Focus your DNA connections with MyHeritage Genetic Groups

 

MyHeritage.com

One of the most obvious advancements that increases the value and usability of DNA testing is the availability of a support system that helps the genealogical researcher identify specific ancestral connections. Most of the large, online DNA testing companies give their users some sort of Ethnicity Estimate. For serious researchers, these "estimates" are vague and not overly useful. However, MyHeritage.com has begun to break through the barrier of vagueness and provide some thought-provoking information. 

MyHeritage recently announced a dramatic increase in the focus of its DNA testing with a huge number of ethnicity groups. 

MyHeritage.com

Adding this number of new fields or groups increases the ability of a researcher to actually use the information for suggesting areas of research. In my own DNA testing results, the newly added Ethnicity Groups raise some interesting challenges. Here is my current estimate.

The English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh connections are obvious to me. What is still a mystery is the connections to Italian and Baltic. Interestingly, I do have a theory about the small West Asian connection. I am certain that over time, these estimates will become even further focused and maybe those outlier connections will be resolved. 

Here is a quote from a recent MyHeritage press release about the new groups. 

TEL AVIV, Israel & LEHI, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MyHeritage, the leading global service for discovering your past and empowering your future, announced today the release of Genetic Groups. A major enhancement to MyHeritage DNA’s ethnicity estimates, Genetic Groups accurately identify ancestral origins with an incredibly high resolution of 2100 geographic regions, more than any other DNA test on the market. As of today, Genetic Groups form a key part of MyHeritage DNA test results and are included free of charge for all new and existing MyHeritage DNA customers.

Genetic Groups provide greater granularity than standard ethnicity breakdowns by segmenting larger ethnic groups, such as Scandinavians, into smaller groups that share a common historical background. Populations that lived together for centuries, originating in the same small locations or migrating together to new lands, often formed unique genetic signatures. The MyHeritage DNA test detects these signatures among people who descend from these groups.

For example, beyond learning that they have Scandinavian origins, a user can now find out that they are Danish. Not only that, but they may now learn where exactly in Denmark their ancestors came from, including locations such as the Faroe Islands or Western Greenland; or, they may find that their ancestors were Danish settlers in Minnesota. These are just a few of the 187 Genetic Groups that MyHeritage detects from Scandinavia, and the 54 Genetic Groups from neighboring Finland. 

Here is an important statement about the nature of the new groups.

Membership in a Genetic Group is binary; an individual is either a member, or they are not, and in contrast to ethnicities, the groups do not come with percentages. Instead, MyHeritage assigns each Genetic Group a confidence level that is based on the number of DNA segments a person has in common with those that define a specific group. This confidence level reflects the quality and quantity of DNA segments that a person shares with the genetic data that represents each group.

The Genetic Groups feature includes detailed genealogical insights about each group. Users can view a group's migration patterns and drill down to view its precise whereabouts during different time periods from the 17th century until today. For each Genetic Group, users can view common ancestral surnames and common given names, the most prevalent ethnicities among the group's members, a list of other groups that have high affinity to the current one, and more.

This is a major step for DNA testing and moves these tools from the area of telling you what you already know into the realm of what you did not know previously. 

Live on Facebook to the whole world

 

We are just two days away from this awesome opportunity to hear from this MyHeritage.com panel of experienced genealogists. I have known Thomas MacEntee and Lisa Louise Cooke for many years and they are some of the most consistently, outstanding and dedicated promoters and educators in the world genealogical community. Daniel Horowitz is a wonder. He is easily the most traveled and knowledgeable genealogist in the long history of genealogical research. I think Daniel has probably spoken in more different places to more genealogy societies and in more countries than anyone has ever done. I have met Maureen Taylor on a few occasions over the years and have admired her unbelievable knowledge of genealogy, history, and photography. Her website MaureenTaylor.com is a great asset to all those who have an interest in genealogy. Roberta Estes and Diahan Suthard are worldwide experts in DNA testing and the use of the results from the tests. Both of these DNA experts have had an enormous impact on the greater genealogy community and are well-known outside the field of genealogy.

This panel discussion will be a marvelous opportunity for the entire genealogical community to review some of the issues of this particularly difficult year and hear what may develop in the world of genealogy in the upcoming, more promising year. 

