July 2018 Edition | What's New at Ancestry | Ancestry

[@rhra6288]

Crista, it is so great that you will be back and on every week. I have learned so much from you over the years and continue to learn things from you about family history research and Ancestry.

[@pilgrimbc]

So happy to know you will be back weekly! I’ve missed learning from you!

[@nancya.2289]

Thanks for all your work you do, I enjoy watching these.

[@jamesanderson5782]

I keep seeing comments on that it’s in “beta” but ancestry is releasing updates to former people and it literally says on the website that they’re going to release the update to its 10 million members “soon”. But what I don’t get is if it’s in “beta” testing why release it to certain people? You should just wait to release it to everyone at the same time just like before! Makes no sense and if the update/beta is wrong that’s not fair to the people who have the update and are stuck with it! Also considering some didn’t even to change! It just happend! Just saying!

[@normajeanbonner3287]

Why are you guys so critical and gripping?

[@SandyQueue]

In addition to telling us which new records are added each month, would you please tell us which records are being removed each month? Thanks! Love your videos.

[@dixieo6361]

YAY for Family Group Sheets! Very informative episode. I look forward to learning new things each month to help with my research. :)

[@pamelaflynn1129]

I loved the family group sheets and glad they're back!! Looking forward to using the Alabama Surname Files.

[@xavierboss6890]

Isn’t there a new Ethnicity Update!

[@moriahp9644]

Update for ethnicity?

[@ld3877]

It's sad to see no mention of the upcoming update to Ancestry DNA. Although it is in BETA, I still think it deserves a mention. Hopefully it will be discussed in a later video.

[@AncestryUS]

The AncestryDNA Ethnicity update is currently in previews with a small percentage of customers while we collect feedback.

[@GuardianoftheGoldenStool]

+Ancestry There were an enormous accounts recently updated within the past few days in this current month of September 2018. What kind of feedback you have received? As for myself and several other Afro-Americans I’ve spoken with I know there is a huge amount of concern with how the generic the results seem to be on the African side, making them appear non credible. That being, there is usually a more than overwhelming amount of Afro-Americans that have the Cameroon/Congo & Southern Bantu peoples & Benin/Togo category as their top 2. How can this be seeing each child upon conception inherits a random 50 percent of their parents genetic compositions? Also there is a lot of displeasure about that Benin/Togo category & Cameroon/Congo & Southern Bantu in lieu of the Nigeria, saying that seeing both overlap into Nigeria to some extent in the mapping of where the dna can be found secondarily. I say in lieu seeing so many peoples Nigeria category have shrunk SEVERELY as these have increased.

[@gendeb9666]

So glad to see you again!

[@Alixmich.2002]

I see there’s people with new ethnicity Update? I wonder when that’s gonna happen because on the site, it says they will release it to their 10 million members soon. Hmmm

[@AncestryUS]

The AncestryDNA Ethnicity update is currently in previews with a small percentage of customers while we collect feedback.

[@jelliedsoup4519]

So "the AncestryDNA Ethnicity update is currently in previews with a small percentage of customers while you collect feedback"?

[@mewmangastv9337]

And the new ethnicity update what's going on,why everybody don't have this update I'm not happy

[@mewmangastv9337]

orange colors but it's not a reason

[@YangSing1]

Mew Mangas TV What ethnicity update?

[@AncestryUS]

The AncestryDNA Ethnicity update is currently in previews with a small percentage of customers while we collect feedback.

[@aarontassin7621]

Welcome back Crista!

[@aydentorres7644]

I always look forward to new videos from you Crista!

[@ParisianBookworm87]

Hello! I have a question about matches- I have several different matches who have the same exactly families in their family trees with the same exact surnames and from the same exact places. Is it safe to assume that this is how I'm connected to them? Some aren't even necessarily connected to each other, especially some of the distant matches, but they all have the same exact people in their trees and I'm trying to figure out if this is an accurate assumption that I also share an ancestor (or ancestors) from these particular family trees since they're so repetitive? Thank you so much in advance and I love your videos.

[@AncestryUS]

Ava - You've got it right. When you can find common ancestors between your matches, it is likely the same branch of their family tree that you are related to them on.

[@alison9313]

How do we dismiss that potential mother feature when it's wrong? Thanks for the video.

