Are you curious about your ancestry? My father did the full ancestry and family tree thing a few years ago. He got as far back as the 14th Century and the Devon border with Cornwall. But considering I have red hair and green eyes, and knew my Great grandfather came from Somerset wasn't surprising. My father could have gone further back if you included variants of the surname. Has anyone considered doing a DNA test to find out you are part Spaniel? I am curious, but do not want to be on database that could be used by law enforcement or the insurance industry.
Ancestry and DNA
- Thread starter Sabre
- Start Date
- Messages
- 2,996
- Location
- Not too far from LHR
My dad traced our family back to the 1700s, where his GGG grandfather was granted "the freedom of the Thames" for helping bring the mutineers of The Bounty to justice, apparently. Which I would probably not believe if someone else told me that, unless I saw the documents. Quite cool. Everyone on the male line of our family has had the given name of that guy as 1st or second. He broke the tradition with me, oh well. I at least know I'm defo from round here! My name sounds like it should come from Spain or Italy but seemingly it (or we) has/have been here 300 years at least so no clue about the origin.
Haven't had DNA but apparently (according to a news report) the company that runs the Corona testing service at Heathrow has been selling samples and dna records, which is a huge breach of ethics and would probably include mine. Bastards.
Haven't had DNA but apparently (according to a news report) the company that runs the Corona testing service at Heathrow has been selling samples and dna records, which is a huge breach of ethics and would probably include mine. Bastards.
- Messages
- 329
- Location
- near Glasgow
Don't supply your DNA to any commercial outfit. It is too precious!
- Messages
- 2,367
- Location
- Silly Suffolk
If a government-approved outfit can be found to be selling DNA via covid swabs, there are doubtless many other organisations ready to steal and cash in.
Consider that, at a pinch, you can change name,address, phone and a lot of other identifiers. DNA you cannot, and you're compromised forever.
- Messages
- 5,121
- Location
- british west hartlepool
My sister did some ancestry stuff. My mam's family were from Ireland and the records there cut it very short. on my father's side it was pretty interesting and she got as far back as a direct descendant who was a general in Cromwell's army who fought against the royalists. I was rather pleased with that 
- Messages
- 875
- Location
- Plymouth, Devonshire.
I was told I would be better off searching prison records for my family tree.
- Messages
- 875
- Location
- Plymouth, Devonshire.
In all seriousness, I spent 25 years in the Merchant Navy. I met my wife about 5 years ago. I’m from Plymouth and she’s originally from Yorkshire. She has no connection with the sea whatsoever. She is researching her family tree and her GGG and GG fathers were all masters and mates on the tea clippers. Fascinating stuff.
- Messages
- 15,875
- Location
- Halifax, Republic of Yorkshire
DNA is probably the holy grail of personalising metadata held by Big Data. Ancestry is a voluntary hand-over. Like all my personal data, if it's going to be used (read: sold) ... I'd like to be paid.
But, back to genealogy ...
Mrs did the Ancestry DNA trace to find a peculiarly narrow geofence around West Yorkshire. Clearly, the data pool is very immature as a simple book search will reveal a history of her father's line back to coal mining in the Wye Valley (certainly not in West Yorkshire, by the way) and a particularly philandering ancestor who bore such an uncanny resemblance to my father-in-law who can be seen on page 43, or whatever, that it is without question that this is the correct ancestral line ... so we know his, erm, DNA is widespread well outside of the information given back by Ancestry. I guess it's fun, but I call bull on it ... for now.
But, back to genealogy ...
Mrs did the Ancestry DNA trace to find a peculiarly narrow geofence around West Yorkshire. Clearly, the data pool is very immature as a simple book search will reveal a history of her father's line back to coal mining in the Wye Valley (certainly not in West Yorkshire, by the way) and a particularly philandering ancestor who bore such an uncanny resemblance to my father-in-law who can be seen on page 43, or whatever, that it is without question that this is the correct ancestral line ... so we know his, erm, DNA is widespread well outside of the information given back by Ancestry. I guess it's fun, but I call bull on it ... for now.
- Messages
- 7,011
Say what you want, but DNA collection has solved countless "cold case" murders and given many families closure in what has been decades of agony. As well, it has also helped release many an innocent man from prison who have been wrongfully convicted. Can you imagine being in prison for decades for a crime you didn't commit? A fate worse than death for many.
- Messages
- 329
- Location
- near Glasgow
Make lovely knots.
- Messages
- 2,996
- Location
- Not too far from LHR
I didn't have much of a choice. Mrs is Spanish, we went back for family reasons, had to have mandatory test at Heathrow to be allowed back to my native land.
- Messages
- 342
i have a problem with my dna with GJB1 -136 -36...and hold the number 1 slot for RNA testing for this in the uk...my daughter being number 2
there you go some very clever people at the Life ccentre in Newcastle
there you go some very clever people at the Life ccentre in Newcastle