There has been a posting on the Anglesey list regarding DNA markers and
their usefulness in genealogy. I think that this is a very interesting
development for genealogy but can forsee a number of problems with the
technology that make me question whether the not inconsiderable expense is
worthwhile.
First, the estimated level of illegitimacy has been put as high as 30%.
Even assuming a much lower figure, as we go back in the generations and 4
grandparents become 8 greats and 16 great-greats &c, the possibility of
illegitimacy (whether recorded as such or not) creeps in to all our
researches!
Some people have researched only the maternal line for this reason as
pregnancy is much more difficult to fake than paternity!
So you have a DNA marker of a Williams or Smith or Jones family but where
did it come from? Was it your Williams/ Smith/ Jones ancestor that you
thought or someone else completely? It could have been a brother, cousin or
uncle that you didn't expect at any point along the line.
Maybe the same could be said for "traditional" genealogy but
"traditionalists" are dealing with a family context that has been accepted
and, if we know that we can never account for unrecorded illegitimacy, at
least we have a family unit living in a place at a time and passing on their
knowledge and culture.
The records have "run out" so DNA can "plug the gap"? Well, might
they not
also throw up more questions than they answer?
To my way of thinking, DNA markers are useful to assess paternity or
filiation in this generation (like in cases where paternity is doubtful) and
have a use in proving consanguinity in inheritance matters. They are also
fascinating in looking at broad migration trends - as has been done with
maternal mitochondrial DNA but only on a very broad level. Like, you form
part of a group that migrated to Western Europe 2000-3000 years ago...
I am not sure I would subscribe to the view that DNA can in any way live up
to wills, MIs, PRs, the census, deeds, documents, family stories or the
like. If we come up against a dead end, isn't that it? I have come up
against many which I have "shelved" possibly for the future or had to accept
and move on.
I would be really interested to know other members' views, possibly more
informed about the possibilities than myself.
Yours,
Ian
London SW9