DNA Testing Sale on Ancestry!

  Thinking about having your DNA tested? Now's the time! Ancestry is offering 10% off on their DNA tests in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

The offer is good until March 19th. Just use this link for your 10% off DNA.

What can a DNA test do? You can learn about your ethnic origins, connect with others who match your DNA, and compare notes on your shared ancestors.

Read some of my personal stories about what my wife and I have learned from DNA tests.

We learned, for example, that the family rumours were true and that my grandfather's father was not the man married to his mother. Nope, the rumour that Great-Grandma had been messing around with the hired man named Cooper turned out to be true! DNA connected my mother and I with first cousins through the Cooper family.

We also were able to verify our paper research showing my wife's Native American heritage, and my black African-American ancestry.  More secret recently came to light, and this was something no one had any inkling of. Not a whisper, not a rumour, nothing - so it was a real bombshell and has led us to interesting researching on my ancestor, a free man of colour from Pennsylvania who came to Upper Canada (Ontario) in 1818.

Oops I Goofed With My Irish Ancestors!

In 2010 I posted about my Irish ancestors. I listed them as:

* William Massey from Delgany, Wicklow Ireland arrived Quebec before 1843. 3rd g grandpa.

* William Montgomery (4th g grpa) from Co Fermanagh left Ireland during War of 1812 with his parents Thomas Montgomery and Mary Johnson (5th g grandparents). They were captured by British off coast of Newfoundland and held prisoners until 1816 then sent to Quebec. Later Thomas and Mary left for Oneida Co. New York but William remained in Quebec and married Jane Graham from Ireland.

* Jane Graham 4th g grandma.

* Cornelius Kennedy born Killarney and his wife Elizabeth Clifford (4th greats) born Co. Derry came to Ontario circa 1847 during Irish Famine. Their daughter Catherine Kennedy (3rd great) also born Ireland.

* Mary Jackson nee McKanor (4th g gramma) and son William Jackson (3rd g grandpa) from Tipperary sailed on Sir Robert Peel to New York in Oct. 1857. Came on to Ontario a few years later.

* James Hogan and wife Ann Hayden came to Ontario from Ireland ca 1843 4th g grandparents.

* James Holden, wife Frances Hamilton (4th g grandparents), son Sinclair Holden (3rd g grandpa) came from Co. Tyrone, Ireland between 1822 and 1826 to Whitby Ontario.

But guess what? I was WRONG about a few of them!

* Cornelius Kennedy born Killarney and his wife Elizabeth Clifford (4th greats) born Co. Derry came to Ontario circa 1847 during Irish Famine. Their daughter Catherine Kennedy (3rd great) also born Ireland.

UPDATE: Wrong family! Further research revealed that their daughter Catherine Kennedy married John Kean, not my ancestor Thomas Walker Elgie. My Catherine Kennedy was the daughter of Peter and Mary Kennedy from Kerry, Ireland.

* Mary Jackson nee McKanor (4th g gramma) and son William Jackson (3rd g grandpa) from Tipperary sailed on Sir Robert Peel to New York in Oct. 1857. Came on to Ontario a few years later.

UPDATE:  Research has found her maiden name is Moynahan/Minahan. I've since found her marriage to my 4th great grandfather Michael Jackson and many other records for this family.

* James Holden, wife Frances Hamilton (4th g grandparents), son Sinclair Holden (3rd g grandpa) came from Co. Tyrone, Ireland between 1822 and 1826 to Whitby Ontario.

UPDATE:  Wrong family!  DNA testing proved that I am not a Holden. That's right. My great-grandfather Bristol Holden was not my biological great-grandfather. What a shock! See the article DNA Gave My Husband a Completely Different Great Grandfather
for the details on what DNA showed, and how we proved the connection to an entirely new great-grandfather, Gordon Alfred Cooper.

 If you haven't had your DNA test done yet, see  Ancestry DNA Kit for USA  or Ancestry DNA for Canada

For other ideas on reviewing past research, see

Everyone Makes Mistakes: Why You Should Review Your Research Notes

Use A Relationship Calculator to Help with DNA Matches

If you are like me, whenever you get a DNA match that says the match is possibly a 3rd or 4th cousin, you can't remember or are not sure how to figure out where your common ancestor might be in your ancestry - a grandparent, a great-grandparent....??  In other words, how do you narrow the list of suspects candidates? 

