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DNA kit - is it worthwhile?

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Tabitha

Tabitha Report 14 Jan 2019 13:07

Thank you for the info - I knew some as i traced it back a bit further with my husbands cousin & was looking up the Scandinavian side. Didn't know that about Sheppey. some of mine are from that area - perhaps thats where i find my 2% Scandinavian DNA from. May end up with part Viking too. I also have a link with the Orkneys & York and the Vikings were there too.

The Joy of finding the DNA was correct - even that far back it was 18% on my husband & his fathers side too.

The first Bedingfield alias Ogerus De Pugeys. He was of Norman descent his forefathers settled in Normandy, France along with King Rolo of Norway. Rolo was a Viking leader of the principality of Normandy. The King of France gave Rolo the land of Normandy in an agreement to end the looting of France and to help the King of France from other Vikings attacking France. Ogerus de Pugeys was a Knight in Lords Malet's court.
Because Ogerus de Pugeys fought bravely alongside with Lord Malet in the battle in 1066 he was given land in Suffolk, England in an area known as Bedyngfelda. It was a pasture or meadow that was primarily used for the grazing of sheep. The son of Ogerus was given the duty of caretaker for the second William Malet of Honor of Eye in Suffolk, England. Ogerus de Pugeys was given the title of Sir Knight Ogerus de Pugeys of Bedyngfelda. The name was later changed to Bedyngfelda and the de Pugoy was dropped. The name was later changed to Bedingfield. Most of the information came from the Battle Roll of Abbey, Domesday Book and other books by John Bernard Burk.

+++DetEcTive+++

+++DetEcTive+++ Report 11 Jan 2019 19:52

Tabitha - did you know this about William the Conqueror?

"William and other Normans descended from Scandinavian invaders. William’s great-great-great-grandfather, Rollo, pillaged northern France with fellow Viking raiders in the late ninth and early 10th centuries, eventually accepting his own territory (Normandy, named for the Norsemen who controlled it) in exchange for peace."

Perhaps that's where the Scandinavian DNA comes from?

The Vikings had also over-wintered on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. No doubt they amused themselves with the local ladies. ;-)

SylviaInCanada

SylviaInCanada Report 11 Jan 2019 19:29

Susan ...........

it's good to hear that!

Not all attempts work out so well.

Susan

Susan Report 11 Jan 2019 18:50

In reply to SylvailnCanada - His mother was overjoyed to have found him again after over 50 years of being apart. She had married (her husband is deceased) and she had three further children, two of whom had died one in childhood the other in her 20's. Her daughter was aware that her mother had a child before marriage so it didn't come as a shock.

Tabitha

Tabitha Report 11 Jan 2019 13:15

Even though i have been researching well over 20 years - I couldn't get out side of the South of England for my tree.
Started on my husbands - hit a match with someone on Genes & near enough ended up in 1066 (all verified over a couple of years) .

So decided to do the Ancestry test for us both - when it came back I actually thought we had mixed up the names as his had a lot of South East England & Scandinavia and mine was a fair bit of Europe, Scotland,Ireland & little bit of southern England.

Then a very close cousin in Canada (of my husband) did hers & they matched so we knew his was the right one.

Since then I managed to get a contact and a DNA link match & found a lot of Scottish/Irish info for my tree. So I have a good belief in the DNA tests. Looking forward to finding the European connections now too.

If you can afford to do it I would give it a go. - it certainly gave us both a surprise.

SylviaInCanada

SylviaInCanada Report 10 Jan 2019 22:07

Susan ............

I always ask ..... how did the mother feel when she was contacted by the son?

So many women had children illegitimately, gave them up for adoption, and never told anyone after that. They were promised that everything would be kept secret.

Although it never happened to me, I am of the age group during which many women did give up children, and then the secret was kept even from husbands and future children. I know many such women struggle when the adopted child appears, because they now might have to confess to a husband who may never forgive them.

Debra

Debra Report 10 Jan 2019 21:21

Wow, thank you Susan that’s most encouraging.
I’m really excited about getting my results!

Susan

Susan Report 10 Jan 2019 17:49

Five members of my family have had their DNA done with Ancestry. In March last year we were contacted through our DNA to a second cousin living in USA. He was born in a mother and baby home in Wales and adopted and taken to USA all he had was his mothers name. From his birth certificate we found her address at time of birth. So we worked out he was connected through our paternal side of the family. Through research and help from members on this site and some luck. In December this year I managed to trace his mother and a half sister living in New Zealand. He would tell you having his DNA tested was the best thing he ever did. I would say go ahead we have meet our 2nd cousin and we regard his as a member of the family. AND it all started with a DNA test.

