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View Full Version : A DNA question, I don’t understand it at all.


Margaret in Burton
30-12-18, 21:27
This is to do with the elusive Peter Henry Harrison 1885-1965 (see previous posts if you haven’t a clue)

We know nothing at all of his forefathers.

My husband, his last remaining grandson passed away in March. His son, my husbands uncle, past away in November.

My husband only has three remaining cousins on that line, all female. We don’t speak to two of them, twins, and the other one though usually ok might soon become embroiled in an argument regarding the uncle’s will which might cause a family row.

I have two daughters. Would their DNA help or would it be too diluted . PHH was their great grandfather.

kiterunner
30-12-18, 22:36
It would help, Marg. I've found people on my list of matches who are something like 8th cousins twice removed.

It would also help if you have your DNA tested too, assuming you haven't already, because then you will easily be able to see whether any particular match that your daughters get is on your side or their father's side.

kiterunner
31-12-18, 10:24
But don't do the DNA tests with Findmypast / Living DNA as you are unlikely to get any matches with them at the moment.

Margaret in Burton
31-12-18, 14:03
Thanks Kate. It’s something to think on. I was thinking Ancestry anyway.

Phoenix
31-12-18, 18:30
If Ancestry, watch the prices with an eagle gaze. They can clearly do the test for under £79, so wait for a special offer.

The challenge you will have is finding out what his surname really was, as it probably wasn't Harrison at all.

Kit
01-01-19, 10:41
But don't do the DNA tests with Findmypast / Living DNA as you are unlikely to get any matches with them at the moment.

Is that because they are new or is there another reason?

kiterunner
01-01-19, 11:56
I don't know, Toni. But I uploaded my DNA from Ancestry to Living DNA via FMP (it was free) and after a long time they came up with 2 matches, now increased to 3. I have hundreds on Family Tree DNA and thousands on Ancestry and My Heritage.

Phoenix
01-01-19, 13:17
Best Mate has (to date) approx 25k matches. I am working through the last thousand in a triage procedure.

Some 23k are too distant or unlikely to be interested. Of those I have contacted (usually based on an obvious connection) only 20% have replied. So I have, out of those thousands, perhaps half a dozen contacts. Sadly, there are quite a few matches who I suspect have died.

Kit
01-01-19, 13:17
It will be interesting to see if you get more over time.

Are they close matches?

Kit
01-01-19, 13:20
Best Mate has (to date) approx 25k matches.

That's a scary number, to think she is related to that many people, who have done the testing. How many more haven't tested?

Phoenix
01-01-19, 13:33
That's a scary number, to think she is related to that many people, who have done the testing. How many more haven't tested?

Infuriatingly, I suspect a lot of people with well-researched trees have not felt the need for DNA testing. I can prove most of her lines, but a couple completely elude me, and you cannot tell whether "no match" on a tree means there is no relationship or that person hasn't done a test.

kiterunner
01-01-19, 13:58
It will be interesting to see if you get more over time.

Are they close matches?

No, they aren't, and I know that at least one of them is Jewish (because they come up as a match to me on another site) so probably very very distantly related - degree of relationship with Jewish DNA tends to be overestimated. Quite likely the same with the other two as well. A lot of people have got no matches on that site yet.

Phoenix
01-01-19, 14:29
No, they aren't, and I know that at least one of them is Jewish (because they come up as a match to me on another site) so probably very very distantly related - degree of relationship with Jewish DNA tends to be overestimated.

Is that because of the "twelve tribes" ie lots of interbreeding and common DNA?

I suspect that my DNA will show masses of matches with a certain Norfolk village, though few will have mutual surnames, for that reason.

kiterunner
01-01-19, 14:32
Is that because of the "twelve tribes" ie lots of interbreeding and common DNA?



That's right. I was dubious at first when ancestry said I had about 10% Jewish DNA but it seems to be right. Still not sure where it came from, though.

marquette
02-01-19, 01:17
This is to do with the elusive Peter Henry Harrison 1885-1965 (see previous posts if you haven’t a clue)

We know nothing at all of his forefathers.

My husband, his last remaining grandson passed away in March. His son, my husbands uncle, past away in November.

My husband only has three remaining cousins on that line, all female. We don’t speak to two of them, twins, and the other one though usually ok might soon become embroiled in an argument regarding the uncle’s will which might cause a family row.

I have two daughters. Would their DNA help or would it be too diluted . PHH was their great grandfather.

If PHH was your daughters great-grandfather, they should share about 850 cms (centimorgans) with him - but maybe not exactly the same bits. Your husband and his cousins would have about 1700cms from PHH, but not necessarily the same bits (and would have matches around 850cms).

So your daughters' DNA may be useful in finding PHHs relatives/ancestors, rather than asking reluctant cousins.

For my part, I got my father to test his DNA, hoping for some positive matches with distant cousins to find his 3xg grandmothers family. He has matches with 4 second cousins and 15 third cousins, and most are from his paternal line!

Two of his grand-daughters have also tested - and they have different amounts of his DNA - some of his cousins match to both girls, and some to only one, so clearly they have different bits of grandpa's DNA.

For Dad, there is a clear (84cm - centimorgans not centimetres!) match with a fourth cousin in the US, and a 41cm with another descendant of that line (a sister of great grandmother). I recognised the surnames as soon as I saw them, having done a bit of research on the descendants.

i am hoping that by finding another 50-100cms match with all three, which might link up with 3xg grandmothers supposed family.

I have put everyone's DNA files also on GEDmatch but there are a lot more smaller (15-25cms) matches and its hard to get anyone to answer an email to try and figure them out.

A lot will depend on if anyone else has had their DNA tested - as far as I can tell, not one of my Dad's Page rellies has, yet - not even in the UK.

Hope this helps a bit?

Di

Anstey Nomad
09-01-19, 16:48
I'm an incurable romantic Marg, but even allowing for that, I think it would be worth getting the girls to test.