That means it can show matches with ANYONE else who has taken a Family Finder test who is descended from ANY of your 4x great grandparents.

 

During 2011, I decided to include the Family Finder results of anyone who has Adamthwaites in their ancestry, as part  of the Adamthwaite DNA Project.  This is an exciting new development, because it could potentially provide evidence about links within and between some of our Adamthwaite lines where we have been unable to identify living male descendants to participate in our yDNA test programme.

 

When the first sets of results began to arrive, it became clear that as well as confirming the known relationship between myself and a third cousin in my own OLIVE line of Adamthwaites, the two of us ALSO showed distant connections to descendants of other Adamthwaite lines that have tested.  These were all between 6.5 and 7.5 generations distance - but still closer than shown in any written records.  I am fairly certain that the connections are more to do with the proportion of each of our ancestors that originate in the Ravenstonedale area - so I have now set up a Ravenstonedale DNA Project, and hope to discover whether there are any genetic links between descendants of other early R'dale families - through both yDNA and Family Finder tests. We have already identified connections between our Adamthwaite Family Finder testers and members of a FOTHERGILL line which has been traced back to the Yorkshire Dales.

 

Until very recently, the Family Finder test cost $289 but it has now been dramatically reduced to just $79 - making it an affordable option for many genealogists wishing to explore all branches of their ancestry.  As a result, the database of results is expanding rapidly, making the possibility of discovering close matches much more likely.  However, because of the experimental nature of using this type of DNA test in a surname project, I cannot offer free tests from our extremely stretched General Fund, as we do for men taking the yDNA test (unless of course there is a millionnaire amongst you who would like to sponsor this innovative use of the Family Finder test!!).

 

However, I can purchase Family Finder test kits for £58 (sterling) throught the Guild of One-name Studies - this includes postage and packing and works out the cheapest price of all.  So if you are interested in dipping your toe in the world of genetic genealogy - contact me and I'll set you up with a test kit!  NB: you must have Adamthwaites somewhere in your own ancestry (not your partner's).

 

Although we have chosen to use Family Tree DNA's Family Finder test, there is currently a heavy advertising campaign for the test offered by Ancestry (though they don't seem to explain anywhere what type of DNA test they offer, the Ancestry test is also an autosomal DNA test, and uses the same system to analyse results).  If you are thinking of taking an Autosomal DNA test, I would advise you to read the comparisons on this page of the ISOGG website before you buy! If you have already taken the Ancestry test, please do contact me as it is possible to upload your raw autosomal data to Family Tree DNA so that I can compare your results against other ADAMTHWAITE testers in our Group Project.

 

HOW IT WORKS

You can read more about how the test works and what sort of matches you can expect to find on this page of the Ravenstonedale DNA Project website.  Family Finder results are included in the Ravenstonedale DNA Project because of course, anyone with Adamthwaites in their ancestry will ALSO have ancestors from other old Ravenstonedale families ... this project aims to find the genetic connections between these early residents of this isolated parish. (see the link on the left for more information).

 

If you have already taken a Family Finder test, please go to our Adamthwaite Project page on the Family Tree DNA website and join from there, as this will ensure that your results are included in our Surname Project.  If you order a kit through me you will automatically be included in the Project.  Amd if you have already taken an Ancestry DNA test, you can upload your raw data to Family Tree DNA (its completely free, but you may not end up with as many matches as if you have taken the Family Finder test)  and then join our project too.

 

RESULTS

Detailed results spreadsheets showing the linked matches revealed to date are shown in a separate section of the site which is accessible to actual participants of the Family Finder project only (because they necessarily include the full names of the persons who have tested and those of all the people they match). A summary of the results is shown in the main Ravenstonedale DNA Project site.

 

Descendants from all Adamthwaite lines who would be interested in joining in this Family Finder project, do please contact me. We especially need to locate a descendant from the LIGHT GREEN line, which is the only line not to have tested at all.

 

HOWEVER ... it should be remembered that yDNA testing of male Adamthwaite descendants is still the most reliable method of discovering distant links between our known Adamthwaite lines.  I still have ONE FREE 37 marker test kit available for any male Adamthwaite who belongs to any of the following lines:

 

• ORANGE line

• TURQUOISE line

• LIGHT GREEN line

 

 

or a second volunteer from each of the YELLOW line, VIOLET line, BLUE line and TEAL line

 

(though I am pretty certain that there are no longer any living Adamthwaite males from either the Turquoise or the Light Green lines!)