looked at it again today, I had to battle through a snow storm to get to the GP's.

My Ancestry DNA testing kit arrived on Saturday and I am going to post my sample to the processing centre in Ireland this afternoon. 

I went through the motions of attempting to return an unwanted gift of an Ancestry DNA test and I got the bot too. They said to email them by filling in the online form or by telephoning them at  08007831340  The return needs to be within 14 days. 

Did you find the online form?  They make people jump through hoops to find it.

My son bought me a kit from what he thought was Living DNA, but Ancestry somehow inserted itself and I've got a kit from them which I don't want, I want to return it, but what a performance thats turning out to be, I need to speak to a human instead of an AI bot. Ancestry seems to be hard to avoid as it seems to pop up when you think you on another site.

My brown hair colour probably wouldn’t convey any useful information with regard to the influence of Irish ancestry and Viking populations as Vikings didn’t just have Scandinavian ancestry. 

Cambridge University says,

“We found genetic differences between different Viking populations within Scandinavia which shows Viking groups in the region were far more isolated than previously believed. Our research even debunks the modern image of Vikings with blonde hair as many had brown hair and were influenced by genetic influx from the outside of Scandinavia.”

https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/worlds-largest-ever-dna-sequencing-of-viking-skeletons-reveals-they-werent-all-scandinavian

What colour hair do you have from all of the scandanavian and Irish heritage? 

Cinnabar_wing said:

I should ask my parents

I wish I had asked my parents and grandparents more about their lives and connections when they were still alive. I didn’t have an interest in that sort of thing years ago but I recall quite a bit of some things as they were repeated over and over again at Christmas dinners, weddings and other occasions. There used to be some people who stayed with us who were described as cousins of my granny, but I don’t know how exactly they were connected and they could have been distant cousins. I would love to find out more about them as they seemed very close to my granny, while the individuals in my direct family are not close. I’ve loads of old black and white photographs of people I never knew. 

Thanks so much ArchaeC , I should find out some more, I feel rather embarrassed to know so little about it, I should ask my parents more but as we are not a family who naturally talk a lot, there isn't always opportunity to bring it up!

Ah 

Thank you for the explanation. 

B said:

I can't see how you were able to request this information

Sorry, I quoted the wrong company for the ancient relatives. They were historical matches from 23andMe.

Yes, I paid extra for the Classical period analysis.

I haven’t experience of cross continental ancestry apart from the general ancient relatives DNA results which identified ancestral links. Ancestry has the largest database and most genealogists use it, although marketing could play a role in preference.

I can find only limited records for Sri Lanka on Ancestry and I have found some information from Family Tree, but I can’t tell how useful it would be.

You may be able to trace back on one line of your maternal ancestry using mtDNA in conjunction with family tree research. 

https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/sri-lankadnaproject/about/background

 https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/places/asia/sri_lanka/?geo_a=r&geo_s=us&geo_t=uk&geo_v=2.0.0&o_iid=41013&o_lid=41013&o_sch=Web+Property

Thank you for this thread A which I have found interesting.

I transferred my data from 23 and Me to Living DNA.

I have just requested a Viking analysis which LDNA can do from my 23AM data sample at an extra cost.

ArchaeC said:

and discovered some ancient relatives who had  interesting histories such as a late Roman period man who was buried at Crypta Balbi in Rome, a Ukrainian prince, and a victim of the St Brice’s Day Massacre in Dorset

I can't see how you were able to request this information.

Could you advise please.

Thanks.

ArchaeC said:

I share DNA with Classical period Greeks, Romans and Egyptians,

I assume that the above was by paying the extra for a Classical analysis?

I still haven’t researched further what you said about testing in France being illegal but the bit I saw confirmed what you said. I just need to research all their reasons. Politicians have a habit of saying one thing to make an argument when their agenda is about something else that they don’t want to say directly. 

TheCatWoman said:

It could be useful knowlege if you needed to construct an arguement with a racist, who is English for example?

Yes, it’s nonsensical to talk about Englishness in terms of ancestral origin. 

TheCatWoman said:

my attitudes are what many would call woke

Mine too. If anyone called me woke it would make me feel I am effective in standing up for human dignity. The term is always directed at the target as an insult and reveals the nasty intention of the perpetrator.

It's what I read somewhere, I can't remember where, I think you can go to France and search records, but I don't think sites like Ancestry exist.

I think one of the first things you find out when doing a DNA test like these, is that we are all of mixed heritage, we all came from somewhere. It could be useful knowlege if you needed to construct an arguement with a racist, who is English for example? I might be almost pure southern English, but my attitudes are what many would call woke and I have an international family. I think many don't realise how mobile their ancestors were, many moved for work or because of wars. I also think it's important that people realise how many people were just ordinary, farm workers, factory hands etc, not descended from nobility etc.   

Yeah I was reading the info in the picture you posted and it sounds such a complex thing to get your head round, but probably fascinating when you do!

I was wondering how cross continental it can manage, my maternal ancestry is in Sri Lanka, though I bear the hallmarks of colonial era (which is a known) there as I have blue eyes which match my Scottish paternal side but you need it from both. 

That’s the thing. Living DNA very accurately reflected my known recent ancestry on one side of the family. I can’t say if it is accurate on the other side although I’m hoping my membership of Ancestry will help in my family tree search and will help confirm or eliminate some ancestral lines. 

I am finding it difficult to grasp all the terminology and concepts that go along with testing. I am shortly going to be learning about finding matches in the DNA in results between different companies (I haven’t got the DNA terminology right yet). 

TheCatWoman said:

There can be problems if you have recent ancestors in countries like France where this sort of testing is illegal as it contravenes French notions of unity

I didn’t know that! I’ve just looked it up and I see that France is concerned about privacy and lack of regulation. I can’t see anything directly about French notions of unity, but I need to find out more about this.  Definitions of ethnicity worldwide are high in some people’s political agenda which is why most of the testing companies talk about “heritage” and “ancestry” rather than ethnicity. Do you think that is the reason for making testing illegal?

I have an ancestral line that is likely French and this may limit my search in that direction. 

I'd start asking older family members questions now if you have anyone left, so many people leave it to late to have any questions answered.

You can also find that somethings that are family stories are either untrue or can be part of a much bigger story.

**************

I agree ArchaeC, they should, but as you say the more people who get tested the wider the database and the more matches and information about population movements over time become uncovered.

*************************88

There can be problems if you have recent ancestors in countries like France where this sort of testing is illegal as it contravenes French notions of unity. I don't know if there are any other countries where it's banned, but if there is its a shame in my opinion.

There should be a consumer law that would make DNA genealogy test companies show a summary of the limitations of test results on the opening web page. I think all the companies need to look at this.

The consumer magazine “Which” has previously targeted insurance companies and airlines over their small print and achieved limited results, so I will email them about this issue. 

Jalapeno said:

Maybe I'll look into family tree stuff when I retire

The reference populations that the companies use are getting larger all the time and the accuracy of tests improve over the years. 

I would be tempted to find out more seeing as I already have a mixed international ancestry, with quirks as some of that is known mixed too. But then it might end up too vague and nonsensical to be of use.

Thanks I see you're cautious about the output/variability 

This is what ChatGPT summarised the Hertitage DNA tests as "Real science, weak epistemology, strong marketing"

Maybe I'll look into family tree stuff when I retire (although not on my current radar)