For no real reason I had always wanted to have my DNA analysed. The actual cost was prohibitive. Early in
2018 I heard about DNA Quest, a pro bono offer from MyHeritage to provide free
tests for anyone with an adoption mystery in their family.
Applicants were asked to justify their request for a free test, with a preference being given to those with any sort of adoption anomaly. I described my situation, having recently found out that my father had been raised by his grandparents. After an interminable wait, I was given the news that I had been selected for one of the free tests.
Not that I ever doubted my parentage, there was always the possibility that May got pregnant by
somebody else, took up with Thomas William Leggett and convinced him that he
was the father of her expected child. I
expected my forthcoming DNA test to clarify this, and, because, over the previous couple of years I had become very good friends with Duncan in Australia, I would have been very disappointed to discover that I was not
related to the Leggett dynasty.
The results confirmed that both Carol and Duncan were my half-first cousins, Duncan by way of being the son of the child of Thomas Leggett and his second wife. Carol was my half-first cousin by way of being the daughter of May's third child, Yvonne Rhodes.
Just to clarify, I share one grandparent, Thomas William Leggett, with Duncan, and another, May Watson with Carol. Duncan and Carol have no DNA in common as they are totally unrelated. We are working together to fathom our various family mysteries.
I uploaded the
MyHeritage data (Kit Number: H062246) to LivingDNA, GEDMatch /GENESIS, DNA.Land
and Family Tree DNA.
I spent a lot of 2018 study genealogy and genetics. It is a complex subject, but one I find fascinating. I am now at the stage where I understand a lot, but it is still hard to explain to a novice.
In the summer of 2019 I started to wade through the 7,800 matches which MyHeritage have found me. By 2022 that was 12,000. In March 2024 it was over 15,000
In late July 2019 I uploaded my MyHeritage data to Geni, via FT-DNA. My only matches have been very small.
I uploaded my GEDCOM file to FT-DNA. Initially I was reluctant to share my research, but I now realise that it is essential, and worth the trade-off.
I also ordered a Promethease report. Promethease is a literature retrieval system that creates a personal DNA report based on your DNA data, taking into account all the scientific and medical literature cited in SNPedia.
I also uploaded my MyHeritage data to Genetic Affairs to use their initially free auto-clustering tool. In August 2019 I started assessing the vast amount of data I was given, a spreadsheet with 1,000 rows and 1,000 columns!
In late July 2019 I uploaded my MyHeritage data to Geni, via FT-DNA. My only matches have been very small.
I uploaded my GEDCOM file to FT-DNA. Initially I was reluctant to share my research, but I now realise that it is essential, and worth the trade-off.
I also ordered a Promethease report. Promethease is a literature retrieval system that creates a personal DNA report based on your DNA data, taking into account all the scientific and medical literature cited in SNPedia.
I also uploaded my MyHeritage data to Genetic Affairs to use their initially free auto-clustering tool. In August 2019 I started assessing the vast amount of data I was given, a spreadsheet with 1,000 rows and 1,000 columns!
In 2021 I made contact with two cousins, both descendants of my paternal 4x great grandfather, based on a small but significant DNA match. They still live in the North East. We email regularly, trying to find out more. In 2022 Carol made contact with yet another descendant of the same ancestor.
Apart from Carol and Duncan, with whom I share matches of just under 500cM, I have about 10 in the range 50-100cM. I have made little progress identifying them, although there are some names and places in common.
In April 2022 I decided to have a DNA test with Ancestry.