One of my favourite family history discoveries has been the result of much patience and perseverance. 

Early in my research I discovered there was no father’s name given on my grandmother’s 1923 birth registration, and so the identity of my great-grandfather became both a brick wall and a gaping hole. With no information about who he might be, I focused on tracing my great-grandmother. Eventually I took a DNA test, and waited hopefully for a match that might help.

Then eight years ago, two years after I’d taken the DNA test, I found a match who shared a significant amount of DNA with me. Our predicted relationship fell into the second to third cousin range, meaning we would share a great-grandparent or great-great grandparent. I didn’t recognise his name, and I’d done enough research to be cautiously optimistic that his connection could be on the mystery branch of my family tree. When I contacted him I discovered his grandfather was born in the same Scottish town as my grandmother. It was the breakthrough I’d been waiting for.

Armed with information about my match’s grandfather I built a family tree with the grandfather’s parents, David Hampton and Margaret McLean, at the centre. They had ten children born between 1889 and 1904, and I began the process of elimination by researching each of them.

Of the ten children, there were only two daughters, neither of whom was of an age or had children of the right age, to be the link. There were three sons who died in childhood, and one son died during World War One. Two other sons were married and living elsewhere at the relevant time. That left two sons, both of whom were living in the right place, at the right time.

I worked out where other DNA matches fit on various branches of the family tree for my great-great-great grandparents, the parents of David Hampton and Margaret McLean, and found and contacted potential half first cousins who agreed to take a DNA test.

The answer became clear, the brick wall was smashed, and the gap in my family history was finally filled. I’m really grateful to the first, second and third cousins who have been so willing to share information, have taken DNA tests, and continue to help me learn who my great-grandfather was.

As well as using DNA matches and genetic genealogy strategies, my research for this brick wall used a range of sources including birth, death and marriage records, the census, army service records, and newspapers. And for the record, the original DNA match who helped make the connection to my great-grandfather’s family, is my second cousin once removed, which aligns with the predicted relationship range given by the DNA testing company.

If you’re trying to solve a mystery like this of your own, be patient and keep researching, because a solution could appear when you least expect it.