The UK DNA Detective

22/02/2024

Here it is... as well as a final reminder… my response to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on the storage and retention of original will documents. There’s still time for you to respond in any way you feel comfortable by emailing civil_justice_poli@justice.gov.uk before tomorrow, Friday 23rd February 2024 at 11.59pm (GMT). The petition runs until 9th July, sign here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/654081, and you can still contact the Justice Minister, MoJ and your MP after 23rd February using the contacts in the blog link. https://holtsfamilyhistoryresearch.co.uk/2024/02/22/response-to-the-ministry-of-justices-consultation/

On 15th December 2023 the Ministry of Justice published a consultation on the storage and retention of original will documents. On the same day a press release appeared online, as well as a video o…

30/12/2023

If you're interested in signing up to Findmypast, you'll get 25% off with this link and I'll get £5 off my next subscription. https://mention-me.com/m/ol/pk0xx-richard-holt

I recently used Findmypast and they gave me a special offer to share with my friends. I’m treating you to an exclusive 25% off your first subscription. I’ll also get a reward, so it’s a win-win!

22/09/2021

If you're looking to emply a genealogist, it's always woth asking them for examples of their work. This was a client's brick wall looking at locating their great-great grandmother's origins. I succeeded using clues from DNA matches along with clues from the paper trail. Sometimes there are only a few breadcrumbs to go on but my gut instinct often helps steer me in the right direction. Don't underestimate researching marriage witnesses and looking for connections between people and places. I was able to take this family tree back a further two generations and uncover a number of interesting stories. Ancestry

18/09/2021

Here are my updated ethnicity estimates. I now have a more refined genetic community which does fit with my ancestry. The real magic is in the matching and in testing other relatives.

17/09/2021

It will be interesting to see how my ethnicity estimate changes. The update is due today. The science is not exact and they are *just* estimates. The genetic communities are accurate however and you can add to your own if other relatives share communities that you don’t have (e.g. parent, grandparent, sibling). More information here: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/dna-help/communities/whitepaper

14/09/2021

Mystery in your family history? The answer might be held in your DNA. This might be an unknown close relationship or a brick wall further back. I regularly use DNA to help solve these types of mysteries.

13/09/2021

So you've taken a consumer DNA and have your results? What are the next steps? Understanding how you migth connect to your DNA matches is very important. There's a very useful tool that's part of The Shared cM Project at DNA Painter that will help show possible relationships along with histogram information. Genealogical research is still needed to trace family connections. If you're not sure how to understand or work with your DNA matches then please get in touch.

09/09/2021

I recently managed to locate Carole Wilson-Thornton's grandfather with the help of DNA results. He was born in Liverpool in 1875 but ended up in Canada by around 1886. He had to have been a British Home Child as his father was still alive but his mother had died before he turned two years old. He was picked up on this street in 1883 by a policeman and taken to the workhouse. Irwell Street looking at George's Dock, 1869 By W G Herdman

09/09/2021

While many of us know our biological family, for others this remains a mystery. I specialise in genealgy research in the UK. If you are searching for biological family then you have come to the right place.

My own interest in genetic genealogy started when I set out to find my great grandfather's paternal line, a mystery that remained for over 100 years. This photograph was taken in 1923 and the man standing with the cane was my great grandfather's biological grandfather.

The UK DNA Detective is a branch of Holt's Family History Research. While I also provide more 'traditional' research services, a lot of my work has involved the use of DNA results. This highlighted the need for a more specific platform for genetic genealogy.