Mossie's Musings

Below are the links to blogposts you can read to follow up on the content of our session on 20 November 2022:- First Look at AncestryDNA  - this includes the activities covered in the session DNA testing strategy for Australians Let's talk tree terminology How your DNA can help identify human remains and solve cold cases You can read my approach to "grouping"  HERE  and  HERE.  Click  HERE  to watch a 30 minute video I've recorded on the Leeds Method and my "twisted" Leeds Method. You can register for another great DNA session presented by the Society of Australian Genealogists at 7.30pm on Thursday 24 November 2022  HERE. Read about Nathan Dylan Goodwin's books  HERE. You can read more about my great-great-grandmother, Jane Feeney,  HERE.

Below are the links to blogposts you can read to follow up on the content of our session on 6 November 2022:- First Look at AncestryDNA  - this includes the activities covered in the session DNA testing strategy for Australians Let's talk tree terminology How your DNA can help identify human remains and solve cold cases You can read my approach to "grouping"  HERE  and  HERE.  Click  HERE  to watch a 30 minute video I've recorded on the Leeds Method and my "twisted" Leeds Method. You can register for another great DNA session presented by the Society of Australian Genealogists at 7.30pm on Thursday 24 November 2022  HERE. Read about Nathan Dylan Goodwin's books  HERE. You can read more about my great-great-grandmother, Jane Feeney,  HERE.

Below is a case study for participants in the Society of Australian Genealogists AncestryDNA 2021 and 2022 Follow Up meetings in October 2022 . Please contact me at chrisw9953[at]gmail[dot]com for  other uses.  How is Hilary related to three siblings? Please be prepared to discuss this case study- What are the possible relationships between Hilary and the three siblings? Do we have enough evidence to support these possible relationships "beyond reasonable doubt"? What actions would you recommend to Hilary and the three siblings to gather more evidence? What do we know? Hilary was born in 1959 in London, England. She was adopted in the same year.  Hilary has tested at AncestryDNA to find her biological father. Hilary has DNA matches with three siblings -  Sibling 1 - 237cM, Sibling 2 - 181cM, Sibling 3 - 102cM. From her AncestryDNA matches, Hilary knows she's related to the three siblings on her paternal line.  From their AncestryDNA matches, the siblings know they

Below are the links to blogposts you can read to follow up on the content of our session on 21 September 2022:- First Look at AncestryDNA  - this includes the activities covered in the session DNA testing strategy for Australians Let's talk tree terminology How your DNA can help identify human remains and solve cold cases You can read my approach to "grouping"  HERE  and  HERE.  Click  HERE  to watch a 30 minute video I've recorded on the Leeds Method and my "twisted" Leeds Method. You can register for another great DNA session presented by the Society of Australian Genealogists at 7.30pm on Thursday 24 November 2022  HERE.

 "Collecting Cahill Cousins" These notes accompany my presentation at the 37th Annual Conference of the NSW and ACT Association of Family History Societies on 16 September 2022.  Others are welcome to use these notes for their personal research.  Please contact me at chrisw9953[at]gmail[dot]com for  other uses.  The presentation uses case studies to demonstrate how DNA has helped me unravel the family of my paternal grandfather, James Oswald Woodlands (1891 to 1946). In particular, to prove "beyond reasonable doubt" that his mother, Agnes, is the daughter of James Cahill and Eliza Dunn. My aim is to encourage all participants to use both traditional research and DNA evidence so we don't miss any "vital" evidence. In 2022, genetic genealogy is an essential part of our family history toolbox. You can register for another great DNA session presented by the Society of Australian Genealogists at 7.30pm on Thursday 24 November 2022  HERE. The stories of five

You'll find my current recommendations for a DNA testing strategy for Australians if you read the  earlier blogpost.   Most Australians test at AncestryDNA and this is my recommended first step for all family historians. BUT your DNA test at AncestryDNA can't be used by law enforcement and other agencies to identify human remains and solve cold cases. You need to transfer your DNA data to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA to help. You can read more at Louise Coakley's  Genie1 website here. What you need to do if you've tested at AncestryDNA and want to assist:- Download your DNA data from Ancestry DNA. Follow the step by step instructions provided by Louise Coakley under  How to Download Raw DNA Data from AncestryDNA by using this link. Upload your DNA data to GEDmatch  using this link.  Once you've created a free account, you can upload your DNA data at no cost.  Upload your DNA data to FamilyTreeDNA  using this link.  There's no cost for uploading. "Opt-In"

Genetic/biological v social/known pedigree The further you go back with your genetic research, the more likely you are to find "unexpected parentage".  When working with DNA, you are researching your genetic pedigree and this is what you should be recording in your tree to get the full benefit of your DNA research.  If it's a sensitive matter, you can make the tree private searchable or unsearchable at ancestry.com .   Note that the Thruline and Common Ancestor features of AncestryDNA will not work if your AncestryDNA test is attached to a private unsearchable tree. You can see my two pedigrees below.  The biological father of my grandfather, James Woodlands, was Cornelius Bray.  His step father was James Woodland and appears in my social/known pedigree.   You can record both the genetic/biological and social/known relationships in your tree but ensure that the genetic/biological is the preferred view. Family view v pedigree view of a tree Click  HERE  to read about the d