This presentation will be LIVE on Facebook on the MyHeritage Facebook page, 

https://www.facebook.com/myheritage/videos/?ref=page_internal

on December 30th at 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. By the way, if you were not aware of the MyHeritage Facebook page, you might want to check out the Videos section. There are a huge number. of inspiring and informational videos waiting for you. You can also see videos on the MyHeritage.com YouTube Channel. Don't forget that MyHeritage.com also has a rapidly growing educational website the MyHeritage Education Knowledge Base, Education.MyHeritage.com with more videos and other resources. 

End of the Year MyHeritage Facebook Live

 

I am honored to be able to participate in the first End-of-the-Year Facebook Live Extravaganza to be online on December 30, at 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Here are the names of the distinguished guests assuming you don't know them in person. 

Here are some links to tell you more about each one of these outstanding guests. 

• Lisa Louise Cooke: See https://lisalouisecooke.com/bio/
• Thomas MacEntee: See https://www.facebook.com/tmacentee
• Roberta Estes: See https://dna-explained.com/about/
• Diahan Southard: https://www.yourdnaguide.com/about
• Daniel Horowitz: http://www.searchingformyroots.com/
• Maureen Taylor: https://maureentaylor.com/about-maureen/

This event will be a panel discussion focusing on the changes and events of the past year and what we all might see in the future. Here is the link to the MyHeritage Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/myheritage You can see the Facebook live videos by clicking on the Videos tab. 

Here are some links that help you connect to me. 

• https://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/
• https://rejoiceandbeexceedingglad.blogspot.com/
• https://walkingarizona.blogspot.com/
• https://thefhguide.com/about-assoc.html
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7hqNOQt-2AfeVEpDuc7sCA
• https://www.facebook.com/JamesTanner45/

Finding Your Ancestors in Institutional Records

 

Watt Street Mental Hospital: The children left behind the walls

Institutional records include the following and many more types of records.

• Charities
• Convents
• Fraternal Organizations
• Genealogical Societies
• Historical Societies
• Hospitals
• Libraries
• Mission Societies
• Orphan Agencies
• Reunion Registries
• Seminaries 

Very few of these types of records are classified as "genealogical" but they all contain valuable information. Of course, genealogical and historical societies and libraries will usually have genealogically valuable information but it is surprising how few researchers take advantage of these almost obvious repositories. The main reason for ignoring these records is that they are sometimes extremely difficult to locate and access. Fortunately, by using Google searches, researchers can usually determine both the location and any access restrictions. During the current pandemic, the task of accessing records could be insurmountable. Patience is a virtue that has to be cultivated to do any successful research.

I choose the photo at the beginning of this post at random. But then I thought about the Watt Street Mental Hospital and mentally asked the question about whether or not there were any records and where those possible records might be located. The article comes from the Illawarra Mercury Newspaper, from a region in New South Wales, Australia, and references a study made by Novocastrians. Hmm. That was a new word for me but it turns out to refer to someone from Newcastle, Australia. The building where the Watt Street Mental Hospital is located turns out to be historic. Here is a quote from the Wikipedia article, "Newcastle Government House."

Newcastle Government House is a heritage-listed former military post and official residence and now park and psychiatric hospital at 72 Watt Street, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is also known as Newcastle Government House and Domain, Newcastle Military Barracks & Hospital, Girls' Industrial School, Reformatory for Girls, Lunatic Asylum for Imbeciles, James Fletcher Hospital and Fletcher Park. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 March 2011.

A little research turned up the following website. 

The School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, the University of Melbourne. “Watt Street Mental Hospital - Institution - Australian Psychiatric Care.” Document. PUBLISHER. Accessed December 23, 2020. https://www.ahpi.esrc.unimelb.edu.au/biogs/E000429b.htm.

I am sure, at this point, that further research will provide me with information about the people who were treated in the institution and more about the history. 

How would I know to even begin to look for information from this source? Well, that is the reason I am writing this post. The idea here is to realize that research does not end with the large online genealogical database/family tree websites. Neither does it end with the sources you might find listed in some genealogy articles online. Sometimes, you have to learn about the culture, history, economy, and everything else about the places where your family lived. In this case, two of my direct family lines lived in New South Wales. Now, you can try to find information about all of the other institutions listed and any more you can imagine might exist.   

Genealogy in the teeth of a pandemic

 

There are many analogies that could be made between our collective nine months in the teeth of a pandemic but I think getting stuck in the mud is a good one. You can approach the enforced social distancing as an external force over which you have no control or you can take it personally and rail against the establishment. In either case, you are at constant risk of actually becoming sick with a smaller possibility of ending up with your ancestors. 

