You couldn't make this up!

Anya, What a wonderful surprise. I have been thinking about taking a DNA test, as I would love know to more about my family background. My husband thinks I would be wasting my time, but your story may convince him.

Wow Anya - what a stunning surprise. It sounds like a good script for a novel or film but it is real life. Can you find out more about your missing Grandmother's life in Canada from her arriving there?

Marydoll to be honest I was sceptical of having the test and the results but it was actually pretty accurate even before this link.

Lovely story Anya, I'm pleased for you both. I'd have been delighted if it was me.

How did she get your e-mail though

Amazing. Your story has brought years to my eyes!

I know who she married now, and that she went on to have 5 more children (one of whom is this woman's late mother) and when she died. It has filled in a very big hole in my family tree.

Coincidentally I'm off to Scotland on August 14-17th for the Fringe and I'll be staying with my elderly aunt (my mother's first cousin, but they were brought up as sisters) who will I'm sure be delighted by this news.

MamaCaz I cried too but in a good sort of way.

Nina when you do the DNA test they send the results by email and you download them. You can agree to have your details available to those on a 'match' list.

How lovely for you Anya so very satisfying to put another leaf in the family tree.
I had a contact from a distant relative through the local history society in the town where my mother was born. I found a few bits and bobs of local interest in her things when she died and offered them to the society which they were delighted to have.
Some time later I received an e-mail from the secretary asking if he could give my details to someone making enquiries about the same family.
I found a whole branch of my family living in Yorkshire. My mother never talked about family.
I am still in regular touch with two cousins, 2nd and twice removed, and have met one who visited and brought me a copy of the family tree going back to 1785.
Your story though is far more exciting and revealing and I am so pleased for you. A real result.

That's wonderful news, Anya! DH and I were discussing the test yesterday and I'd very nearly decided to go ahead. I definitely will now. And I hope he will too as his Great Grandad was a foundling, left on his family's doorstep as a baby - the test results could maybe shed some light on his background.

Anya, how exciting, scary, but exciting for you. Well done.

How marvellous, I love to hear about strange coincidences. Lovely for you both to have found each other.

Enjoy your time in Edinburgh.

Wow,what a wonderful piece of news for you and they do say there's no such thing as coincidence!I have thought about these DNA tests as my father's family is largely a missing link in our tree.I might give it a go now though.
Enjoy your new found family.

Wow what a heartwarming story, Anya, with a very satisfying result too. I've no meaningful contact with my Scottish cousins but interestingly have a little more and also more common ground with the ones I didn't meet until I was in my forties, they were born and brought up in South America. Apart from my children I've no other family, I've often wondered if there are any long lost ones tucked away somewhere!

What a lovely story, Anya.

After mum died we found a family tree which had been done by her cousin. My problem is that I know a few bits of it are wrong. The man who sent it will probably be dead by now - will his adopted daughter want to know?

That is fascinating anya - who did you use for the DNA test?

I would be intrigued to try it as my maternal GM was quite dark-skinned with very curly black hair - I have often wondered if there are African roots in our family - mind you we all emanate from Africa way way back.

Kitty If you have information that will correct the mistakes in the tree, I am sure she would like to have it. If you don't pass it on, that false info will stay there and become "true" for anyone who sees it. If it is online, it becomes "true" for the rest of the world.

How amazing!

I love that programme on TV. Unfortunately D.H.finds it too upsetting to watch as he grew up not knowing his mum. She died before I knew him. It is very exciting to find new relatives. Enjoy!

I found my long lost cousins an old fashioned way about 20 years ago,I got my friend in Canada to ring up everyone with his name in the phone book...it took her a while but she found him.We're in daily contact and he has been to stay with us.My mother was thrilled we found him as his mother was her young sister who died in her 40's and the kids were fostered out .No one had let us know which was sad as there was a lot of family here who would happily have brought them up .I would like to take the DNA test although I'm fairly sure I'm scots/irish descent my father never knew his father so who knows?

Lucky I used Ancestry DNA. When you get your results as well as showing the geographical communities you are closest to, it give a list of possible 1st, 2nd, 3rd cousins etc and there's a contact button if you want to get on touch via Ancestry.

You don't have to reveal your actual email address to a contact unless you feel you want to.

Anya, amazing! made me think I too should do that DNA test.

I still have a subscription to Ancestry.co.uk, having needed to check a lot of old records for a job that's now finished. My membership only covers UK and Ireland (though other stuff sometimes pops up), but if anyone would like someone or something looked up, I'd be happy to see what I could find. Let me know!

What a lovely story Anya and the coincidence makes it even more amazing,

My adopted daughter got her results this week and for the first time knows where half her genes come from and sounded so happy when she rang to tell me. She was told of a few 3rd and 4th cousins and many 5th and 6th but sadly no closer, but never mind, she's still got us❤️