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

Is there a way to volunteer to be in the Ethnicity Beta? A group of us Americans and Europeans are meeting for a family reunion in the U.K. Through the ancestrydna test, we found we all descend from a common African ancestor (1700's), and the update could help us pinpoint which region, since the American branches have multiple African ancestors, while the British ones have just the one African ancestor. The current results show neighboring African regions for the some (even between a mother and son), so it's clearly on the right track, but it would be great to find out before we all fly out to meet.

[@AncestryUS]

Unfortunately, the current ethnicity preview is to a random sampling of customers.

[@ChristolJ]

I noticed that the Blog option is not on Ancestry.ca. I had to switch over to .com to access it. There are a number of other differences I have found over time. Why is that?

[@latoyajacksom27]

What about the ethnicity updatr?

[@AncestryUS]

The AncestryDNA Ethnicity update is currently in previews with a small percentage of customers while we collect feedback.

[@jamesanderson5782]

Where’s the Ethnicity update?

[@AncestryUS]

The AncestryDNA Ethnicity update is currently in previews with a small percentage of customers while we collect feedback.

[@angelapereira7717]

Where’s the ethnicity Update?

[@AncestryUS]

The AncestryDNA Ethnicity update is currently in previews with a small percentage of customers while we collect feedback.

[@mamadeebuildsahouse]

I'm originally from western cape of south africa and my parents eastern cape. And yet your update showed that my dna is non-existent from those areas. In South Africa white South Africans claim the areas you said, in my update and not in my original results, my dna does not come from. Makes me wonder if there is someone in your labs that maybe actually working for Afrikaners. Also, this makes me wonder if it is not a way to reshape the history of South Africa. North Africans claim that there were no dark skin Africans in North Africa. I wonder if the same is being pulled for south africa.

[@maryrowland4983]

Could you guys please make it scrollable for screen readers such as jaws, NVDA and ET see Example I can click on search but I cannot scroll down to the different types of searches let alone that wonderful card catalog you mentioned in the video would just like to be able to access it and also agree a searchable shoebox would be awesome Please and thank you

[@lindaj5856]

Do you know if I am considered Siberian and possible Mongolian. I've done some research by myself and I feel like my Finland/Northwest Russia is of Siberian Origin due to a West Siberian Province whatever called "Yamalo Nenets - Russia" and in the Samoyedic Family. It is said West Siberia including Yamalo Nenets, One of the languages in the Samoyedic Family are closely related to Finnish and some other ones.

[@lindaj5856]

The West Siberia "Yamalo Nenets Region" somewhat have mongoloid facial features I could tell somewhat cause of their traditional clothing and face looks. I kind of would consider myself a Siberian Mongol. I have European and Asian Ethnic Groups in my DNA I took on July 18th 2017 as a Birthday Present.

[@alyssaengberg7094]

I'm happy you are back. :) I'm wondering if it would be possible to let people know if someone they click on has or has not taken a DNA test with Ancestry .com. When I click on someone to see if they are a DNA match, it says they are not a match OR they haven't taken the test. IF they HAVE taken the test and are not a match, then wouldn't I have more confirmation that that particular person in their tree inn't my relative? As it is, I can't be sure if their tree is of any use to me. Maybe that would be too much invasion of privacy. But isn't that sharing what we are banking on?

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Alyssa, You have identified the privacy concern in your question. If someone has taken an AncestryDNA test, part of what they have agreed to is that their information/connection can be shown to their DNA matches and their matches only. If someone has NOT taken an AncestryDNA test, they have not agreed to this.

[@yoga-sisters]

Yay!! I'm so happy you're back!

[@Kimbee-opal60]

Crista, I can not find my daughters birth record. She was born in 1983 and we are in MN. I found the Minnesota Birth index, and to my surprise I can not find her on it! I actually see a niece listed there, she was born the same year. From what I see on the index, the only difference is that I was SINGLE when my daughter was born. My niece's parents were married. From what comes on the list for her birth date /or even using the whole month as a index, is ...there are no "single" named parents listed there. I even found my other two children whom their father I was married to at the time of their birth in 1992/1993. Could there actually be a reason why as a single mother, my child birth record would NOT be listed????

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Kimberly - I just double-checked this database and there are single mother's listed, though more infrequently than I would expect so you might be on to something. Have you tried searching that database with only your daughter's exact birth date and county - no names at all?

