Distance No Object - It’s a Family Matter! (A joint talk by wife & husband, Alison & Ken Tait)

GGI2020 Belfast - We will be talking about our experiences in our family history research since becoming DNA tested, and how the results of these tests have corroborated already known or suspected facts, and have led to contact with numerous previously unknown “cousins” around the world, many of whom have been able to provide us with photos, documents, and tales of our family since they had left these shores. This has added greatly to our family histories. We want to share these experiences to encourage others where they might have had doubts or were merely stuck.

[redgirl]

Loved your talk, Alison and Ken. I can relate so much to it. I have Belfast roots, William Carson (b. 1808) came to Canada. He married Isabella Hunter(b.1811) (Londonderry?) at some point before 1850, but, hard to find conclusive proof. I would love to find their marriage details, so far, no luck. They lived and farmed outside of Toronto. Some grandchildren of theirs went to the U.S., some to the west coast of Canada, to B.C. I have done my DNA and had my dad and siblings done as well. I have not found much yet. I have DNA on 3 sites, so, I think it is a matter of time. I hope a distant cousin will connect with me too. I have connected with more than 20 other researchers, all looking for the last name of Carson in the same area of Toronto's outskirts and so far, none of them is connected to me. Hoping more will get DNA testing. So many are afraid of their security... not an issue as far as I can see. You have given me hope. Thanks again, from the west coast of Canada!!

[kimberli]

Well done. I have been tracing with the help of DNA my family's name Dodds, (1764 Possibly Carrick Fergus, Ireland) Wall, Burdick, King all coming from the British Isles. I have 'met' so many DNA connected people on line that have helped. I also have the Alg(Larson), Reinertson lines that came from Norway. Because of just autosomal testing of my father, I connected with a man in Oslo who saw the Cm that we shared and decided they were enough to find the who and how we connected. Our Great great great grandmothers were sisters. The country I thought I would never find anything about, now reaches farther back than any other family line, in Norway of all places. This California girl has so much broader understanding that I am a real person with links to some amazing and historically important people. I would never have found without DNA testing. The family stories had been lost, but many have now been found. It is an amazing experience. I too understand all to well that most people do not reply to our letters, but every now and again a little miracle happens. Recently because of a letter, I sent more than a year ago to a beginning genealogist, a wonderful break thru came about in December. During that year she found that she had a non parental event, that caused her to find that she had a Great great Aunt Harriet Standin married to a Thomas Wall in her tree. I had my father's great Grandfather Thomas Wall married to a Harriet Landon. It had been transcribed badly and was assumed to be Landon. A dead end branch, when I replaced Landon with Standin came alive again!. Now I can read letters written between my 2nd Grandmother Harriet and her sisters and parents in the mid 1800's! It was like Christmas. This is what keeps us going on and on this wonderful finds. Keep up the great work