Discussion of the Day
AncestryDNA and 23andMe
Elizabeth J15-Jul-22
DNA kits are useful for discovering your roots, as well as identifying potential health conditions. I have never heard of 23andMe until it came up when I Googled Ancestry DNA. I am really keen to have this done but my cousin feels it is a bit dodgy. I guess she means mad scientist somewhere down the track using our DNA without our permission for research for God know what.
I am just really interested in my family roots. I would rather not know if I had the likelihood of some terrible disease. We have a doozy of a 'skeleton in the closet' with my grandfather born in the early 1800s. We have a birth certificate and a marriage certificate, but no death certificate. I am hoping that, on the odd chance, something might turn up.
I was wondering if any of my fellow Rewardians have had this done or know of anyone who has had it done and if there has been any interesting results.
Comments
  • Nwe Mon
    I would like to try it but is it expensive?
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    • Helen E 469767
      I found it very interesting getting the results for my self and my husband. His Mother was adopted and we havew found out a lot about that side of the family. We have a castle in England but when I looked it up it is now in ruins. Foud out about where our back ground started and what the families did.
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      • Elizabeth J 447888
        Wow that must have been interesting. You have really encouraged me. Thank you.
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    • graeme m 189162
      just join ancestry.com.au and start following backwards. worry about tests later if you cannot find any family and history.
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      • Paula J 395266
        I bought my kit from Ancestry and am very happy with the results. My father was pretty spot on when he told us when and where we came from but I was surprised to see they must have intermarried for generations because the line was so pure. I have met some very nice people I would never have known about, including my fathers cousin whom neither knew anything about. I am related to a well know actor which thrilled my grandchildren and on my mothers side we found so many skeletons it isn't funny, however she thinks it is. Unlike my fathers side mum has many relatives who don't know how we are related and we found out that her family name wasn't their real name. My husband took the test as well and we have both found it very interesting. I don't know about other DNA sites but Ancestry shows you how and when your relatives moved or migrated, and they keep refining your DNA getting it more specific. So far there has been no down side.
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        • Elizabeth J 447888
          Thanks Paula. You have me convinced.
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      • JANET R 328390
        I worked at a Alternative Medical Clinic a few years ago and both the Doctors there recommended the 23 and Me testing. I never heard any complaints about it - but do know that a lot of those places will only test so much and then you have to send more money to get further results. I would be careful and read the small print.
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        • Elizabeth J 447888
          Thanks Janet.
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      • bobbie k
        Have not heard of it.
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        • Janet B 835001
          I have never heard of this Ancestry site before I have done it yet but would love to and I think my husband would like to as well as we're both really interested in our family heritage. I would probably approach with a not well known site with caution but when it comes down to it there will probably be a few different sites around cause as with anything different that starts up people that's interested in the same type of thing and have the skills and funds often start their own sites and a bit of competition is always a good thing for the purchaser but as with any subscription or contract it always pay to read all the fine print and if there's anything your not sure of you can always ask someone who knows or you local law society. Good luck I hope that you enjoy your journey back into your family history.
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          • Paula J 395266
            I can recommend Ancestry.
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        • APB
          It is important to read the small print....if there is any clause that states that they have the right to clone you using your DNA and place that creature in a Zoo or a Circus in the distant future.....then I would not sign it
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          • Robby K
            it is a good idea
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            • mary josephine b
              not really interested near the end of a long interesting life
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              • Mrspxl
                Ive heard of the Ancestry dna but not 23and me. As l have both sides of my family traced back 400 years and they were in the same area all that time, l don't see the point.
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                • Helen L 750218
                  I dont know anything about 23andme but my sister has done it with ancestry.com and she was surprised to have Welsh ancestry. :)
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                  • Amy A 822324
                    I've heard of 23&Me and Ancestry.com but I've never used them. My mom used Ancestry.com and she got mixed results from it. A lot of these sites work best when you sign up for them, but their free sides are limited in what information you can find.
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                    • Sheree T
                      Haven't heard of this before, sounds interesting.
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                      • Maxine S (WA)
                        haven;t heard of this before
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                        • Elizabeth J 447888
                          It is pretty much the same as AncestryDNA but with more of a focus on health issues which may be inherited. When you provide a saliva sample your DNA is cross matched with all on the data base and God knows what you might find out about your heritage. I had only ever heard of ANCESTRYDNA but seemingly there are heaps of similar companies around the world.