[@Kimbee-opal60]

Yes, I even tried another niece and nephew and -they were born in 1980 & 1981 they are not listed as well, so it can be the last name? Or I wonder if it could be the county hospital (they were all born in the same hospital) except the one niece I found listed -born 3 months after my daughter. So could it be the hospital not reporting to the county? I am at a loss. I plan to go down to the county and get another copy of my daughters birth certificate. Which I have the original copy I got back in 1983. I even checked the birth certificate and made sure dates and name spelling was correct. It was. It will be interesting to see what they say when I go to get a copy!

[@darlenefarmer5921]

What does Ancestry do about accounts in which the owners have passed away? I had a cousin (met through genealogy) who was working on part of our family when he passed away...this was a couple of years ago. I find myself unable to get Ancestry to open this account as they stated that his next-of-kin will have to grant permission...in which I cannot obtain. Any thoughts here?

[@staceycoates1418]

Darlene Farmer I have s similar situation. But mine is that I think my grandmother's brother took a D.N.A. test and died before I could confirm it was him.

[@darlenefarmer5921]

Stacey Coates Interesting...I'm not sure if they (Ancestry) will confirm it or not...in your case. My deceased cousin's info is on lock-down. Early, I was told that I had to write to his family to get the information released. Then I was told that I need a death record. Later, I was told something else. Nothing was ever concrete. I believe our subj needs addressing.

[@gabrielfortich6519]

ETNICITY UPDATE!!! MANY PEOPLE WANT THE NEW UPDATE!!

[@AncestryUS]

The update to the AncestryDNA Ethnicity Estimates is currently in preview with a small percentage of customers while we collect feedback.

[@sarahkelly2268]

Lm glad you are back

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

3 Tree Privacy Options. Can we please have the following options? Public DNA Matches Private That way more people with private trees can share with their matches, since most find it difficult sharing trees since ancestry.com doesn't display usernames, which are needed to invite.

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you for the suggestion. We will pass it along. Tree sharing can be done by email address. If you are in communication with the match (which I would expect you to be before you share your tree with them), just ask for that and it should work fine.

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

Ancestry thanks so much, I hope it comes to pass! I made my tree public, because I realized it was so difficult for others to add or request to be added.

[@MrSoldierperson]

According to ancestry.com, I'm 35% Native American. Where do I find out what tribe I belong to?

[@AncestryUS]

Have you started a family tree on Ancestry? If not, enter yourself and what you know about your parents and grandparents. Talk to your parents and any living grandparents to find out what they know about THEIR parents and grandparents. Once you have that foundation, you should start to see "leaf hints" on some of your ancestors that will lead you to historical records. Those historical records, often times, will list the race of the person and lead you to additional records that tell you exactly when and where your ancestors lived. Use that information to determine what tribes were in the same places at the same times. Then, contact the tribes (or the local archives in the area) to see what additional record they may have in their possession.

[@tashamoore9828]

Roots Web still doesn't​ work, the Obituary Tab crashes and doesn't allow me to use it.

[@AncestryUS]

Are you using it through this link? sites.rootsweb.com/~obituary/

[@heythatsprettygood3653]

Ethnicity update?

[@Trapezoid2]

Gog Mog I'm wondering about that too. I've seen the update since April, and from what I heard, Ancestry is not going to tell exactly when the update will release for everyone

[@AncestryUS]

The AncestryDNA Ethnicity update is currently in previews with a small percentage of customers while we collect feedback.

[@Trapezoid2]

Ancestry Oh ok, thanks for letting us know 👍. How long until everyone gets the update?

[@Trapezoid2]

Ryan Kameg Oh ok, thanks!

[@Elistarielle]

For as many people who've found out about it in general and are expecting it. There will probably be a backlash if it's never released. An announcement about it, even if just the beta and/or process would be nice. When most of us see people getting new features / updated results, we too will expect those result. Nothing like the disappointment of checking for that update day in and day out only to find nothing has changed. Several who have gotten the "update" don't realize or even know it's beta. Just saying, transparency is nice. ....

[@kimpev]

I called them last month about a more precise breakdown of your ethnicity. The person told me that only like a 1000 were randomly selected with the breakdown vs the general estimate. She said that once there’s no more glitch everyone will get it. She said the release date was 6/13/18, but it may change if there’s a glitch.

[@AncestryUS]

The AncestryDNA Ethnicity update is currently in previews with a small percentage of customers while we collect feedback. There is no date currently set for releasing this update to all customers.

[@Grisabella2]

Christa can you add a link to the new Rootsweb Wiki? I try to load it and just get redirected to the Ancestry main page. Thanks for all you do!

