Discovering Hard To Find Ancestry DNA Matches Alice Kalush 5/15/2018 This document discusses several methods for finding matches to your Ancestry DNA test that do not easily show up for you in the Hints or near the top of your Matches list. Using these methods becomes necessary when trying to identify matches for which the common ancestor either isn't known at all (or by you) or has a different surname spelling. I've written this document to describe how I found connections to my Gable ancestors but it'll work for any surname. Ancestry DNA consists of multiple parts. The first part is how high your DNA match is which is measured both as confidence level of a match and in terms of predicted relationship between you and the matching person. The second part attempts to find the common ancestor in your tree and your matches tree or common surnames. It also includes sections on ethnicity and map/location. When you look at your matches, you'll see something like this. Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 1
After you click on a particular match, you will see the following. To get a measure of the level of the match, click on the blue i next to the Confidence level. It will tell you the number of centimorgans. Confidence Score Centimorgans Likehood of Common Ancestor Extremely High >60 Virtually 100% Very High 45-60 About 99% High 30-45 About 95% Good 16-30 Above 50% Moderate 6-16 15-50% Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 2
I'd like to caution that even though two people share a common ancestor that doesn't mean their DNA tests will match. This is because we inherit 50% of our DNA from each of our parents, and 25% from each of our grandparents, 12.5% from our great grandparents and so on. Our siblings do not inherit the same DNA as we do. This is why some of the people descended from the same common ancestor as you will have much higher DNA matches than others. When looking at the chart above it's very tempting to ignore the Moderate matches. 15-50% confidence of a match doesn't sound particularly high. But the further back in your tree the connection is the lower the confidence score is likely to be. Even with more recent matches, if the first generation after the match inherited very little of the same DNA, then you could easily have a Moderate score. I've found a few possible research leads resulting from multiple DNA matches that aren't higher than Moderate that may yet pan out. From: DNA Direction by Diahan Southard, in May-June 2018 issue of Family Tree Magazine: This is an excellent article that explains all about how to interpret DNA results from Ancestry, 23andMe, FamilyTreeDNA and MyHeritage including how to find the hard to find matches. The more DNA you share, the more likely it is that you share a single, recent ancestral couple. Did you catch that? Single, recent couple. There are two reasons you can share DNA with someone. The first is that you actually share a recent ancestor. The second is that you both inherited a lot of the DNA associated with your common ancestral region - but not necessarily from the same people. In general, those who share at least 30 cms (centimorgans) are likely to have a single recent common ancestor. A final word of caution: You and a more-distant cousin - say fourth or fifth - may not share any DNA. Shared cm Project even shows that some known third-cousin relationship have no shared DNA.) That's because you didn't all inherit the same pieces of DNA from your ancestors. These cousins are still your cousins, but you wouldn't know it from your DNA alone. (The ----------------------- I'd like to give a few of examples of people that didn't match me. The first is a man who shares GGG grandparents on my mother's side of the Gable family with me. We both have well documented trees. His ancestors and my ancestors lived in the same small town in Lancaster County. He and his mother tested on Ancestry and neither of them matched me. But he checked his other Gable matches and found that he had a Moderate match to a daughter of Henry Gable, the brother of my GGG grandfather on my father's side. A second example: I've been in contact with a woman who's descended from my GGG grandfather John Gable's brother Henry. She administers four Ancestry DNA tests: herself, her father, her great uncle and his son. She and her father didn't match me at all, but both the great uncle and his son were Moderate matches with me. Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 3
The chart below has a list of the DNA matches I've found to other descendants of Johannes Gebel/John Gable (my 3GG). I'm descended from John's son Benjamin Gable's son David Gable. I've included it because it illustrates many of the points made above about how DNA works. Looking at this chart should make it clear how much the confidence level of the match can vary for people who share the same ancestor with you. It is also possible to look at descendants of various sibling pairs in the tree and see how different their match level is with my test. (examples: Catherine Gable Prowant and Henry Gable; Elmer Ray Prowant and Cora Elizabeth Prowant Rau; Elizabeth Gable Shaum and Lydia Gable Hoffer) Ancestry Member ID Confidence Level (Centimorgans) Who (which child) Descent Line denisefurlong_1 Extremely High (95) Kristy Ashbaugh Very High (45) Beverly Kelly Very High (45) C. L. (Shirley