Travel by Ancestry -- to solve a 12 year-old Eastern Shore, Maryland mystery uncovered by a father's Y chromosome DNA results

My father's Y chromosome DNA matches, now confirmed at 111 markers, were fantastic -- if you were a male descendant of a certain paternal ancestor who settled the Eastern Shore of Maryland the late 1600s and carried his surname. My father, an only child, had a different surname -- that of his beloved father of record - and did not know of any relationship he may have had to this old, well-documented Eastern Shore family when he submitted his Y DNA for testing in 2006, shortly before he passed away.

From his 67 and 111 marker Y Chromosome DNA matches, I knew what my paternal grandfather's actual surname would have been and I was able to discover the general geographic locations of his patrilineal ancestors. While my father's Y chromosome DNA test results gave me targets for my research, it was my Autosomal DNA that revealed a paternal great grandmother family connection that led me to discover who my father's biological father truly was!

This same paternal great grandmother connection also helped me find out why I had so many strong Autosomal DNA connections, in my 23andme results, my My Heritage results, my Ancestry results, and my Family Finder results, to Eastern Shore families out of Somerset County, whose surnames, prior to DNA testing, were not known to be a part of our ancestry!

My discovery of my biological paternal grandfather required TWO types of DNA tests: a Y chromosome DNA test for my father (which he took in 2006 shortly before he passed away), an Autosomal DNA test for me (first with 23andme then with Family Tree DNA, Ancestry, and My Heritage) and TWELVE YEARS worth of patience while I waited for his Y DNA matches and a pivotal "first cousin once removed" Autosomal DNA match to come in.

Following his passing, my father's Y DNA and my Autosomal DNA continued to work together over the next dozen years to solve a mystery he had only started to research during his lifetime. My father was concerned about his Y DNA results -- that at 25 markers he no longer matched men of his surname. His true biological cousins, who shared his actual patrilineal ancestry, had not had Y DNA tests at this time. I had no explanation for his lack of surname matches but had advised that over time more matches could come in which could answer our questions.

​When I search online, I still find my father's questions which he posed on various genealogical websites in the years prior to his death. I have paper copies of the records that he was able to collect through a private investigator he had hired to research his paternal line. While I shared that information with a researcher of my father's father of record (to whom we are not biologically related), these old family artifacts that include colorful letters, wills, and deeds have no bearing on my own family research today. If only my father had lived a few years longer, I could have helped him find his answers!

Men, have that Y DNA test and let it be a gift to yourself that you can pass to your children and grandchildren -- as my father did for me. Thanks, Dad!

Update July 18, 2018: After reading my recent social media post about how a close MyHeritage match helped solve a 12 year-old family mystery on my father's side, a MyHeritage representative contacted me for an interview about my experience using their product and then posted a blog with all the details. Enjoy! Read "Pure Gold: A First Cousin Match Helps Solve a 12 Year Mystery" Pure Gold: A First Cousin Match Helps Solve a 12 Year Mystery

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