Genealogy Forum UK

Hello, new here but thought I'd start with this.

Using Ancestry.co.uk, also done the dna test. For a long time being trying to find out who my great grandfather was on my maternal side, The family always knew that granddad was born out of wedlock, but we had a clue that he always said his biological father died in 1918 in a mining disaster.
My Auntie whose in her 80's thought the name would come to her, anyway brought a book listing the names of all those killed. And she recognised one.
Still with me I put this in my family tree, traced him back a couple of generations both maternal and paternal. I'm getting DNA matches on his maternal, but nothing on the paternal side. Could this be I'm barking up the wrong tree or maybe the great grandads mother had a bit on the side ?

Hi

I know less than nothing about DNA matches, so hopefully someone better informed will help you.

Just wondering, what sort of families were your grandfather's parents from? To get a match on the paternal side, wouldn't you need relatives from that side to have been tested? If he had no siblings or cousins, would that reduce the chance of a match?

who is the oldest relative to your possible g grandad (grand dad, mother, uncle or Aunty) still alive it might help if you get a DNA test of them, as they will be the nearest match ruling out any marriages and dna mergers after them,

you can download a copy of your DNA file from Ancestry as a Zip file download it but don't open it,

then join gedmatch.com and my heritage should cost nothing for the basic package

Upload your DNA zip file to Gedmatch.com and my heritage website you may get more hits on them that are different