Beginners Guide to Sheldon DNA Testing
The following is condensed and amended from the author’s Beginners Guide to Genetic Genealogy specifically for Sheldon Genealogy.
If you are a SHELDON or descended from a SHELDON you may have wondered about taking a DNA test, but then wondered which test, where should I take it, and finally why take a DNA test.
Let’s start with WHY take a DNA test?
- You want to prove you are a descendant of a particular SHELDON.
- You want to know which SHELDONs are related to you. Perhaps you want to share resources or learn more about your SHELDON origins
- You were born a SHELDON but haven’t a clue where your SHELDONs hark from and want to find out.
- You wonder if your Dad was really your Dad. There may have been rumors and you want to know the truth.
- Or someone gifted you a DNA kit and you wondering what might turn up.
It’s here I must mention my caveat: “If you don’t want to know the truth, don’t take a DNA test.” DNA doesn’t care if you have a 20-generation family tree back to royalty or don’t know who your birth parents are because you were adopted. DNA testing is a scientific tool that can reveal, ancestry, and relatives and reach back thousands of years. Sometimes DNA reveals that there was an NPE or Not Parentage Expected. We have at least a dozen in our Sheldon project and one forms a group of 4 individuals from the Birmingham area of England that connects with the MONTGOMERY family of Scotland. Sometime in the late 1600s or early 1700s, a MONTGOMERY male fathered what was later known as a SHELDON male. It could have been an adoption, an unwed mother, etc. For our project, if you are named Sheldon we want you!
Okay so you have decided to take a test WHICH test should you take and where?
The following is condensed and amended from the Kelly Wheaton’s Beginners Guide to Genetic Genealogy specifically for Sheldon Genealogy.
If you are a SHELDON or descended from a SHELDON you may have wondered about taking a DNA test, but then wondered which test, where should I take it, and finally why take a DNA test.
Let’s start with WHY take a DNA test?
- You want to prove you are descendant of a particular SHELDON.
- You want to know which SHELDONs are related to you. Perhaps you want to share resources or learn more about your SHELDON origins.
- You were born a SHELDON but haven’t a clue where your SHELDONs hark from and want to find out.
- You wonder if your Dad was really your Dad. There may have been rumors and you want to know the truth.
- Or someone gifted you a DNA kit and you are wondering what might turn up if you take it.
It’s here I must mention my caveat:
“If you don’t want to know the truth, don’t take a DNA test”.
DNA doesn’t care if you have a 20-generation family tree back to royalty or don’t know who your birth parents are, because you were adopted. DNA testing is a scientific tool that can reveal, ancestry, and relatives and reach back thousands of years. Sometimes DNA reveals that there was an NPE or Not Parentage Expected. We have at least a dozen in our Sheldon project and one forms a group of 4 individuals from the Birmingham area of England that connects with the MONTGOMERY family of Scotland. Sometime in the late 1600s or early 1700’s, a MONTGOMERY male fathered what was later known as a SHELDON male. It could have been an adoption, an unwed mother, etc. For our project, if you are named Sheldon we want you! There are no worries what happened in your past, we are happy to help connect you with your kin.
Okay so you have decided to take a test WHICH test should you take and where?
This depends on your gender and what you want to find out.
If you are a SHELDON surnamed male then you should definitely start with a YDNA test. The range of prices are from $23 to confirm descent from a specific SHELDON family line at YSEQ.org for $23 at Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) to a Big Y at FTDNA for $449 (sale as low as $379) which can tell you the specific SHELDON line, your closest matches. (The more Big Y tests we have been able to identify specific branches of SHELDONs.) In between those 2 options is where most people begin with a Y37 test at FTDNA for $119 (sale as low as $79) and joining the Sheldon DNA project. If you are a female and wish to confirm a Sheldon line you may test a Sheldon surnamed brother, father, uncle or male Sheldon surnamed cousin.
If you are a male or female with SHELDON ancestry and want to connect with matches to all parts if your family tree, I recommend starting with an ANCESTRY DNA test $99 (sale as low as $59) and transferring the results to FTDNA which is free. Then join the Sheldon DNA project. It will cost you a nominal $19 to unlock your matches at FTDNA. In case you are wondering why test at ANCESTRY first, it’s the largest database of testers at over 20 million, and its the easiest result to use. It lacks some tools, but by uploading to FTDNA you get advanced tools and easier connection with Sheldon DNA Project members.
If you haven’t taken a test yet please click on our affiliate links (coming soon) which will cost you the same as ordering directly and give us a small stipend which we use to maintain our research and website.
This depends on your gender and what you want to find out.
If you are a SHELDON surnamed male:
You should definitely start with a YDNA test. The range of prices are from $23 to confirm descent from a specific SHELDON family line at YSEQ.org for $23 at Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) to a Big Y at FTDNA for $449 (sale as low as $379) which can tell you the specific SHELDON line, your closest matches. (The more Big Y tests we have been able to identify specific branches of SHELDONs.) In between those 2 options is where most people begin with a Y37 test at FTDNA for $119 (sale as low as $79) and joining the Sheldon DNA project. If you are a female and wish to confirm a Sheldon line you may test a Sheldon surnamed brother, father, uncle or male Sheldon surnamed cousin.
If you are a male or female with SHELDON ancestry:
And want to connect with matches to all parts if your family tree, I recommend starting with an ANCESTRY DNA test $99 (sale as low as $59) and transferring the results to FTDNA which is free. Then join the Sheldon DNA project. It will cost you a nominal $19 to unlock your matches at FTDNA. In case you are wondering why test at ANCESTRY first, it’s the largest database of testers at over 20 million, and it’s the easiest result to use. It lacks some tools, but by uploading to FTDNA you get advanced tools and easier connection with Sheldon DNA Project members.
If you haven’t taken a test yet please click on our affiliate links (coming soon) which will cost you the same as ordering directly and give us a small stipend which we use to maintain our research and website.
