DNA matches

[HarrysMum]

I have had my DNA on Ancestry for ages.
I have over 20,000 matches, but a lot are less than 1% shared.

However my closest match is only 418. I am related to this person I know as our grandmothers were sisters. Is this just luck with not enough people tested? Or is there something else I should be looking at? This question may be dumb…..,..I’m just clutching at straws.

I did put my results of Gedmatch as well. Not sure how to use that though and haven’t put it one anywhere else.

[kiterunner]

You could download your DNA data from Ancestry and upload it to FamilyTreeDNA and Living DNA, but there aren't very many people in either of those databases so you are unlikely to find many close matches there. It used to be possible to upload to MyHeritage, but I have heard that they don't accept uploads from other sites any more, only tests bought from them.

There is usually a flurry of new matches (on Ancestry) a few weeks after Christmas.

[HarrysMum]

Thanks. I’ll look at those sites.

[Glen TK]

A lot of it is down to luck, I have five siblings in my tree born 1845-1855 period, four remained in the UK but I only have 2 matches from them (the highest just 30cM), whereas the one who went to the USA links me to over 30 matches with the largest at over 150cM.

[marquette]

I agree with Glen - its just luck. I have over 30 cousins, on my Dads paternal side who are 3rd cousins or closer, descendants of my great-great grandparents, but only 5 on his maternal side. There could be more, I guess, in those really small cMs, but no trees to go with them to make a start!