ML, did you get your DNA tested through Ancestry dot com?

What surprised you the most?

I have a lot of documentation on my paternal grandfather's family, centuries' worth, from a small village in England. But the rest of the family not as much. My mom was Jewish so it would be interesting what could show up, thinking diaspora.

I got my DNA tested through Ancestry.com and thought it was really interesting. I'm adopted and didn't really know my origins. Or course I still don't really know them. And genealogy isn't really set up for people like me, who have bio-ancestors, adoptive ancestors, and bio-ancestors of adoptive grandpas. Yep. My last name belongs to the folks who adopted my grandpa at age 6. Which ones do I pick?

This interests me very much. When I was working we had a free trial to Ancestry but I didn't get very far. I recently tried to look up records from the town my grandmother was from but apparently you can't access anything prior to 1895 or something. A great uncle, years ago, did trace my dad's side back a few hundred years and made a booklet for everyone but I can't find mine.

I would love to do the DNA test but am wary....are they on the level? How do you know they're not making it up or getting you mixed up with someone else?

I also wonder how much information would be available in my case. I'm Jewish and history has a way of trailing off early for many of us. The shtetl where my mother's family came from was in an area that is now Ukraine where the borders were in flux for centuries - sometimes Hungary, sometimes Poland or Lithuania, sometimes Ukraine..... and then there's that whole Ottoman Empire thing. My father's parents fled what was then Hungary at the turn of the last century but in reality it was probably less than 100 miles from where my mother's family had come from a half generation earlier. Nothing is left, all traces of any Jewish history and records are long gone as the Hungarian gov't was only too glad to see Jews flee. There are many family members that I know of in Chicago and CA from the 2 dozen or more siblings of my grandparents. But going back further then Ellis Island is probably unlikely.

I totally understand. Several years back, I spent hours and hours on Ancestry.com. My original impetus was to to show my 90 year old father he wasn't just a poor motherless boy living in a shack with a dirt floor in a hollar in Kentucky. One of my finds was that his mother, who died when he was 9 months old, descended from those who settled Stephens City, Va. (She was a Stephens). My most interesting is that both he and my mother had ancestors living in the 9 squares of New Haven, Connecticut in the 1600's at the same time. My mother also has a relative going back to Jamestown.

My father lived to 93, and always said his family died of "old age". And, in fact, when I read the death certificates of some of his relatives, many who lived to 100 and beyond, even in the 1800's, it did, in fact, says they died of old age. I think those frontiersmen who helped settle Kentucky were of very hardy stock.

i only stopped researching because I came to a dead end, and to go further, I would need to go on road trips.

I became very interested in it (actually rather consumed for several months) when a relative of my maternal grandmother's researched that side of the family. I have her research, which was completed back before the internet was mature. It was actually pretty extensive and went back to the late 1700's and followed my ancestor's journey from SC into north GA and into Alabama. A great-great-something grandfather was a Captain in the War of 1812 and there were several pieces of information that led me to other relatives in Scotland and some other relatives I was able to research on my maternal side via the free Ancestry.com site. There was also a really interesting story about Indians kidnapping children who were my relatives and who were eventually rescued by an Uncle.

I also did some on my paternal side as my surviving aunt has some records on that. That grandmother was of Cherokee descent somewhere (I forget how, maybe her mother or grandmother), and also used the free Ancestry site. I have it mapped as far as I got and then just grew tired of dead ends. It really takes a lot of time & verification.

Did you get the info from the DNA test as to your direct and indirect descendency or from research?

It looks like the OP used 23andme for her test. I have tested at the three main sites. The tests give you ancestral percentages, link you with other DNA family matches (w/ details to what extent you're related,) and identify where your maternal and/or paternal lines originated. That's about it, plus a few extra tools to play around with the info. To get the names of your specific family members, it takes research on sites like ancestry.com and familysearch.org.

Yes, I'm addicted, too.

Lolauren, how did you know I used 23andme?

Like I said, I've been in contact with a DNA relative that gave me a list of surnames that I could follow, that did help. But mostly, it's just research. I'm using myheritage.com with a paid subscription plus a paid subscription to access records (newspaper articles, birth/death cert, census reports, land purchases, etc.) plus a free site sponsored by the LDS and a lot of googling.

My cousin's wife is busily researching the genealogy on my dad's side of the family, so I don't have to -- she is creating a book and will give copies to all of us. On my mother's side, I am not in touch with any relatives but would be curious to do a little research. (My mother passed away 20 years ago so she can't help!) What is the best way to start from scratch?

lolauren, at which three sites were you tested? Were the results the same for each? Are they using the same data banks to draw their conclusions?

