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Etiquette for one-name groups

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devonliz
Posts: 60
Joined: 13 Jun 2020, 20:31

Etiquette for one-name groups

Post by devonliz »

Some years ago I was contacted by a person who ran a one-name study group (let's call them Smith), with the offer of a discount on a Y-DNA test.
This was legitimate, because my name was published, as a member of a local history society, with an interest in a similar surname. My father has always maintained that his family - firmly documented from about 1770 in Northern Ireland - were Smyths, and distinct from the Irish and English Smith lines. And so it seems, because his Y-DNA test is definitely in a different group in the one-name study. Unfortunately he and his nephews are the last in the line that we know of in Ireland. The subsequent autosomal test did not throw up anything closer than sixth-eighth cousins, none with the name 'Smyth'.
Now, his Y-chromosome evidently doesn't descend from an English line (with plenty of relatives in the USA), but it may descend from Scottish forebears. I've seen a large family tree that suggests that a potential common ancestor has several living descendants in Scotland. If I find men of that name in Scotland today, would it be acceptable to write to them and ask them to take a DNA test? Or should I ask the director of the one-name study to write to them? Or should I wait until one of them receives a test for Christmas and eventually pops up on a comparison site?
Thunder
Posts: 436
Joined: 14 Jun 2020, 01:43

Re: Etiquette for one-name groups

Post by Thunder »

I would say that it's best not to ask someone to take a DNA test, it might be construed as private, but you could say you have had one and leave it up to them. I have come across someone people who have a tree on ancestry who seem to only be interested in DNA and not actual research which match people's actual research.
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Guy
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Joined: 01 Jun 2020, 19:14
Location: Wakefield
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Re: Etiquette for one-name groups

Post by Guy »

devonliz wrote: 04 Jul 2020, 17:10 snip
Now, his Y-chromosome evidently doesn't descend from an English line (with plenty of relatives in the USA), but it may descend from Scottish forebears. I've seen a large family tree that suggests that a potential common ancestor has several living descendants in Scotland. If I find men of that name in Scotland today, would it be acceptable to write to them and ask them to take a DNA test? Or should I ask the director of the one-name study to write to them? Or should I wait until one of them receives a test for Christmas and eventually pops up on a comparison site?
I see nothing wrong in writing to someone who has an interest in family history and asking them if they would be interested in taking a DNA test, but it all depends on the way you write the request.
For example I would try to establish contact with them at first, saying you are researching your ancestors and think/wonder if there is a link with them.
You could mention you have done a DNA test and share your DNA on Gedmatch or your DNA test site, etc.
In other words show you are willing to share information rather than just wanting to gain their information.
You could wait but you could find you are waiting a lifetime
Cheers
Guy
As we have gained from the past, we owe the future a debt, which we pay by sharing today.
meekhcs
Posts: 468
Joined: 02 Jun 2020, 18:19
Location: Lincolnshire, but Hampshire born and bred!

Re: Etiquette for one-name groups

Post by meekhcs »

If the one name study group is still running it may be worth contacting them and discussing the matter with them. They may well have already contacted the person concerned.
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devonliz
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Joined: 13 Jun 2020, 20:31

Re: Etiquette for one-name groups

Post by devonliz »

Thanks, Guy - I have now consulted the one-name group who agreed that it was worth a shot.
So I wrote to about ten men whose addresses were given in FMP's list of electoral roll and company directors: got an immediate response from one man, who had passed my letter on to his cousin. This cousin turned out to be the originator of the tree on Ancestry but unfortunately his gg-grandmother was an unmarried woman.
So I now will have to hope that he can identify a likely cousin or two, descended from one of her brothers.
I will keep on waiting!
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Guy
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Re: Etiquette for one-name groups

Post by Guy »

Yes you could wait for him to find, cousins if you want or you could be proactive and search for those cousins yourself.
You mention your father has researched your tree back to 1770 so you have a good start there to bring the family shown on the tree forward to the present day by developing the families of their children.
There is no reason you have to only follow one descendant path, in fact it is one well trodden route to break down a brick wall.
You may find other DNA connections as unknown family names emerge through daughters' marriages.

I should also mention never be hung up on spelling it was fluid until comparatively recently and though you may find a surname was often spelt in one way it is highly unlikely that all descendants demanded their name was spelt in that manner.
For instance my mother's maiden name Guy has been spelt as Guy, Guye, Gye, Gyee and Gy
As we have gained from the past, we owe the future a debt, which we pay by sharing today.
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