Debra

Debra Report 9 Jan 2019 18:17

Hi Maureen,
Thank you for sharing.
I have been on Ancestry and Genes reunited for 15 years with public trees on both.
I’m also descended from Ireland but have hit the same brick wall for 15 years regarding tracing my ancestors who I’m giessing came over during the potato famine.
May ask if it identified family / surnames in Connaught and did any have a tree on Ancestry, that your u were able to make contact with?

Kind regards
Debra

Maureen

Maureen Report 9 Jan 2019 15:47

Debra

I sent in my DNA sample from Ancestry in early Dec and the results came through about 3 weeks later, the notify you of the process. You need to register with Ancestry if you have not already an account.

I have been researching 10yrs and know a lot of my Irish ancestry, the results came back I was 100% Irish which wasn't a surprise. The Region you match is shown my own is Connaught.

I would say that many people that show as a match with you have no family Tree with Ancestry, therefore it is impossible to know who the connection may be, so if you have no Tree I would suggest starting one, a Public Tree is more likely to get messages but don't put any recent family names on.

I have confirmed my research and found a few family members so I think it was worthwhile doing the DNA.

Debra

Debra Report 8 Jan 2019 18:43

Wow thank you Kensi that’s really helpful x

Kense

Kense Report 8 Jan 2019 16:03

The ethnicity results should certainly be treated with caution. Ancestry recalculated everyone's ethnicity a few months ago based on 16000 sites instead of 3000 and that made quite a difference in many cases.

For matching with other trees, the system seems well worth using. It is very gratifying to have confirmation of relations that you have found by conventional research.

Ways of using the results are given in this article in Lost Cousins:
https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latefeb18news.htm#Masterclass

Debra

Debra Report 6 Jan 2019 20:35

Thank you for sharing that’s really kind
I’m quite excited as I know so little if my ancestors - only what I have personally researched through this site.
Fingers crossed I find out some definite links!

grannyfranny

grannyfranny Report 6 Jan 2019 19:43

OH and I were tested through My Heritage, mainly because there was a Black Friday offer in 2017.

The ethnicity results were interesting. Although several generations of family come from NW England, I have no 'English' DNA, it's nearly all Western Europe including Scottish/Irish/Welsh. I do have a Scottish line.

I haven't found any unknown matches, most of the nearest matches I don't recognise any of the names in their trees, despite being able to name nearly all my ancestors back 5 generations. However they did predict that my parents were related, which is correct.

OH's mother is descended from 2 Scottish families, both came to Yorkshire about 4 generations back. But he has 0 Scottish DNA.

+++DetEcTive+++

+++DetEcTive+++ Report 6 Jan 2019 09:22

A reply by Ancestry, on their FB page, to a similar query suggests 6 to 8 weeks. However, as a number of kits will have been given as Christmas presents, logic says the results could take longer.

Debra

Debra Report 5 Jan 2019 23:37

Actually my Irish heritage does indeed come from my mother / grandmother / great grandmother so I’m more hopeful that I will glean some useful information, and yes I have a family Irish name that I’m hoping will pop up!
Might I ask how long test results from Ancestry took to come back?
Thanks all x

Flip

Flip Report 5 Jan 2019 23:10

All I would say Det, my Irish line is through my father & I'm female so some DNA must come through and it's now been confirmed by family that he is my father and the father of my half sister.

Flip

Flip Report 5 Jan 2019 23:00

I understand Sylvia's reservations, I had them myself. However although I know the DNA results are not absolutely conclusive they can give you leads to follow up on. Do not rely though on the ethnicity results they can be really misleading - I've no confidence in them. Also, don't rely on the relative results - you need to confirm they are in fact part of your heritage - but they give you a starting point,

Hopefully you may have a surname from your Irish heritage to find in the results, otherwise it's rather difficult to serf through them.

+++DetEcTive+++

+++DetEcTive+++ Report 5 Jan 2019 22:54

As you suggest, the results could match you with other people who share a common ancestor. Assuming they respond to your message, you may be able to work out who that ancestor it. Your results won't pin down a certain town or county.

From reading reports on social media, it seems some participants aren't willing to collaborate in so far as they don't reply to messages.

Unless you're sure that your Irish heritage is passed via the female line, you might consider co-opting a brother into taking the test.

"While men can trace both their maternal haplogroup (from mitochondrial DNA) and their paternal haplogroup (through the Y chromosome passed down from their father), women can only trace their maternal haplogroup (through the mitochondrial DNA passed down from their mother). This is because the paternal haplogroup is traced through the Y chromosome, which women do not inherit."

https://www.23andme.com/en-gb/dna-ancestry/

Debra

Debra Report 5 Jan 2019 22:49

Oh no... I didn’t know that!. Kind of makes a farce of the whole thing - however if my results come back with some Irish heritage then I’m going to feel a bit more positive about it... fingers crossed x