Read more at

A Relationship Calculator Helps with DNA Matches

Ancestry DNA Available in Canada

Great news! Ancestry DNA test kits are now available to Canadians. If you've been waiting for the chance to order a kit to Canada, now's the time.

I've had my DNA (and my parents) DNA tested at other companies and now is my chance to do the same with Ancestry DNA in Canada  

The more places you test, the better so I'm eager to do this! So far, with our DNA tests we've learned many new things - not just our ethnic background but family secrets. That's right.

We learned, for example, that the family rumours were true and that my grandfather's father was not the man married to his mother. Nope, the rumour that Great-Grandma had been messing around with the hired man named Cooper turned out to be true! DNA connected my husband and his mother with first cousins through the Cooper family. 

We also were able to verify our paper research showing my wife's Native American heritage, and my black ancestry. 

So if you live in Canada, why not find out what secrets lie in your family tree? Take the Ancestry DNA now.

Happy DNA Day! 20% off on AncestryDNA Kits

AncestryDNA is celebrating their annual DNA Day this April by offering a 20% discount on AncestryDNA. The special will run from April 23-April 27, 2015. Happy DNA Day! 

This link takes you to their offer DNA Day 20% off AncestryDNA 

If you don't have your DNA kit yet, maybe it's time. Don't miss out!

Ireland Is In My Blood

It's not too late for you to search for your Irish ancestors for free today. Ancestry.com is offering Open access to the Irish Heritage Collection from March 13 to March 17, 2014

Get Your DNA Tested

I self identify as Irish. If someone asks me what country my ancestors came from I don't say England, France, Belgium, Germany or any of the many Countries my ancestors came from. The first Country that comes out of my mouth is Ireland. Now to be sure I do have many Irish ancestors but the reality is much of my DNA is not Irish. Yet Ireland is the place that speaks to me. If I had to move across the ocean I would feel most comfortable heading for Ireland yet I have never been there. I love Irish music. I am interested in Irish history. I have spent way more hours searching my Irish ancestors than any of my other lines. And for some strange reason I trust anyone with an Irish accent.

I think perhaps that Irish DNA has a homing signal encoded in it. Its in my blood as they say. 

DNA Specials on Ancestry for St Patrick's Day

Time to get your DNA tested. Ancestry.com is offering 10% off DNA kits during St. Patrick's promotion. March 13-23

This special price begins TODAY March 13 at 6:00am ET and ends on March 23 at 11:59 ET 

DNA Kits on Sale at Ancestry

Did Santa forget to bring you a DNA kit for Christmas? Well  now's your chance to get one! Ancestry is offering their AncestryDNA Kit only $89 plus Free Shipping 

Please note: the above offer is valid from 1/1/14 12:01AM MTN - 1/5/14 11:59PM MTN. Use Code : FREESHIPDNA

You can also take advantage of another special for 50% Off a 6 month Ancestry Subscription, only $49

DNA Kits from Ancestry - Free Shipping

Ancestry is currently offering Free Shipping with Coupon Code: FREESHIPDNA on all DNA kit orders. Just use the link below to order your DNA Kit today!

Free Shipping with DNA Kit Purchase at Ancestry.com! Use Code: FREESHIPDNA

Special Deals on Y-DNA Upgrades for Father's Day

My Surname Begins with Equals Contains Ends with Sounds like

   Just in time for Father's Day - Family Tree DNA is offering discounts on   upgrades to Y-DNA tests.

