Thread: Ancestry DNA Test and Family Trees

I haven't done one of the DNA tests for all the reasons above (i.e. not keen on handing my DNA to a private corporation and don't trust the results anyway), BUT I have been digging around through the documents on Ancestry for a few years. The results have been really interesting.

A few branches of the family tree reach back a few generations, then sputter out. For example my Dad's Dad's family were protestants in Dublin, and the survival rate for documents relating to that community are notoriously scarce. So I could only trace them back two generations past my great grandfather.

My Mom's Mom's family on the other hand suffer from the opposite: try to figure out which Johan Meyer out of the MANY who emigrated from Germany in the late 19th century is the right one. They're on almost every bloody ship's passenger list!

But other branches were much more fruitful. I discovered ancestry from Wales and France that I hadn't known about, that I have roots both from Ross-Shire in the Scottish Highlands, and the wonderfully named Blubberhouses in Yorkshire. The weirdest thing was a concrete connection to the Tudors, specifically Jasper Tudor. Which in turn means, to steal a line from the Smiths, I am the eighteenth pale descendant of some old queen or other. Charlemagne (now known chez moi as "Uncle Charlie") is my 3rd cousin, 38x removed. On a more personal basis, the guy I wrote my PhD thesis on turns out to be my 1st cousin twice removed of the husband of my 15th great-grandmother. No, not sure exactly what that means either, except that I'm happy I did "Uncle Henry" justice with my research.

But for me the best part was just learning more about the farmers, book-keepers, clerks, soldiers, saddle-makers, and all the other folks who scraped whatever living they could so that I could be here. It's pretty humbling to know what many of them went through.

So while the DNA thing isn't for me personally, I'd definitely encourage anyone with an interest to do some digging in the documents available via ancestry. I'm pretty sure they have free trials from time to time.

Seems that many are more interested in their razors origin than their own! Lol. "I've got this razor, makers mark been sanded clean, no country or other marks, can any of you guys tell me what it is? Hahahha

My family all did it. I got talked into it. I have a lot of everything. From Jewish to Viking. I figured that much. Just a mutt, mix bread, Heinz 57.

Cangooner, sounds like you are your own Grandpa?

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Cangooner, sounds like you are your own Grandpa?

Oh man, I haven't heard that song for a long, long time!

Originally Posted by Cangooner

Oh man, I haven't heard that song for a long, long time!

OH! How about the hillbillies in a haunted house?

Here in the U.S., after 9/11/01...so many laws were written just for iformation gathering. While I believe it was intended for Government Sectors...but all the users Agreements give them rights ro everything you do with their programs. I do know how to "go dark" if need be...but right now I want to see if King Tut is kin to me

I am thinking about getting a DNA test, pretty sure I am a mixed bag with everything though. Not really worried with other people having information on me though, nothing to hide. It is crazy that I move out of state and after a few weeks, I get friend suggestions on Facebook of people that I work with (even though I don't have any friends in common). My guess is because our phones have pinged the same locations for a good amount of time.

ALSO I suggest you guys check out this thread
( https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/c...data_and_went/ ) Thread talking about weird things people discovered that google knew about them. If you have a google account go to your account, data and personalization, and download your data to see what google has on you!

Like it or not if you have a smartphone, use google chrome, or used an app to take you to a destination (like google maps) then they have information on you. Basically, if you use the internet and or don't live in a cave there is a bunch of data on you. Chances are though no one will care to look at it.