[@AncestryUS]

Here is the link to RootsWeb. The link to the Wiki is in the 2nd section there: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/

[@Grisabella2]

Terrific thanks!

[@ajd2575]

Why didn't my ethnicity estimate update?

[@AncestryUS]

The ethnicity update is currently in previews with a small percentage of our customers while we collect feedback.

[@ajd2575]

Do you have any idea when mine will update?

[@Kelli_D.]

I just wish I could find the parents of my 4th Great Grandfather but apparently since he was born in 1807 in Virginia there is not a single birth record. But I know this man did not just fall onto earth at the age of 33 when he got married (which there is no record any where for that either!) so for 33 years of his life I can't find a single piece of information! It's just ridiclous I have found way more information on people way older :( Been searching for over 10 years! All I find for him that have sources are the Census records from 1850-1890 *He died in 1891* and a marriage record that he supposedly married a woman who I believe was 25 when he was in his 70's in 1877 and had a daughter with her in 1878, However his death record states he was widowed - this apparent wife was still alive, and married to another man claiming this daughter as his, even though all the records show they didn't get married until 1880.. So I can't even figure out if the marriage was for my 4th great grandfather or another man with his identical name, or if he was divorced/or she left him, and he was just going around saying he was a widow .. but I find it a bit too coincendital that that womans other marriage brings up the daughter that she had with my 4th great grandfather (if it's the right people to start with) at first I thought it was a different woman and child, but the childs birth matched what I had to a T same with the name Granted the last name is spelled different but so is it on almost everything to do with my family ..

[@pattiwhite9575]

Sometimes we just never find our answers. It is so frustrating but that was just how it is. Seek out others in blogs for info. It took me 5 years on one swedish relative before someone contacted me with the connections. Read all the blogs on other websites too. Consult a professional. Just think out of the box. Where, when and who history is important to think about. What important things were going on during a certain time frame. Church records very important way back when. And books, books and more books to read. Good Luck to you on this one.

[@dorwinblack5934]

Have you searched the Virginia Chancery court records online at www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/ ? These records go back to Colonial Virginia. Often when someone died, there would be a dispute among their heirs which would have to be resolved by the chancery court. If you know what county your ancestor was from it can help you narrow the search. I have found a wealth of information on some of my ancestors from Louisa county in the chancery court records.

[@AncestryUS]

Kelli, It sounds like you have some pretty great indirect evidence that has led you to the conclusion that he was born in 1807 in Virginia. For most of the population of the world throughout history there are no birth records. So, we use the genealogical evidence available to reach a conclusion just like you have done. If he got married the 1st time in 1840, it is possible that he and his new bride were still living at home with his parents or at the home of her parents. That is why he would not be listed by name on the 1840 census. Do you know what county in Virginia they were married in? You could check to see if it was a "burned county" or not to determine if marriage records even survive. You could also contact the Virginia State Archives or the county archives to determine if he owned property, paid taxes, or voted. Those records will give you additional clues about his age, migration pattern, and parentage.

[@jokel822]

My husband found his bio dad after 37 years. Twist his nio dad did not know he existed

[@ianhowell1666]

I find the potential mother/father thing annoying. I wish I could turn it off

[@AncestryUS]

You can! Go into your SITE PREFERENCES (found under your user name in the top right corner) and uncheck "Display Potential Ancestor Hints."

[@ianhowell1666]

Thanks!

[@GDIEternal]

Let people sort their matches by migrations they are not a part of.

[@karlayork877]

I agree that having more ways to sort is better, but I'm not sure I understand your purpose in sorting out "matches by migrations they are not a part of." Are you speaking of haplogroups? If so, those refer to only a small segment of your ancestry. Or are you thinking of race? I have no black ancestry, so no African migration, but I do have cousins who are black (or rather, mostly so,) so it would be foolish of me to ignore them, when they could hold the key to discovering new lines or extending old ones.

[@brysonknoel]

Karla York I think it would come in particularly handy for people who are multiethnic and perhaps didn't match a certain migration, but have a lot of family who do or a particular ancestor who did and just didn't pass down enough DNA.

[@MrDuckstyle]

Your videos are fine but the style has become dated. I suggest having smaller focused videos that are 10 min max. The production provided for a 20 min video isn't there and 20 min for just straight talk is extremely boring. For tour videos more images or movement on screen is needed. For instance the first 6 min of this video should be cut out and on it's own video.

[@dixieo6361]

I disagree!

[@ashleighwatson634]

I like longer videos