DNA Breakthrough

October 3, 2016 — ancestor, DNA, evidence, family tree, genealogy, investigate, map

Andrew Armour’s fort

I recently started to study the matches that Ancestry.com has found for me. I took the test long ago and had paid little attention to that section of the website. I was asked to help a living person who is trying to find his birth father. He contacted me through the message system in Ancestry because he saw I was related to a DNA match he has. This man has done more research and has a much broader understanding of the various kinds of DNA testing available, and how to apply them to answer mystery ancestry questions. I have taken some time to look through the surnames he and I share with no luck in finding a connection.   We are waiting for a y chromosome test from my brother to be processed at Ancestry to see if that reveals more.  The match may come from as far back as 10 generations, so the whole thing is pretty complicated.  I hope we find the answer my distant adopted cousin is seeking.  In the process I am learning more about DNA testing and how helpful it can be.

I have had an excellent breakthrough on my maternal side by searching through all the matches and reading the trees.  Some of the folks with whom I am matched have no tree.  I am not sure what there are doing there.  They are not much use until they get some data to go with the genetics.  By following my matches in the Armer line I have found very early colonists from Plymouth and more new connections yet to be researched in Massachusetts.  I have found Andrew Armour, 5th great-grandfather, born in Scotland 1740, died in Georgia, 1801.  This line is also rich with history and original documents galore.   The map above is of Andrew’s fort.  I also have his will and testament in his own beautiful hand. I always love seeing the ancestors’ handwriting.

In the never ending research to learn more about my ancestors I appreciate any and all breakthroughs that help me verify my family members.  The time spent studying my matches has given me a major breakthrough that will yield much  more data as I dig into it.  I will soon write more bios of this new/old branch of Scotsmen.  If you have access to the Ancestry DNA database I believe you will learn something significant from taking the test.  If you are already studying genealogy I recommend paying attention to the DNA section for possible happy consequences.