One question that keeps coming up is why some of the FamilySearch record collections are restricted to view in a FamilySearch Center or Library. This in view of the fact that almost all the libraries and centers are closed. The answer is simple but not satisfying. The reason for the existence of restrictions on viewing some of the records lies in the way the records were obtained in the first place. The entities supplying the original records to FamilySearch could restrict the usage of the records in any way they deemed suitable. For example, many of the English parishes derive some part of their income from renting or selling copies of their records to genealogists. They are not happy to have FamilySearch provide free online access to those same records so they either refuse to allow FamilySearch to digitize the records or they restrict the viewing of the records in some way. In one case in the Salt Lake City, Family History Library, I had to give my driver's license to the person guarding the records in exchange for looking at one sheet of a microform image of a multi-sheet record. 

So, the pandemic is limiting us in various ways from completing certain genealogical tasks. I adapt by simply changing what I am trying to do to those things I actually can do. Meanwhile, I am surrounded by people who still think that a pandemic that has, as of the date of this post, killed over 1.7 million people worldwide is a hoax. Depending on who you know or where you live, you may or may not know someone who has died as a result of the pandemic COVID-19 virus. I happen to live in a neighborhood where over 16 families have had the disease and 2 people (I knew) have died from the virus. 

The one factor that keeps me going and actively researching is the huge increase in digitized images online just this past year. The trick here is to spend some time learning about the new records and then adapting your research goals to align with those records that are available. If you really think that you can't do any research because the Family History Centers are closed then you need to reevaluate your objectives. 

Without the need to travel to various locations to present classes, I have had time to do a lot of other projects. I lament the loss of meeting in person with my friends but the time saved has been well used. If you view the confinement of the pandemic as a vacation, you are sadly wasting some really valuable time that could be spent in doing those tasks such as organizing family histories and researching multiple lines of your ancestry that you may never have again. Of course, my wife and I live alone. We do not have any little children to watch during the day and so we can spend all the time we want on genealogy or whatever else needs to be done. We still have to sleep, eat, and etc. but there is more time to focus on genealogy. 

All this shall pass or get worse but whichever of these happens, I will still spend as much time as I can squeeze out of each day in furthering the work I do to support others in doing genealogical research or in doing it myself. 

Who was that masked man?

 

Courtesy of MyHeritage.com, we got a few of these really nice face masks. For all my friends out there, this is officially what I look like lately. I decided to add a couple of more photos just in case you see me with one of the alternatives and don't recognize me immediately. 

Things are really getting worse almost every day in Utah and about everywhere else but we see a light at the end of the tunnel if the vaccines become available. 

Hmm. this might be the start of something here on my blog. Maybe I should include a photo with every post? However, this might get me kicked off of Facebook just like they did with my other blog. Here is a link to a MyHeritage blog entitled, "Unmasking Pandemic Masks, Then and Now."

Updates to the Findmypast.com family tree

 

Findmypast.com has announced major updates to their online family tree. You can see all of the features of the Findmypast family tree in this article: "How to build your family tree with Findmypast." Some of the new features in the family tree include the following:

•  The ability to view five full generations at once 
•  The ability to zoom in and out on specific individuals or branches  
•  The ability to easily return to a family tree's “Home” person by selecting the house icon 
•  A sidebar menu allowing easier editing of ancestor profiles  
• Highlighting “focus” individuals for easier navigation 

Two additional features newly announced tree-to-tree hints and the previously announced feature of private messaging. Here is a quote from the email announcement of these features.

Now live on both Findmypast.com and Findmypast.co.uk, “Private Messages” enables any user who receives a tree-to-tree hint to privately message the owner of that tree to ask questions, discuss their research, share discoveries, family stories, photos and even connect with distant living relatives. As long as the other user accepts their message request, the pair can then communicate through Findmypast.  

Each user gets an inbox and, to initiate contact, users first need either take out a free trial or move to one of Findmypast’s Essential or Ulitmate subscription options.   

First launched on Findmypast.co.uk in September 2020, private messaging will offer unique benefits to North American researchers searching for ancestors in the British Isles. By having the ability to directly correspond with family historians on the other side of the Atlantic, US and Canadian family researchers now have the ability to benefit from their existing research, local and historical knowledge, as well as their proximity to key geographic locations.  

Today’s announcement marks the latest in a series of substantial updates to Findmypast’s online family tree builder, following significant investment in the development of new tools and features.