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                          • APB
                            I still don't know what 23andMe is because you didn't tell us!
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                            • Ellen C 69679
                              I did mine with Ancestry, came up with a few surprises. What was most interesting was that results differed with each family member. My Mum had background which didn't show up on mine. My little brothers was very similar to mine, we also look very similar. My other brother who looks much different to us, his results where more on par with my Mums.
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                              • oregonthyme
                                I want to but I haven't some of my relatives have
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                                • Paul J 94868
                                  Not for me...
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                                  • Colin L 88398
                                    Not sure about this company but on my mothers side there was nothing that could be found out about her father. Put simply he did not exist before he showed up in North Queensland. His grandson did a DNA Test which I told him was coming from Ancestry and it not only turned up where he came from in AU but also his family as well as the reason he took off and never returned. Not sure how they did it but it did prove useful when for the previous 30 years there was no way to trace who or what he came from. With any DNA it all depends on what they are using it for so it's possible given half a chance and the right company wanting the information anything can happen.
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                                    • Henrietta
                                      When I was in secondary school back in England (this would be back in the mid-50's) a group of girls got together & we told everyone where we came from, but of course, this was something I couldn't answer as I didn't know. I did ask mum & dad & that was when they briefly touched on the subject that I was adopted. That made me feel special. Time past by & then I was working in London not far from the office of Births, Deaths & Marriages, so one lunchtime I made an enquiry to see if I could get a copy of my birth certificate & asked if it could sent to where I worked as the name of Births, Deaths & Marriages is stamped on the top left hand corner. However, a copy of my birth certificate duly arrived AT MY HOME ADDRESS. Obviously mum & dad saw it & they were upset but they then told me as much about me as they had. After seeing mum & dad upset, it helped me to make the decision not to look further into my background. I thought long & hard whether to pursue it but then I thought about mum & dad & realised that they were the best of parents any adopted child could ever have. Mum was a stay at home mum. Dad was a clerk in the British Railways but every year mum had budgeted very well so the whole family always had a week away in a caravan by the seaside. &The family consisted of a brother who was naturally theirs & then when I was about 14-15, they fostered a girl of mixed race. Her mother was English & the father was from the West Indies. The only regret is that medically I cannot find out about me. I know my original name that I was given when I was born. My middle name was "Anne" so when I had a daughter her middle name was Anne in honour of my heritage. A reason of why I didn't pursue finding out more about my true family was that supposing I did find my birth mother & she had a family of her own. Perhaps she had never told her husband/partner about me so there was a possibility that I could be rejected a second time & why go to all of that when I had the best parents in the world anyway. My adopted mum had been brought up in a foster situation so there was no family on her side. My adopted dad's family which was quite big, always accepted me for what I was.
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                                      • Simone S 316632
                                        Thanks for sharing your story. Sometimes it is best to accept how our lives ended up rather than seek out the unknown, which like you say, could lead to rejection a second time. Your adopted parents sound like loving and caring people. What wonderful memories you have of them. All the best!
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                                      • Elizabeth J 447888
                                        Oh Henrietta. I just read this for a second time. It sounds like you has a wonderful childhood with fantastic parents. You do sound as though you have your head screwed on the right way. If you were really interested in the health side you could try 23andMe. I am sure your parents would understand. I wish you all the very best Henrietta and thank you very much for sharing your family story.
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                                    • Pat C 618241
                                      Haven't heard of this site 23andMe but not very interested. I know some of my ancestors were on the 1st fleet, even found a street in Sydney with the family name of my grandparents. That's enough.
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                                      • Jenny L 591463
                                        My husband's uncle has done this and found some interesting things out. Found some long lost relatives. I know all about my ancestry and I looked into the family crest once and the one they came up for my family was incorrect. I stopped looking after that. Each to their own and in some countries like France I think it may be illegal. Unsure why or what reason for this is. Strange if you ask me. Some records get lost over time, where they were kept may have burned down. Lots of reasons for not finding such records unfortunately. My husband's birth certificate is hand written and some times refused as id. He managed to get an updated one thank goodness.
