Some months ago I posted about the mystery in my family of my grandfather who discovered he was adopted when he was in his 60s. As a genealogist, I had been researching his birth family to no avail for a number of years. I finally had a breakthrough last year when I found evidence of his (alleged) birth father's subsequent marriage, children and so on.
After being in touch with my (alleged) great-grandfather's descendant, Paul, for some time, he finally did an Ancestry DNA test and we've been waiting for the results to come through.
It's been quite a nervous wait - what if I was wrong?
I was in a business meeting the other day and got onto the topic of DNA testing and genealogy with the client. I decided to show them my research and also my DNA test results (I am always happy to talk about genealogy, especially if there's a chance I can give someone else the bug).
Logging into Ancestry DNA I saw there was a new match and that this match was listed as being a potential 2nd or 3rd cousin.
Looking more closely, I realised I recognised the username as being the same as Paul's email address. I gasped and said "Oh my god". The client was worried and asked if I was alright and I then went on to explain the story and that this result showed that my research was right.
I had found the descendant of my grandfather's birth father.
The following table gives an explanation of how the cousin relationships work. It's complicated at first but looking at it Paul my mother's 1st cousin (half) and my 1st cousin once removed (half). This is because mum and Paul share a grandfather (Allan Douglas). (The half is important here. My grandfather's birth mother was not the same woman as the woman his father married, so subsequent children had a different mother).
After being in touch with my (alleged) great-grandfather's descendant, Paul, for some time, he finally did an Ancestry DNA test and we've been waiting for the results to come through.
It's been quite a nervous wait - what if I was wrong?
I was in a business meeting the other day and got onto the topic of DNA testing and genealogy with the client. I decided to show them my research and also my DNA test results (I am always happy to talk about genealogy, especially if there's a chance I can give someone else the bug).
Logging into Ancestry DNA I saw there was a new match and that this match was listed as being a potential 2nd or 3rd cousin.
Looking more closely, I realised I recognised the username as being the same as Paul's email address. I gasped and said "Oh my god". The client was worried and asked if I was alright and I then went on to explain the story and that this result showed that my research was right.
I had found the descendant of my grandfather's birth father.
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| Source: Ancestry.co.uk |
The following table gives an explanation of how the cousin relationships work. It's complicated at first but looking at it Paul my mother's 1st cousin (half) and my 1st cousin once removed (half). This is because mum and Paul share a grandfather (Allan Douglas). (The half is important here. My grandfather's birth mother was not the same woman as the woman his father married, so subsequent children had a different mother).
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| Source: ISOGG |
This journey and the discoveries made (and the doors now open - so much research to be done on the Williamson side now) are why I love genealogy and why I spend so much time on it (both academically and personally). Not only for the whole Nancy Drew/Scooby Doo mystery solving aspect of it (although that is freaking cool), but because I have the opportunity to bring people together. Being able to do this for my mum has been a real blessing. She is an only child so finding a whole new set of relatives is important for her and I am glad I have been able to give her that gift.
Now, let's see where the Williamson line will take me...
Wow what a wonderful achievement and revelation. I love your passion for genealogy that come through in your writing, but mostly I love that you gave your mum the gift of family.
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