From June 12, 2013 through June 19, 2013, FT DNA will reduce the following prices. Y-DNA 12 to 25 was $49 Now $35 Y-DNA 12 to 37 was $99 Now $69 Y-DNA 12 to 67 was $189 Now $148 Y-DNA 25 to 37 was $49 Now $35 Y-DNA 25 to 67 was $148 Now $114 Y-DNA 25 to 111 was $249 Now $224 Y-DNA 37 to 67 was $99 Now $79 Y-DNA 37 to 111 was $220 Now $188 Y-DNA 67 to 111 was $129 Now $109

To order an upgrade at these special prices you may log into your personal page at Family Tree DNA with your kit number and password. Click on the "Order Upgrade" button located on the right side of the menu bar. Then click on the "Special Offers" button. ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED AND PAID FOR BY 11:59pm, JUNE 19, 2013, TO RECEIVE THE SALE PRICE.

Proven! The DNA of Richard the III

Exciting news!

Leicester University scientists confirm the remains found in an unmarked grave are Richard III's

 

Conducted a range of tests including carbon-dating and a DNA match with a descendent of the Plantagenet King's sister

Skeleton shows battle wounds and signs of scoliosis

Want to test your own DNA? Try  Family Tree DNA and learn more about your ancestral origins

Read more

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/experts-say-canadian-dna-confirms-parking-lot-skeleton-is-richard-iii/article8158525/

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2272848/Richard-III-Woman-feels-chill-Leicester-car-park-human-remains-found.html#ixzz2JrfOp0lX

Doing More DNA Testing. Will it Show my African-American Heritage?

My 23andMe DNA kits arrived yesterday. I already had my Y-DNA tested at Family Tree DNA but wanted to try another company and see what kind of results I get.

My Haplogroup is RM-269 and I'm still reading up on this to understand it better. I know that to get my terminal branch of the Y-DNA tree I need to order the order the National Genographic Geno 2.0 chip but it's almost $200.00 so will have to wait while I save my pennies!

It's been a very successful journey through FamilyTree DNA. You can read about how my DNA results allowed me to find and meet some new cousins on my Massey lineage, at The Massey DNA Connection

23andMe focuses on genetic health issues and that's intriguing. But I'm also hoping for confirmation of my African-American origins. My 4th great grandfather Jonathan Butler was a black man who came from the United States and settled in Ontario Canada some time before 1824. I know very little about him

You can read about Jonathan and see a photo of his beautiful granddaughter at The Challenge of Finding Our Black Ancestor's Origins

I'm hoping 23andMe will provide more interesting details on my ethnic origins.

Next step: I'll provide the test sample and mail it back to 23andMe, then I wait.

Last Day of Sale on Family Tree DNA!

Family Tree DNA 3 Day Sale! At this time these are the only two options, and they are geared specifically for newcomers. This sale will end on Saturday, August 25, 2012 at 11:59PM.

New Customers Only Current Price SALE PRICE Family Finder + Y-DNA 12 $339 $249 Family Finder + mtDNA $339 $249

As with all promotions, orders need to be placed by the end of the sale and payment must be made by end of this sale. Family Tree DNA

 

Are you related to the Iceman

In what I think is really cool news researchers have now conducted DNA studies on Oetzi the iceman. Oetzis well-preserved, 5,300 year old mummified body was found in 1991 on the Tisenjoch Pass in the Italian part of the Oeztal Alps. The DNA analysis shows us he had brown eyes, type O blood, and was lactose intolerant. He was also genetically predisposed to coronary heart disease and shows signs of the earliest known infection of Lyme disease.

But what I think is really cool is the possibility that researchers may be able to find living descendants using DNA testing. Of course we don't know for sure if Oetzi fathered any children. His DNA test did show mutations typically found in men with reduced sperm function that can render them infertile. But even if Oetzi had only one or two sons, after 5,300 years he could literally have millions of descendants. You could be one. How cool would that be.

Press Release: Archives.com Partners with Family Tree DNA to Offer DNA Testing

Archives.com Partners with Family Tree DNA to Offer DNA Testing

DNA Tests Available Through Archives.com for the First Time Providing Access to the World’s Largest Genetic Genealogy Database

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov. 22, 2011 -- Archives.com,
a website devoted to making family history simple and affordable,
announces another exciting way users can explore their family heritage.
Archives.com has partnered with Family Tree DNA ,
the world leader in genetic genealogy, to enable users to purchase DNA
tests through its website for the first time. These are being offered at
up to 30 percent off the regular price for a limited time. Archives
recognizes that DNA testing plays a critical role in family history
research, and is glad to offer a simple, convenient way for  users to
get started with genetic genealogy.

