Ancestry to remove DNA matches under 8cM

VirginiaB

Someone on the Ancestry DNA Message Boards reports that Ancestry will soon remove shared matches of 6cM and 7cM. They gave a link to this article with further info and how you can save such matches if desired. This is supposed to be happening soon. Here's the link to the article--

https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/jul20news.htm#gsc.tab=0

pinkypinky

Yes, I read that. I think it'll clear out a lot of false matches.

If you save them into groups or have messaged the person, they'll stay put.

VirginiaB

It will indeed clear out a lot of unlikely matches. But it will also clear out small clues that can lead to something important. And while we can save those we already know are significant, once the unknown matches are gone, they are gone.

pinkypinky

I think Ancestry has even done this before.

With the paucity of records in the 19th century, most Irish people would never even be able to confirm all the people in the "close" range of up to 4th cousins.

Waitsian

I'd read that on the website alright. I just went through my starred matches with 11 cm and under and tbh I've only organised a handful into groups to save them. The rest aren't much edition.

VirginiaB

I regret I have to disagree about the value of 6cM and 7cM matches. Yes, many--most?--are not helpful. But some are and can provide valuable genealogical clues. I went thru my ThruLines on Ancestry last night. I have a number of those low cM matches whose relationship to me I have documented thru records. I do have notes on all of them so hope they will remain.

Just as one example-- I contacted a 6cM match thru Ancestry some years ago. I had figured out that our great-great grandmothers were sisters. The match had a document an ancestor had written of an interview with my gt gt grandmother's sister. She told how she had left Ireland in the 1850s because her father (my 3X gt grandfather) wouldn't let her marry the boy she loved because 'he didn't have a farm'. She went on to describe her running away, her voyage to America, arrival in NYC, getting a job as a servant, and sending a ticket to her sister, my own gt gt grandmother--and then one to the boy without a farm, whom she married. There is much more to the interview and much, much more that I was able to discover thru research with info provided by this 6cM cousin. Incidentally, I have never seen an immigration story from the Famine generation in my family.

On Ancestry, I have 239 fourth cousins or closer. I have been able to figure out the relation with almost all of them and have put it in the Notes section. Of my sixteen great-great grandparents, fourteen were from Ireland. I didn't even know the county for a single one of them. But with research--long and hard, yes--I have found the origin of all but two and I have a pretty good idea for one of those tho no proof yet.

I have also identified many fifth to eighth cousin matches and had good luck with info from some of them too.

In sum, those low cM matches are very useful and it's a shame they are going away. A research door will be closed.

BottleOfSmoke

It might be useful to have an idea of how many matches we'll lose. This article uses 24 kits to calculate the number of matches below 8 cM. The average came in at 56%, but it gives a breakdown per kit so you can see the variation:
https://www.dataminingdna.com/impact-of-ancestry-removing-your-dna-matches-in-2020/

VirginiaB

Thanks for that, BottleOfSmoke. The included video link was very helpful too.

Mollymoo19

I agree with VirginiaB, yes it will clear out a lot of dross, but we will also lose the helpful hints. Guess, what you don't know about, you won't miss. I've saved a few small matches I'm working with currently.