Lance) High (42) mauriceeby (2, L.E.) Good (28, 29) kathleen weber Good (23) Carolyn Coddens Good (22) Searsjl1 Moderate (11) Wilhelm/John 1761 Wilhelm/John 1761 Wilhelm/John 1761 Wilhelm/John 1761 Wilhelm/John 1761 Wilhelm/John 1761 Wilhelm/John 1761 Wilhelm/John 1761 Benjamin Gable and Anna Koppes, John Gable and Sarah Campbell, Uriah Gable and Mary Zulemma Anderson Catherine Gable and Christian Prowant, Daniel Prowant and Sarah Jane Rodgers, Elmer Ray Prowant and Augusta Letitia Spencer Catherine Gable and Christian Prowant, Daniel Prowant and Sarah Jane Rodgers, Elmer Ray Prowant and Augusta Letitia Spencer Benjamin Gable and Anna Koppes, Samuel Gable and Emeline Leatherman, Laura Edna Gable and Harry Lance Henry Gable and Lydia Baer, Elizabeth Gable and Joseph Shaum Catherine Gable and Christian Prowant, Daniel Prowant and Sarah Jane Rodgers, Cora Elizabeth Prowant and Francis H. Rau Henry Gable and Lydia Baer, Elizabeth Gable and Joseph Shaum, Isaiah Shaum and Lizzie Weaver, Paul Edward Shaum and Bernice Harter Henry Gable and Lydia Baer, Lydia Ann Gable and Jacob Hoffer, Bertha Arviva Hoffer and Noah S. Culp, Blanche Amelia Culp and Delbert E. Welter Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 4
Finding the Common Ancestor: Speaking of supporting evidence: Don't base a link totally on DNA, especially the autosomal test that Ancestry does. You should have other records that support your claims. The weaker the DNA match, the more other evidence you'll want to have. Most of us look at our Hints first, because these are the ones that Ancestry has managed to find a common ancestor using both your tree and the other person's tree. Note that if trees are incorrect, then Ancestry can make false matches which becomes more likely as the number of generations to a match increases. You still share a DNA match with that person, but it may be found in a different branch of your family. It is important to check not only the Shared Surnames but the other surnames in the other person's list for spelling variations that might be the real reason for the DNA match. Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 5
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Using my Hints tab, I get this (my highest Gable match) with whom I share my GG grandparents Benjamin Gable and Anna Koppes. Note that even with a common ancestor listed it doesn't hurt to look at the person's surname list and the tree of their ancestors to make sure there isn't some other reason for the match. Sometimes you will match with multiple ancestors, which are the first ones found in each branch of your family. Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 7
But I have found that when a family is not well researched often very few hints appear (no matter how good a job has been done with the parts of the trees that exist). This is the case with E.F. (managed by verystormywind)'s tree. You'll want to look at the Pedigree and Surname tab for all of your Extremely High and Very High matches and probably your High matches as well. This tree has Shared Surnames of Gable and Gobel. Note that if the spelling is different it won't show up in this list. Below the Shared Surnames list is the list of all surnames in the other person's direct line of descent. Examine this list to look for surnames you recognize that may have different spellings. Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 8
Click on each of the names in the Shared Surnames list and it'll show the direct line ancestors of both you and your match that have that surname. Here is where I was able to identify the likely match. Daniel is the son of Wilhelm Gebel. Benjamin Gable is my ancestor who is the grandson of Wilhelm Gebel. Benjamin's father and grandfather from my tree don't appear in the list because their last name is Gebel. I knew about Daniel Gable from Wilhelm Gebel's will. Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 9
It also helps to look at the tree of the person's ancestors shown on the previous screen and find Daniel Gable and look for his descendants. Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 10
This is as far as I got six months ago when I first reviewed my DNA results. I missed a lot of matches. Here's why: 1) Hints often don't work because you have to have a common ancestor in both your tree and your matches tree 2) Shared surnames don't work if you spelled the surname differently than the other tester did 3) The tester does share a common ancestor with you but either didn't match your DNA at all or had a Good or Moderate level match with you. In this case, the list is so long, most of us won't review it. The Moderate level matches are iffy, but with good historical records to back them up, they're still useful. Confidence Score Centimorgans Likehood of Common Ancestor Extremely High >60 Virtually 100% Very High 45-60 About 99% High 30-45 About 95% Good 16-30 Above 50% Moderate 6-16 15-50% 4) A person who manages multiple DNA tests, some of which match your test and some of which don't, will only be able to see the match to you under the subaccounts for the DNA test results that do match you. This can result in a person who actually shares a common ancestor with you not knowing that you share common ancestors with their other matches but not with them. Ancestry does show all of the tests which do match your test on your match screen and in the member directory for users who manage matching tests. 5) Note that I share Moderate level DNA matches with three people who I can reasonably verify using historical records, etc, share common descent from Wilhelm Gebel with me, so don't ignore the Moderate ones. But you'll need better records to go with them. So now, I'm going to discuss some ways to use Ancestry to help you find other matches especially the Good and Moderate level ones. Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 11
