Genealogy Jottings

A couple of months ago, I joined a genealogy study group focusing on Irish research. As usual, one of the first pieces of advice was to begin by finding out what your other family members  know. An additional tip is to contact the oldest and sickest ones first.

I had thought this tactic would not help me because my grandmother never knew her Irish father. He did not acknowledge her or contribute to her support. She did not even know his identity. No one in my family had any information about him or his family.

We guessed that he was Irish because of ethnicity estimates when we tested our DNA. Through analyzing our matches, we learned who he was.

Then it occurred to me that our DNA matches are our relatives, too. They would have information about this man and his other family. I hesitated to contact them, because the situation with unwed parents is a bit delicate.

After mulling it over, I decided I had nothing to lose by sending a message through My Heritage to one of our close matches. He is a half second cousin of mine and had posted a private family tree. I asked for permission to view it and explained why I wanted to see it. I offered to exchange information.

This cousin could not have been any nicer. He replied with an invitation to join his family group. He expressed interest in trading information.

We have exchanged photos and family information over the past month. I was sorry to learn that he had no photos of our great grandfather, but I now know what my grandmother’s older half sister looked like. Perhaps these two women resembled him.

So far, this has been a rewarding correspondence for me. The old adage is true. Contact your family members, whether you know them or not, to see what information they might have.