The earliest dates in the ranges for my Y DNA matches predate the consistent use of surnames. The blacksmith in a village might be known as John the Smith (to distinguish him from John the Miller or John the Farmer) and eventually this can become John Smith. But he may end up being called John…
All posts tagged DNA
Y match names
I was hoping to find at least one match who shares the Stanley surname. No such luck. There wasn’t even a name that could have evolved into, or from, Stanley. It is a very short list, with only five names on it. The list of my matches using autosomal DNA runs into many thousands (20,000+…
Why, why, Y
The results from my Y DNA test have arrived. I am disappointed. I am perplexed. I was expecting enlightenment. Instead, there is a new dimension to the mystery. I think that I have a fair understanding of the science behind autosomal DNA. (The DNA that comes from both parents.) Websites such as Gedmatch provide an…
Y DNA or not Y DNA?
Y DNA or not Y DNA? That is the question. With apologies to William Shakespeare. (see Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 1) Will another DNA test provide new insights? That is the hope. I took advantage of one of the many seasonal offers to purchase a Y DNA test. The more commonly used autosomal DNA test,…
Kane cluster
I have been examining the family trees of people in one of the DNA clusters that I have accessed from Ancestry. The fact that there is a cluster tells me that there should be a common ancestor. I do not know where. I do not know how far back in history to look. Geography helps…
Clusters
As mentioned in ‘Sowing more seeds’ I have been undertaking a course on DNA. I also decided, after resisting for a long time, to upgrade my ‘DNA only’ version of Ancestry. I purchased the UK version. The list of matches that Ancestry produces can be overwhelming. Correction: it is overwhelming. At the time of writing…
More on DNA
I am posting this in the hope that someone will either confirm my theories or tell me that I am completely wrong. If I share a single 3 cM segment of DNA with someone, then there is a 97% probability that it is due to random factors. Turning it round, there is only a 3%…
Looking for faint stars
It seems that most of the DNA evidence that I have at present is like trying to identify very faint stars on a dark night. You know that they are there, but you cannot be certain exactly what you are seeing. Is it a star, or a figment of your imagination? We want to discover…
Power of numbers
I am a member of the Roscommon DNA Facebook group. At the time of writing (April 2022), there are over 1,100 members. There are 1482 samples that can be cross checked on Gedmatch.com. (Some members manage samples on behalf of other people.) If I run the analysis on Gedmatch, with a minimum cut off of…
Who was Bridget Scott?
In ‘Ormsby & Scott’, I explained the dilemma about the identity of my great grandmother Bridget. The birth record of the sister, Mary, with whom Patrick is staying in 1911 clearly names her mother as Bridget Ormsby. Patrick’s birth records from March 1883, both civil and church, name his mother as Bridget Scott. Are we…