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As you know, I did a DNA test for Christmas last year in the hope of breaking down my Irish brick wall. This was the sole reason. Little did I know I would discover a whole new branch of my Nans family.
Nan, a Sutcliffe, was born in Briercliffe. She was one of six. Or so we thought. Back in 1965, Nans sister in law told my mum that Nans dad had a child with another woman after Nans mum died. Nan had even been to see this baby but never spoke of it. Mum never dared ask Nan about it sadly. I queried it with mums cousins, even the step grandchildren of the sister in law that first told mum. None of them had heard about it so it was only ever a rumour.
We had no idea of the sex, assumed it was born in Blackpool as that was where they lived and that it would be after 1921 when Nans mum died. And what were the chances that he would be named as dad on the birth certificate of an illegitimate child that the family quite obviously disowned?
Fast forward to 2020 and I get DNA results. I have 4 2nd cousin matches. 2 I knew. 2 I didn't. I contacted the 2 I didn't know, one still hasn't replied but then she hasn't visited Ancestry for over 6 months. The other did (J) but told me she hadn't really done her tree and couldn't tell me who might be our common ancestor or even a surname. Then in the 4th cousin matches, I spotted someone with the same surname as J so I contacted her. She turned out to be the daughter of J and told me that J had in fact been adopted and that J's mum was thought to be called sutcliffe. Bingo! She connects on my mums maternal line. After a few emails, contact with a 3rd cousin DNA match, and a very lengthy wait for a birth certificate, the rumour was proved true. My gt granddad had a daughter (G) with a woman who lived a few streets away and even had his name and address on the birth certificate. It would seem his contact ended there.
I am now in contact with two of G's daughters and 3 of her granddaughters. It turns out, G was not a very nice woman. She took off with a married man, had 4 children that we are currently aware of and put 3 of them out for adoption. The 4th adoption fell through so she reluctantly kept the baby. We believe there may be another 2 children but haven't yet tracked them down. After the father of these 4 (or 6?) died, she married someone else and had another 3 children that she kept along with the children from the husbands first marriage.
It's been quite a rollercoaster of emotions for them and my mum, who is their 1st cousin but it's also been quite exciting to chat with family we never knew existed. It must be so difficult for J and her sister, they found each other 20 years ago but only found the children of their other 2 siblings this year. The siblings passed away a few years ago.
I wonder if I will ever break down that Irish wall?
_________________
Mel
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