I have not been blogging recently- a year for this blog it seems.. In 2003 when I started working with my ancestry, I knew little. With the advent of DNA, at about the same time that I found an Irish researcher, I made exponential gains in at least my maternal ancestors. DNA and Irish Records becoming digitized helped a lot, and my Faunt Swanson line was really not hidden.
My father's maternal line was visible also, Carrow and Edenfield anyway were there for the taking in Delaware and Maryland. Kirwan and Sweeney eventually followed suit in New Jersey records.
Dad's biological father was never known to him but some things must have been known. Rumors were his father was an uncle, or his stepfather, both of which have been discounted. Another rumor, ( Mom let things leak from time to time), was that Grandmother had more children and they went away somewhere.
I had seen some close cousins with DNA ( 1st-2nd) that had both Kirwan and Carrow ancestors, which brought their parents down to 2 people, Grandmom or her brother. Those people never answered messages about themselves but this time last year one of them did. Oh My! Sister and I had had aunts, 2 of them. both younger than Dad.
This huge breakthrough allowed me to begin to streamline Dad's bio father, who was NOT his sisters' father. My large amount of Welsh matches is leading me to be able to know at least my 3rd and 4th Grandparents who were from Wales. They are shared with upwards of 15 fairly close cousin matches ( 3-4th) who live in Wales and even speak Welsh.
