I have been following this very relevant thread, since I have a very frustrating -- and thus far unsuccessful -- experience in this. One of our family lines split in Cornwall, probably in the 1500's -- where the parish registers do not go back that far. Or at least that is what we think. The St. Agnes branch probably originated in the Padstow/St. Merryn branch, with this one member moving from Padstow to St. Agnes, which is just down the north coast of Cornwall from Padstow. I have met a cousin from each branch, direct-line male descendants. In fact, we were all together in the home of the one in St. Agnes parish. So I know these cousins, and they know each other. And we all have a significant interest in our ancestry. And I have told them (via e-mail after returning home -- how I wish I had thought of it when we were all there together) that if they would each do the y-DNA test, then we could at least confirm with DNA what we all believe to be true but for which we will probably never find documentation. And I even told them that I would be willing to pay for both of their y-111 tests on FTDNA. That was several months ago, and neither of them has responded to my e-mail on this, although one of them has responded on other topics since then. It really is frustrating, since it seems such an obvious solution to confirming what we all believe but cannot prove. I don't know what more I can do to accomplish this.

Wesley, one point that I love to make to potential participants is that we are only looking at the Y chromosome- that is, only one out of 46! Hopefully, that will help to allay any privacy concerns... And yes it does seem like a good idea to attend family functions armed with a few tests! Best of luck...

One thing I've discovered recently is that many people who don't live/breathe genealogy & DNA think they'll have to give a blood sample! What we take for granted as "common knowledge" is not, and that little misunderstanding might count for some reservation. You can buy a 12 marker test, with minimal investment, to send to them with instructions...and a big Thank You. I've learned to do that anyway, after wasting a few 37 marker tests on men who -- for whatever reason -- were not in the same direct line as we both thought. Sounds like an excellent "case study" for yDNA, especially with documentation going pretty far back. On Sat, Nov 21, 2015 at 1:12 AM, Wesley Johnston via < genealogy-dna@rootsweb.com> wrote: > I have been following this very relevant thread, since I have a very > frustrating -- and thus far unsuccessful -- experience in this. > One of our family lines split in Cornwall, probably in the 1500's -- where > the parish registers do not go back that far. Or at least that is what we > think. The St. Agnes branch probably originated in the Padstow/St. Merryn > branch, with this one member moving from Padstow to St. Agnes, which is > just down the north coast of Cornwall from Padstow. > I have met a cousin from each branch, direct-line male descendants. In > fact, we were all together in the home of the one in St. Agnes parish. So I > know these cousins, and they know each other. And we all have a significant > interest in our ancestry. > And I have told them (via e-mail after returning home -- how I wish I had > thought of it when we were all there together) that if they would each do > the y-DNA test, then we could at least confirm with DNA what we all believe > to be true but for which we will probably never find documentation. > And I even told them that I would be willing to pay for both of their > y-111 tests on FTDNA. > That was several months ago, and neither of them has responded to my > e-mail on this, although one of them has responded on other topics since > then. > It really is frustrating, since it seems such an obvious solution to > confirming what we all believe but cannot prove. I don't know what more I > can do to accomplish this. > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GENEALOGY-DNA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

This is a good reminder, Mary. It seems obvious to us, but most people outside our interest group aren’t aware of how simple it is to be DNA-tested. I always tell them that it is a simple cheek swab, it comes in the mail, and they just pop it back into the mail in the provided envelope. Easy. Janis On Nov 21, 2015, at 8:43 AM, Mary E Hall via <genealogy-dna@rootsweb.com> wrote: > One thing I've discovered recently is that many people who don't > live/breathe genealogy & DNA think they'll have to give a blood sample! > > What we take for granted as "common knowledge" is not, and that little > misunderstanding might count for some reservation. > > You can buy a 12 marker test, with minimal investment, to send to them with > instructions...and a big Thank You. I've learned to do that anyway, after > wasting a few 37 marker tests on men who -- for whatever reason -- were not > in the same direct line as we both thought. > > Sounds like an excellent "case study" for yDNA, especially with > documentation going pretty far back. > > On Sat, Nov 21, 2015 at 1:12 AM, Wesley Johnston via < > genealogy-dna@rootsweb.com> wrote: > >> I have been following this very relevant thread, since I have a very >> frustrating -- and thus far unsuccessful -- experience in this. >> One of our family lines split in Cornwall, probably in the 1500's -- where >> the parish registers do not go back that far. Or at least that is what we >> think. The St. Agnes branch probably originated in the Padstow/St. Merryn >> branch, with this one member moving from Padstow to St. Agnes, which is >> just down the north coast of Cornwall from Padstow. >> I have met a cousin from each branch, direct-line male descendants. In >> fact, we were all together in the home of the one in St. Agnes parish. So I >> know these cousins, and they know each other. And we all have a significant >> interest in our ancestry. >> And I have told them (via e-mail after returning home -- how I wish I had >> thought of it when we were all there together) that if they would each do >> the y-DNA test, then we could at least confirm with DNA what we all believe >> to be true but for which we will probably never find documentation. >> And I even told them that I would be willing to pay for both of their >> y-111 tests on FTDNA. >> That was several months ago, and neither of them has responded to my >> e-mail on this, although one of them has responded on other topics since >> then. >> It really is frustrating, since it seems such an obvious solution to >> confirming what we all believe but cannot prove. I don't know what more I >> can do to accomplish this. >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> GENEALOGY-DNA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GENEALOGY-DNA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

You probably need to speak to one of these folk by telephone, if emails get nowhere. It depends on how old they are, peoples' interests in family history often go round in cycles depending on other things in life, etc. Few will be as involved as you are. If a phone call does not work, then you need to turn up again at St. Agnes armed with two DNA Test Kits this time. Never under-estimate the British love of inertia. Brian -----Original Message----- From: genealogy-dna-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:genealogy-dna-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Wesley Johnston via Sent: 21 November 2015 09:13 To: Genealogy-dna Subject: Re: [DNA] yDNA Recruiting Tips I have been following this very relevant thread, since I have a very frustrating -- and thus far unsuccessful -- experience in this. One of our family lines split in Cornwall, probably in the 1500's -- where the parish registers do not go back that far. Or at least that is what we think. The St. Agnes branch probably originated in the Padstow/St. Merryn branch, with this one member moving from Padstow to St. Agnes, which is just down the north coast of Cornwall from Padstow. I have met a cousin from each branch, direct-line male descendants. In fact, we were all together in the home of the one in St. Agnes parish. So I know these cousins, and they know each other. And we all have a significant interest in our ancestry. And I have told them (via e-mail after returning home -- how I wish I had thought of it when we were all there together) that if they would each do the y-DNA test, then we could at least confirm with DNA what we all believe to be true but for which we will probably never find documentation. And I even told them that I would be willing to pay for both of their y-111 tests on FTDNA. That was several months ago, and neither of them has responded to my e-mail on this, although one of them has responded on other topics since then. It really is frustrating, since it seems such an obvious solution to confirming what we all believe but cannot prove. I don't know what more I can do to accomplish this.