My grandfather was brought up by foster parents. Can DNA help me to uncover who his biological parents were?
QMy paternal grandfather, Anthony Albert Warner (born c1903, possibly in London), was brought up by a “nurse care family” called the Dawsons in Great Totham, Essex. They received money for his keep via a firm of London solicitors.
I recently took a DNA test and discovered a close connection with someone (TR), who I believe is a relative of my grandfather. We share a DNA match with my paternal uncle Brian, which suggests my theory is correct.
Another match (AD) is also a match with TR and is the great grandson of Andrew Dunlop (1825–1904) of Church Farm (the oldest dwelling in Hendon) in the London Borough of Barnet.
The DNA suggests that my uncle Brian shares the same grandfather as TR, a man named George Russell (1866–1842).
How does my grandfather fit in, and who was his mother?
Roger Warner
AI’m assuming that all of the people in this network are sharing the expected amount of DNA for the presumed relationships. You don’t tell us whether you are matching TR and AD as full cousins or as half cousins – although this should be evident from the amount of DNA shared. I’m also not clear of the relationship between the Dunlop and the Russell family. Nevertheless, your hypothesis that George Russell is the father of Anthony Albert Warner is plausible.
Consider taking a Y-chromosome DNA test with familytreedna.co.uk to see if you have matches with people with the Russell surname. It would also be helpful if TR could take a Y-DNA test for comparison purposes. A 37-marker test should be adequate (currently available for $119). If the results match, then this would provide you with further evidence of the Russell connection.
Identifying the name of Albert’s mother is going to be more tricky. It could be worth checking workhouse records at the Essex Record Office to see if there are any clues to her identity, although unfortunately few survive for the county.
It would also be a good idea to try to trace all of George Russell’s descendants. Are there any male or female descendants who would be willing to take an AncestryDNA test from ancestry.co.uk to see if they share the expected amounts of DNA for the hypothesised relationships? Testing more people with known relationships would allow the formation of clusters of shared matches. A surname and/or location might possibly emerge from these clusters that would provide some clues regarding the identity of Anthony’s mother. His birth is most likely to have been registered in the mother’s surname.
Debbie Kennett