DNA Can it help me find my ancestors?

DNA STUDY of my mother’s side of the family

DNA CHART

I have taken autosomal tests for DNA.  I have also taken mtDNA which go up your mother’s line to her mother’s mother etc.  The chart shows the yDNA up the left side which is the son to father line. This usually follows the surname of that line and is easier to trace. The right side of the chart is the mtDNA. This follows daughter to mother to mother etc.

Myself, my sister and my brother are all mtDNA Haplogroup H3k1a

I am at 23&me and this is my Ethnicity as of January 2020:

    • 76.5% British & Irish
    • 9.4% French & German
    • 1.9% Scandinavian
    • .05% Spanish & Portuguese

British & Irish: Current United Kingdom strongest evidence of your ancestry: Greater London, Glasgow City, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, Tyne and Wear, Belfast, Highlands, Lancashire.

Ancestry’s test is autosomal

  • England, Wates & NW Europe 54%
  • Ireland & Scotland 42% Scottish Highlands & Islands – Argyll & Bute
  • Germanic Europe 2%
  • Sweden 2%
  • Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island Settlers – Cape Breton  (Strait of Canso, Nova Scotia)

I have researched as far as Emma Ward Brown whose mother maybe Sarah Paine Ward in the records for Middlesex County, Ontario. The time period is 1818 to 26 May, 1857.

This means I have my mtDNA from me to my mother, Marjorie Boardman MacDonald. Marjorie to her mother Ethel Brown. Ethel’s mother Sarah Paine.  This would make Sarah my 2nd great-grandmother.

At Family Tree DNA I am this as of January 2020: British Isles 81%, East Europe 18%.

I am reading: The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy, by Blaine T. Bettinger. It is very good 2nd Edition. Mr. Bettinger states that there is your genealogy tree that you research and there is your DNA tree because of the way that DNA is passed on from generation to generation.

Here are the companies that I have tested at.

23&Me does Autosomal and medical testing

https://www.23andme.com/

Family Tree DNA does autosomal, mtDNA and yDNA and other tests

http://www.familytreedna.com/

Ancestry DNA and they do only autosomal testing.

http://dna.ancestry.com

There are other companies that provide DNA testing and you can study them as well.  There are also 3rd party websites like Gedmatch and YSearch that let you upload to them for further matching options.

If you wish to contact me do so at this email: bjmcdonell@gmail.com.

Updated March 22, 2023

2 thoughts on “DNA Can it help me find my ancestors?”

  1. Laurie Field (McIntosh)

    hi I am trying to get ahold of Carrie McIntosh in order to connect on the McIntosh family tree, if you have any info, that would be great.

    Reply ↓
    1. BJ MacDonald Post author

      Laurie: Welcome. I am sorry to say that I have not done much on Carrie’s father’s side. Frankly I don’t know that much about Carrie’s life except that she maybe married an Emil Peterson? Her father William McIntosh was the man who took over the estate of Esther King, Isabella’s mother in 1895. I am currently building a tree at Ancestry that is private at this time but eventually it will be made public. The search engine suggests that his parents are Daniel McIntosh 1821 Springfield, Ontario to 1880 Burnside Lapeer Co., Michigan and a Mary Jane McEown 1826-1908, born Aylmer, Elgin Co., Ontario and died Detroit. Daniel’s father is listed as William McIntosh born 20 April 1795 in Inverness, Scotland and died 1 Sep 1869 in Malahide Twp., Elgin, Ontario. This is from the Harris Family Tree at Ancestry.com by a debrawakeling1 and she seems to have lots of sources. You can get to Ancestry.com with a library card at the library for free or if you belong to a local genealogical society. I will be in Inverness in May 2018…I add McIntosh to the list. Bonnie

      Reply ↓

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