Both Tony Brown (1934) and myself, Peter Barton (1947) have completed DNA testing with Ancestry.com.
The results are in. As we knew already, we are related. This latest test confirms that. Both of our tests results are in the Ancestry.com database and already, on Tony’s side, the test is throwing up results. Some are close. Others not so close but still possible. And, of course, it’s not just the Brown side of Tony’s heritage that is being flagged up. Tony’s mothers genes are also being highlighted.
There are many, many results. Perhaps it’s because of the common name of both his parents i.e. Brown and Green the numbers are high. Some 7500 possible matches for Tony have been highlighted so far.
Just which of the Brown’s in these results are the right family? And where do they fit? As the results show a time span of 500 – 1000 years it’s nigh on impossible to delve back into the majority of people’s trees as they don’t go back that far – always assuming the people who have been tested have a tree on Ancestry. Very many don’t. Therefore most of the results are of little use. They are simply confusing.
The standard sort of question I send out is “It seems we are related. Do you know where in the family tree that might be?” And, that’s exactly the sort of question I receive also.
It’s as though DNA testing gives you the answer, as it were. But, you have no idea what the question was.
Hopefully time will change this as more people get tested and the web site becomes more able to search.
Peter Barton Nov 2016
The Browns of Alkington 