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                                        • Luna
                                          I have Ancestry DNA one. I did this many years ago before I knew of 23 and me. 23 and me has the better health ones but Ancestry is one that millions have used so the database is bigger when it comes to looking for living relatives. Also where did your grandfather live? Sounds like an interesting mystery to solve. I also volunteer at a family history library so I have access to a lot of information :)
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                                          • View all 3 replies
                                          • Elizabeth J 447888
                                            My grandfather was born in Lucknow near East Orange. I did make a visit to the Orange Library and it was very helpful. It had been well known in certain circles that my great grandmother had been adopted (but unofficial) when both her parents died within six weeks of each other. Hence the lack of official records. It was absolutely fascinating looking through the historical records at the library. We were given a number to take to the archive centre at Penrith where I held the original last will and testament of my great grandmother in my hands. Her son, my grandfather, was not mentioned in her will. There is something very odd about the whole situation. If I do ever find out what happened to him I am sure it will not be good. I don't care though I still want to know.
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                                          • LunaElizabeth J 447888
                                            Oh wow that is quite a mystery. I wonder why he wasn't mentioned. I hope you are able to find the information you are searching for. As for your great grandmother being adopted, the DNA test may help you find relatives that have some information so if you are not worried about them having your DNA then it's well worth a shot :)
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                                          • Elizabeth J 447888Luna
                                            Yes Luna that is the sort of thing I was hoping to achieve as my great grandmother did have two brothers. One of these brothers has museum in Orange which is commemorated in his honour, the W E Agland Memorial. The whole thing is very mysterious. This the first couple of lines written on his mother's epitaph are: I was standing by the window On a cold and cloudy dayWhen I saw the hearse come rolling To carry my mother away This would seem to indicate that her son (my grandfather) was alive at her passing. Yep, I am going to get online right at this minute and do the test.
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                                        • Val B 69099
                                          I also have never heard of 23and me but my husband and I would love to do some dna tests but need to have the other person's consent
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                                          • Joe B 288252
                                            Go for it but just be aware your data will be used in ways that you prolly can’t even imagine…..lol ……otherwise biff it
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                                            • Elizabeth J 447888
                                              Yeah, that is the thing isn't it. Just as long as my DNA is not used in ways that I cannot imagine.
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                                          • Sonya F 68771
                                            Find out as much as you can on line for free and dont get scammed
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                                            • Cely
                                              I've often thought about it...I was told years ago that I have a bit of royal blood...I wonder if I did it would it pick it up
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                                              • lulu
                                                I found a brother and sister, alas personality differences mean we can't be together x good luck whatever you decide.
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                                                • Igor A
                                                  I guess it is just a SCAM. You can track your roots down to Neanthertal times but you cannot track your roots down to 100 - 150 years back. Yo can never attach your genes to a country or an area as people migrated. Any nation is bunch of various genes. When they say you are 5 percent English, 13 percent German . Do not pay for bullshit! We are what our culture is. Or genes are dispersed all over the planet. Same genes may Iranian and German. You will not know anything about yourself this way. SCAM!!!!!! Also may be used for some research without your knowing it.
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                                                  • Joy L 68767
                                                    I am doing my research now and found a lot of family stories are wrong. I also have people missing. Its lots of fun. I haven't done the DNA but a friend has done his and his wife's and found some interesting things
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                                                    • Roslyn A
                                                      I did the DNA test and it immediately came up with a direct ancestor - my son who lives in Cairns! I already know that!
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                                                      • Elizabeth J 447888
                                                        Yes, I have heard things like that before. A friend had a call a day or two later and said, "we met last week at a family funeral".
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                                                      • roger l 315504
                                                        I'd be worried about the reliability of any 'scientific' process which identified, as 'a direct ancestor' a son living in Cairns, Id expect a son to be a direct descendant.
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                                                    • Robert L NZ
                                                      Yes and found who my birth father was as I was adopted. I have also found my birth mother but no through DNA.
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                                                      • Carolyn H 319412
                                                        I have thought of having it done but haven't as yet.
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                                                        • Lyn A.
                                                          interesting, personally I wouldn't send my DNA to any of those. How bout the old fashioned way thru genealogy, Not sure how it's done, my Father did it years ago before internet was around
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                                                          • Susan W 939788
                                                            Yes my late husband & I both did DNA testing with Ancestry which has the larges data base You can then transfer you results to some other family history sites DNA doesnt lye plus they dont share your stuff without your permission I believe Its fun seeing who you are/might be related to Go for it
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                                                            • Lyn B 70486
                                                              other family members are looking into this
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                                                              • Tiffany L 690503
                                                                It was definitely interesting to understand where I came from.