I'm considering paying the $99 and getting mine done, mostly to see what crops up rather than embarking on an extensive search. As I mentioned before, I am blessed to have a ton of research done by a cousin of my grandfather's back in the 1950s, including the actual marriage license of my great-great-grandparents. All the men seemed to be named Thomas, Ralph or William and it's hard to keep everyone straight. :)

I'm 70 and have one daughter who probably won't have children. My nieces and nephews aren't interested in any of this. I'm not going to spend a lot of time and energy doing research that no one seems to care about. Sad, but that's the way it goes.

I, too, love genealogy. My daughter and I have done much research on both of DH's sides of the family. One side is Oklahoma Chickasaw and the other had already been previously traced all the way back to the bastard daughter of Henry VIII. What a combination, eh? The English cowboy actually married the daughter of a Chickasaw leader.

On my side, many years ago my father did much detailed research on his father's side. It was pretty easy, as we still have family living in the same house that my great+ grandparents moved into in 1701. Above the doorway, the lintel is carved with their names and the year they were married, 1701, in the Bavarian part of Germany. My father and his German cousins stay in contact. Their great+grandfather stayed in Germany, as he was the eldest and inherited the property, title, etc. The two younger brothers emigrated to the U.S.

On my mother's side, we are Scot, the Children of the Mist, MacGregors, who were chased out of Scotland during the rein of King James VI in 1603. My great+ grandfather became close friends with William Penn, converted to that faith and then helped found Philadelphia with Penn somewhere around 1683. My great-grandfather, the son of a Quaker minister no less, ran away from home at 14 y/o and joined a traveling side show as a pugilist (boxer). This only lasted until his late teens, when he (thankfully) got married and settled down. He then adopted my great-grandmother's Presbyterian faith and that's why I'm not Quaker. But, great-grandpa did teach me how to box to defend myself back when I was a kid. Bless him for that, as I had to use it -with great results- twice back when I was still single.

Linelle, truth about all the men being named the same. In my mother's side, they were all James, Jacob or John. I had trouble keeping up with them in the history my family member wrote. She wasn't the best at writing.

outside, it gets so confusing. And the women all seem to be Emma, Lucy or Hannah.

We run the gamut at our house - prominent Mayflower people to early 20th century circus performers. It is fascinating.

Not addicted or do I care. But I'm one that believes in reincarnation. Have lived many lives. Get the Dejavu feeling in Greece mostly. I knew that confusing Plaka like a native Greek would. Couldn't get lost in those twisty narrow streets. Been there previously. No drop of Greek blood in my current genealogy.

I do know my current heritage, but that's just this life. Not what you wanted to hear, but that's why the genealogy means nothing to me. My soul will travel to a different one next life.

Well, okey dokey.

Outside & Linelle, I had the same problem. Six Johns in a row and three Elizabeths in a row, marrying the Johns. Hannah was a way more popular name than I ever thought! I also found a few times where a child died young and the very next sibling born of the same sex was given the same name as the deceased child. Also my maiden surname has been spelled at least six different ways and sometimes differently by the same person. I guess that had more to do with literacy than anything else. Oh and a few siblings marrying into the same families or marrying a wife's sister when she dies.

As far as anyone wanting to get a start, just go to one of the Ancestry websites and just start building your tree based on your siblings, parents, aunts/uncles, grandparents, etc. Next thing you know something might pop up. Lots of family trees can be compared for the same names and dates and that's an easy way to start your research. I have to say, I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have without paying for the subscription.

My paternal grandfather's father came by steamer from England to the U.S. in 1883 to scope out the possibilities of immigration, while his wife and infant daughter waited in London. I have his floridly handwritten travel log, including all stops, meals and what they cost, plus reflections on the American character. It's fascinating. I found photos of the places from the era and figured out a monetary conversion table to arrive at current value.

I am an 11th generation descendant of William Nickerson, who settled on Cape Cod in 1636. He later founded the quaint town of Chatham, MA on the Cape. Recently I joined the Nickerson Family Association, which claims to be one of the largest family associations in the US. The "old homestead" and the family archives are in Chatham, one town over from our Cape house. We had zero interest in any of this until we bought our Cape house and went to the homestead, which holds the archives. We have attended an open house in the homestead-very interesting-period dress and food! We saw a chicken being cooked over a wood fire in one of the fireplaces. The chicken drippings were collected underneath in a pot with vegetables, which was then cut and served as part of a buffet. The cook and others were in period appropriate dress.

I met with the archivist to update and add our daughters to the family records. I always knew most of this history, because my late father's family had extensive records, many of which were recorded by hand and later typed into a rudimentary family tree. They also recorded in Bibles (I have several!)

Over the summer I did some basic research on my late mother's side of the family and traced her roots to Canada. Some cousins are also doing research, but it is not quite as straight forward with this family tree. Right now I don't have the time to pursue it due to work commitments.

A few months ago I agreed to a DNA test to help a man determine if we were related on my father's side. He was searching for his birth mother, who gave him up at birth in NY. It turned out that we have a distant connection, but not one that would allow him to find his birth mother.

lolauren, thanks! I don't have a family tree uploaded and don't really have any plans to do so. It sounds like if I'm only doing one that 23andme.com would be your recommendation?

