Quote Originally Posted by Evestay53 View Post
I have some questions about DNA testing. I am thinking about getting tested, but which level of test do I need? I have decided when I test to use FamilyTree DNA because they have surname projects. I have my ancestry traced back to when we came over to America. But we do not know which ship we came over on. The courthouse and all of its records burned and our record tracing stops cold. We know that we are from Peebleshire and Roxbourghshire. Will DNA testing be able to provide the link or area so we can pick up the paper trail? Does anyone have any ideas?
No.

Or at least, it is phenomenally highly unlikely. It is POSSIBLE that you could have some incredibly unique polymorphism which might be shared by a relative who because of the family bible, or something, actually has paper records dating back to the 1700's. It is POSSIBLE that this distant relative also went and got DNA tested which revealed this same polymorphism, and decided to make their genomic data publically searchable.

I would just strongly suggest that the huge combination of unlikely factors added together means for all practical purposes "no" is the right answer.