Since 2016, I have been using Ancestry.com to trace my family tree. It’s been a fascinating journey and one that has thrown up some unexpected surprises.

Through Ancestry.com I discovered a whole load of aristocratic relatives on my mother’s side of the family that I never knew existed. And on my father’s side, I had no idea that his grandfather was a coal miner.

In 2018, I got to meet the American descendants of my great grandmother’s sister. She emigrated from county Tyrone in Ireland to Connecticut and never returned. Her descendants came to London to see the musical Hamilton and we met up! Amazing to be able to make such a connection.

Going vertical or horizontal on Ancestry.com

Many people want to go as far back as possible with their family tree but I tend to go horizontal. I prefer the detailed stories about people that records from the last two centuries are able to expose. But I know many of you want to know who your ancestors were in the Middle Ages or even earlier.

So – tell me what you think of services like Ancestry.com and whether they have given you a whole new perspective on your family. I’m also keen to know how you have used DNA tests and whether they have helped your efforts. Personally, I have been able to make some connections – but it’s difficult.

So – here is my personal video appeal to all of you using Ancestry.com and other family tree services – as well as DNA tests. Oh – and anybody who can help me use GEDmatch gets a free copy of my Knight Templar novel Quest for the True Cross.