At this point you've chosen a match to review and done the steps above. Click on the Shared Matches tab. You will get a list of people who matched both you and this matching person. Note that the match with these other people may be in another branch of your family not related to the Gables. The Gable you find may not be related to you. Be a good genealogist and check things out. You also don't know how closely this other person's test matches your shared match's test. This can help you find Good and Moderate level matches. In the list below gableguy67 and Karen Summers are Gable descendants. You'll need to look at their tree and find the common surnames with you. Just click on their name and follow the same instructions we used above. Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 12
A third way (and relatively easy way) to get at your Gable DNA matches is on the main AncestryDNA Results for your name screen. At the top right corner of the screen is Search Matches. Click it and type in Gable. I also recommend trying it again with Gabel and Gebel (or any other variation of the spelling of the surname you're researching). This gives a list of your matches with Gable in the direct line of descent. This will also make it easier to find Good and Moderate matches. Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 13
Note that this is another way to find E.F. (verystormywind). Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 14
If you find a Gable tree during your investigation of Ancestry trees, you may want to see if that person matches your DNA. Click on their member id at the top of the screen (either in their tree or their DNA results). In the screen shots above denisefurlong_1, or verystormywind is the Member ID. This will go to their entry in the Member Directory. At the top it'll say if your DNA results matched with theirs and there will be the View Match button which takes you to their DNA results. If it doesn't match, it'll say "This person is either not a DNA match or has not yet taken a DNA test." But don't give up there, below that on the screen is the list of people that Ancestry member manages with DNA tests that did match you. The member below (jonessydjeff) shares my Gable descent but didn't match me, but she managed at least three other Gable descendants two of which match me and are shown. Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 15
Finally, I can only see the Gable matches that you share with me. I can't see any other Gable matches that you share with others. Usually we will have some Gable matches in common and some we don't share. Knowing who these people are (member name, tree name) can help us gather information about the Gable family or other families we're researching. Contacting Others: Contacting your shared match about your shared matches can be useful. Ask them for their Shared Match list for the match to you (on the Shared Surname tab associated with their match to you). Ask them to do a Shared Surname Gable list too (click Search Matches and type in Gable). This will tell them how high a match your shared matches are to them. By comparing lists you can find other contacts and additional information from closely related branches of your family. Most of the DNA related functionality discussed in this document is only available when you buy a subscription to Ancestry. Your Match List is free when logged in to your account but you won't be able to see any of the information that tells you where the match comes from. This information is also not available with an institutional subscription to Ancestry like at a Family History Center or library. The one exception is you can use the Member Directory using Search, Member Directory on the main Ancestry screen to check if a user has a DNA match with you (when logged in on your account). Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 16
More About The Genetic Part of the DNA Test Here are a few more sources of information about the genetic part of the DNA test. Source: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/11/a-wonderful-autosomal-dna-relationship.html Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 17
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From the Shared cm Project 1 1 https://thegeneticgenealogist.com/2015/05/29/the-shared-cm-project/; https://www.yourdnaguide.com/scp Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 19
The DNA Painter: 2 This DNA Painter screenshot is for my 95 cm match to Denise Furlong, who I share 2nd GG parents with. She is my third cousin. You can input the shared cm value and it indicate the probability of the possible relationships for you based on the centimorgans score. 2 https://dnapainter.com/tools/sharedcmv4 Discovering Hard to Find Ancestry DNA Matches Page 20
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