The growing field of genetic genealogy utilizes science to tell us more
about our ancestors, and maternal and paternal lineages. Family Tree DNA
can help researchers to verify known connections or uncover previously
unknown ethnic ties with the world’s largest genetic genealogy database
of over 350 thousand records, several times larger than the nearest
competitor. Archives.com now offers three types of DNA tests: the
Y-chromosome DNA test to trace paternal lines and surname matches; the
mitochondrial DNA test to determine maternal line matches; and the
Family Finder test kit, which tests autosomal DNA to reveal ethnic
percentages and trace genes across maternal and paternal lines.

Archives Director of Product Joe Godfrey commented, “Genetic genealogy is an
extremely exciting field. We’ve been interested in integrating DNA
testing into Archives.com for some time, and I’m glad we are working
with Family Tree DNA, the world’s largest genetic genealogy database, to
make this happen. This initial integration will give users the ability
to find historical records and start exploring their genetic genealogy
all in one place. In the future, we intend to provide users with more
robust tools and resources that will enhance the experience even
further.”

Family Tree DNA VP of Operations Max Blankfeld noted, “We are thrilled to
partner with Archives.com, a website we know will play an important role
in the future of online family history research. Archives.com provides a
genuine alternative to the more expensive websites out there. Easy
access to DNA testing will allow Archives.com users to explore this
important facet of genealogy research.”

Archives looks forward to collaborating closely with Family Tree DNA , the
community, and project managers, to provide the best integrated
experience between the two websites possible. Also Archives encourages
people to take advantage of the limited time discount on DNA tests found
on Archives.com.

Ned Kelly's remains found in mass grave

The headless skeleton of infamous bushranger Ned Kelly has been found and identified more than 130 years after his execution in the Old Melbourne Gaol.

That a group of scientists could identify the body of a man who was executed more than 130 years ago, moved and buried in a haphazard fashion among 33 other prisoners, most of whom are not identified, is amazing," Victoria Attorney General Robert Clark said in a statement.

Ned Kelly was born in 1855 in Beveridge Austrailia. The eldest son of eight children to John 'Red' Kelly and Ellen Quinn.

His criminal life started early. Arrested first at the age of 14 for assaulting a Chinese man. In 1878 his mother was arrested and sentenced to three years' imprisonment for her part in an attempted murder. So Ned and his brother Dan, along with 2 friends went into hiding from police. The Kelly Gang as it was soon to be known ambushed a group of police on their trail in Stringybark Creek, killing three of them.

The Kelly gang spent the next 2 years on the run untill police cornered them at the Glenrowan Hotel. But his gang wore suits of body armor, possibly fashioned from moldboards plows and weighing 96 lbs. each, strong enough to repel the lead bullets in use at that time. During the gun fight three of the gang members died. But Ned, was captured after being shot several times in the legs. He was sentenced to death for murder.

Are you related to Gengis Khan

Archaeologists in Russia have unearthed what they say are remains of a nephew of the founder of the Mongol Empire, Gengis Khan.

The remains of Isunke Khan were discovered during excavation in Russia’s East Siberian region of Transbaikalia, which were earlier initiated by the Russian Far Eastern Federal University.

The remnants’ DNA testing is yet to be implemented but if DNA can be extracted it would be fantastic for people who believe are in the same family tree as Gengis Khan.

Neanderthal genes 'survive in us'

Many people alive today possess some Neanderthal ancestry. Between 1% and 4% of the Eurasian human genome seems to come from Neanderthals according to a landmark DNA study.



Read More

DNA from letters helps identify Pearl Harbor casualty

DNA lifted from envelopes sent home by a young sailor aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma in 1941 helped identify his remains 68 years after he died at Pearl Harbor.
Read More

DNA From A 4000 Year Old Graveyard

Chinese archeologists have excavated an extraordinary cemetery. Its inhabitants died almost 4,000 years ago, yet their bodies have been well preserved by the dry air.

Read More....