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                                                                • Robin L 79437
                                                                  not interested
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                                                                  • Rachael W 377992
                                                                    With 23andMe if you opt our of sharing your DNA they have to protect your DNA and I believe they can only legally give it to law enforcement agencies with a court order
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                                                                    • Anney F
                                                                      I found Native American ancestry! very interesting!!
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                                                                      • Julie E 156232
                                                                        Do it!! It is amazing who you can connect with down the track and I think it is important to know your heritage. No need to worry about privacy, very well controlled. I used Ancestry for me and my family, but they are all very good. (Personally i believe it would be good if we had DNA taken at birth, would help solve a lot of crimes instantly.)
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                                                                        • Chosen
                                                                          Waste of time, money and energy. You are what you are.
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                                                                          • Andrew T 123623
                                                                            The only thing I would worry about is having my DNA out on some database and not having any control over it.
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                                                                            • misfortune8
                                                                              My friend had this done, but I don't know which company. She was adopted & didn't know her ancestry or any hereditary health conditions. She found these answers. There was also an option to be notified of any close matches, so she got in touch with siblings she didn't know she had.
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                                                                              • Daniel T 626103
                                                                                I see no harm, as long as you don't get obsessed with the results, it could be quite interesting.
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                                                                                • Florence C 838397
                                                                                  I think I would be willing to have it done.
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                                                                                  • Lachelle B
                                                                                    A lot of ethnic races never had birth certificates back in the days, they were also given 'more acceptable names'. I wouldn't trust it unless it was a certified named lab. I already know my side of the family were a motley crew who resided in accommodation provided by Tasmania lol.
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                                                                                    • Glenys H 310155
                                                                                      You should visit Tasmania and have a look at their accommodation. Lovely state I used to live there.
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                                                                                  • Melanie G 87848
                                                                                    I did mine. They aren't 100% accurate but the results didn't surprise me either. About right for where my ancestors are from. I don't really care what my dna gets used for beyond that. Perhaps I should but in this digital age where Google knows you better than your partner, it's just not worth worrying about.
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                                                                                    • kristian s 513441
                                                                                      I would like to know where my Ancestry come from is because my family history is a complete mystery in which I don't know anything about my family history.
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                                                                                      • Mariaj
                                                                                        I had it done a few years ago and spent my very first birthday with my biological dad at the age of 52 lol
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                                                                                        • Catalina
                                                                                          My son had one - so many races in our blood! But I knew that without DNA test. I guess it is useful for some people.
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                                                                                          • Julie K 348980
                                                                                            I prefer to spend my money on the basics of life - food, electricity and a roof over my head.
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                                                                                            • allin
                                                                                              what Walter W said,,,,'cept i'm not black, i am part Cherokee, but all the rest is the same,,,,
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                                                                                              • just me- NZ
                                                                                                I have never had it done. Had A friend that did, she loved finding out about her ancestors , Sounds interesting to me. Why not give it a go?
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                                                                                                • BLACK LIVES MATTER
                                                                                                  One, I am NOT interest in discovering my roots (since slavery for Blacks and I am Black)) and slavery exist in the USA for 246 years. Two, not interest in identifying potential health conditions (at this stage in my life - there is nothing I can do with this info - since I never had any children). Three, I do not what to know anything about my ancestry past (PERIOD). Four, I have never heard of 23andMe! Five, I have never googled Ancestry DNA! Six, GOOD LUCK - with your quest!
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                                                                                                  • Linda C
                                                                                                    I had mine done through Ancestry then my sister and a cousin had theirs done. I had already done a lot of research into my family and two direct lines which went back to the 1400's and the other 2 to the early 1800's. It never told me any health issues just the fact I am 68% Irish, 15% Nordic, the rest English, Welsh and French. It also splits it into each parent. i.e. One parent was Irish/Danish and the other the rest. It is interesting. It can connect you to people and if you are lucky they will write back to you but I found this hit and miss and mostly miss. Depending on where you ancester was born, lived etc. you may be able to trace his death through the newspapers. In australia we have all the old newspapers on line and you enter the name (sometimes variations of the names also) and if you are lucky up with come something either a write up or an obituary. I have found heaps this way. If they were in the services again records can be found especially in Australia free on line. As to whether they use our DNA for other uses who knows. I guess that is a decision you have to make if you want to go forward. Good luck and enjoy the journey as they say.
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