Genetic testing

[Yvonne from Oz]

Does anyone have access to genetic testing information?
I have googled but can't find the information in a format I can understand!!

The problem is:
It is possible that my OH's father was not the natural child of his mother but the child
of a liason of his father and another woman. If this is true then it seems that the wife
went along with the deception and the child was registered as hers.(home birth)

I think the only way to prove or disprove this, would be to find a child decended from the mother's extended family (her brother or sister) and see if the markers match up with my OH or not. However, I don't know enough about genetic testing to know if this is possible, or who to look for (male or female?)

I really can't, in all conscience, put his family history in a book until we know the truth of this. And, of course, if true it will cause some problems, although OH is quite comfortable with either outcome and both his parents have died.

Any help appreciated thank you.

[Olde Crone Holden]

As far as I am aware, autosomal DNA testing (i.e. non gender dependant) can only be done for two generations - in other words, grandparent-parent-child, so your OH would have to find a child/grandchild of the supposed mother.

It is an expensive test I believe.


OC

[Anne in Carlisle]

I'm fairly sure it would be very expensive and also you wouldn't be able to do it without letting out the reason for it (to the participants). That in itself might cause family trouble even before any result was known.

Anne

[Lindsay]

Genetic testing does sound like the nuclear option.

Is there anything else you could look at eg if his mum and dad were both blood group O but he's A, then he must have had a different mother?

[margaretmarch]

You need to find a company in Oz that does DNA testing and pose the question to them. I recently looked at companies in the UK who provide this service and they give lots of information on their websites about what they can measure and who needs to be involved to resolve the issue.
Margaret

[Yvonne from Oz]

OC - Thank you. I think finding a child/grandchild of the supposed mum would be almost impossible and would probably
really stir up problems :( :(

Anne - All of hubby's siblings now know of the possibility (but not through us, actually one of his other siblings found this information)
so there would be no problems in his immediate family. In fact, finding out the truth would put a lot of new problems to rest!!

Lindsay, I did not think of blood groups - I'll see if there are any records but I am not hopeful back that far.

Margaret - would you mind giving me a URL to the site in the UK that gave you the best info please?
I have looked at sites in Oz - and even sent one an email - but received no reply.

[Tree genie]

Hi Vonny, surely if his siblings know about all this, and they are definitely children of the two people who bought your husband up, testing your husband against them would prove if they had the same parents?

[Yvonne from Oz]

Sorry Janet - the problem is hubby's 'grandmother' who may or may not have been his Father's mother.
None of his father's siblings had children so we cannot check any cousins. And anyway, if the siblings were also
not the grandmothers then it wouldn't help us!!

OC is correct, the best way to check would be to find offspring from the 'other woman' or even offspring from her siblings BUT
we could potentially open such a big can of worms in that family that I don't think it would be worth it, even if we could find some.

I have been checking genetic sites but I am very confused still, which is why I was hoping for a plain English version!!!.

I do have an email link to a descendant of the grandmother's brother so that is why I was wondering if genetic testing would work with him and hubby.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Blood groups won't be much help either, as you cannot draw any conclusions from blood groups - it is quite possible that Yvonne and I have the same blood group but it doesn't mean we are related! You would still need a DNA test to prove it one way or the other.
You don't say what generation the email link to the grandmother's brother is, but remember autosomal testing needs a grandparent in common (or not in common, lol). Present technology can only test back to grandparent level. The sex of the people tested is irrelevant as this test is not gender specific.

OC

[Yvonne from Oz]

Oh, Rats! OC, because that would mean I needed the lady who just died in 2007 (called Little Alice)!!!! The person I was referring to was her son!!

However, I do have a list of names of Little Alice' aunts and uncles so it is a possibility one of their children might be alive (Little Alice's first cousins)
With the exception of this one contact, I hadn't bothered to research the marriages on that branch yet :D

If I find someone, I could indicate a possible adoption of hubby's father (which possibily is technically correct) so that shouldn't make waves!