Yes, I have recently become addicted to it also! In fact, I told my daughter who lives in Tennessee that when I come visit her next month, we are going to go to some cemeteries near her where several ancestors are buried. I could hear her eye roll through the phone. One of my main goals when I started was to find out some information about my dad's biological mother. She died when he was 2 and a half and my grandfather remarried a year later. There are no pictures of her in all of the old ones when my dad was young. My dad had a half brother (same mother), and my dad knew his mother's maiden name. With that information, I was able to track down my half cousin, and she gave me lots of information as well as pictures of my grandmother. At almost 84 years old, my dad was able to see his mother. The amazing thing is, I look very much like her.

I have hit a dead end on my mother's maternal side. They all emigrated from Sweden, and I haven't committed to the world ancestry site just yet. Maybe when I retire...I also have not done the DNA test, but am thinking about it.

Yes, lots of different spellings of names and people named the same name over and over. The weirdest/most disturbing thing I have found (other than all the slave owners) is a great great grandfather (age 46) who married his 15 yo step daughter in 1889 after his wife (her mother) died in childbirth with their 4th child. He and the stepdaughter went on to have four more children. Creepy.

I've been trying to research all my family's lines back to the time they came here to the US. I've been successful with a lot of them, but have hit some dead ends. Family lore says that there's Native American individuals in our background, but since nobody wanted to talk about it, I don't have much to go on, and anyone who knew anything is long gone now.

What I did find was that my grandfather was apparently a liar and possibly a bigamist (deserted wife #1 and son). He and my grandmother eloped to another state where they stayed and had children. He seems to have had quite an array of jobs. My grandmother died when the children were young, and he just disappeared and deserted them.

I've been considering the DNA test but wasn't sure which one was better. Another family member used the 23andme version. Any other information about the differences?

Linelle - yes, I would suggest 23andme.

Ancestry.com gives you:

* ethnicity estimate (percentages)

* DNA family matches (it will show their nickname, an estimated range you may be related, their family tree if uploaded, their general ethnic background and if you select a match, you can then see which people match both of you)

* DNA circles (this matches a group of related people to a common ancestor using your inputted family trees)

They are slowing improving functionality and adding features.

23andme.com gives you:

* ethnicity estimate (percentages -- you can also view where and on what chromosomes the ethnic background comes from -- for exmaple, one could see that Chromosome 4 is half chinese, half japanese --- finally, if you have a parent test, you can view which percentages you got from that parent and then which from the other parent) * DNA family matches (it will show their nickname, an estimated range you may be related,....there is the ability to electively share genomes to see where you match exactly on the chromosomes.... , you can view a family tree if uploaded and/or view surnames and places family lived, if uploaded.... The matches also tell you the specific amount of segments you match on and the overall percentage of your DNA that matches.)

* Haplogroup information -- essentially the origins of your maternal line, if you're female, or maternal and paternal, if male

* Neandethal percentage

* Countries of ancestry .. as reported by your DNA matches

* tools to compare data between or among genomes you have shared with you.....

* access to your raw DNA file to possibly use on other sites (ancestry might give you this but I haven't noticed.)

If you don't want to play around with the info much and strictly want percentages of DNA composition, I would still choose 23andme as the presentation is nicer. :)

lolauren, thanks, that's very helpful.

What's the significance of Neanderthal percentage? Except to explain some boorish behavior. :p

If you did the ancestry.com DNA test, read this guide.

http://c.ancestry.com/cs/media/dna-matching-guide.pdf?o_xid=67493&o_lid=67493&o_sch=Email+-+Campaigns

Wow....I just went to order from 23 and me and it is not offered in my state. I wonder why.

"What's the significance of Neanderthal percentage?"

I don't think there is any. This article explains the percentage: http://blog.23andme.com/ancestry/find-your-inner-neanderthal/

joanie -- are you in NY or MD? 23andme used to give health related information based on your DNA results (Like, your genes correlate with a high risk for ____ disease.)..... and there were those couple states that wouldn't allow that. The FDA stopped 23andme from producing health results early last year, so maybe that ban is leftover from before that time?

I'm in Md.....but you would think 23and me would have changed their website to allow shipping the kits to NY and Md as soon as the FDA changed their rules. Think of all the customers they're losing! Thanks for the info lolauren.

Lolauren, that article was interesting, thanks. The last sentence cracked me up though: 'Several women have written to him volunteering their husbands as subjects for study.'

I've played around with the family genealogy stuff for a while. I am at a dead end on many branches of the tree so I am taking a break for a while. I find it all very fascinating. I've only been on ancestry and haven't tried the other sites mentioned here so it looks like I will be non-productive at work today.

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I did pick up a marriage for my 5th great grandparents. I had a copy but this one was better quality.