DNA Identifies Missing Great-Grandparents | Leeds Method Tutorial

What happens when you combine the Leeds Method with DNA clustering? A 150-year-old mystery unravels—what we thought we knew about William Emmitt Hunter turns out to be a fabrication. He was actually Joseph Ernest Beddingfield, a man who took on an alias and even went by another name, Ernest Gay, when he married his third wife—without divorcing his second. This case study shows how the Leeds Method helped identify his biological parents and uncover a fascinating family story.

Are you stuck on a mystery farther back than your parents or grandparents? The Leeds Method isn’t just for close relatives—it’s a powerful tool for identifying unknown biological great-grandparents and breaking through brick walls in your family tree.

📚 In this tutorial, you'll learn:
✅ A quick refresh of the Leeds Method basics for sorting DNA matches
✅ A detailed explanation of how to find the correct cluster to answer your research question
✅ My 5 proven "next steps" for turning mystery clusters into identified ancestors
✅ Why Y-DNA testing wasn't applicable in this son-to-father case study

🎯 The 5 Next Steps We'll Cover:
1. Identify recurring surnames in your cluster
2. Diagram your clusters effectively
3. Look for Most Recent Common Ancestors (MRCA) & build your hypothesis
4. Verify DNA amounts match expected relationships
5. Connect everything with traditional genealogy research

💡DISCOVER THE REST OF THE STORY!
Legacy Family Tree Webinars Affiliate Link to "One Man, Multiple Names: A DNA-Based Case Study." Must have a subscription or free trial.
LINK: https://familytreewebinars.com/speake...

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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Only DNA Could Solve This Mystery
0:12 Our Research Goal: Finding Unknown Great-Grandparents
0:43 The Leeds Method Explained Simply
1:32 Sharon's Leeds Method Example
3:18 Identifying the Appropriate Mystery Cluster
5:11The 5 Next Steps After Cluster Creation: An Overview
5:54 Identifying Repeating Surnames: Focused on the Top 3 Matches
10:04 Diagramming Clusters
10:52 Identifying MRCA & Creating a Hypothesis
11:29 Verifying DNA Amounts with the Shared cM Project (www.dnapainter.com)
13:44 Expanding the Family Tree
15:13 Research Traditional Records (See Legacy Link Below)
15:44 Why Y-DNA Wasn't Used
16:15 Where to See the Rest of the Story

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💡 HELPFUL VIDEO LINKS:
🧬 How to Do the Leeds Method with Your DNA Matches: A Step-by-Step Tutorial:    • How to Do the Leeds Method with Your DNA M...  
🧬 First Cousins & the Leeds Method: When Clusters Merge (& How to Fix Them):    • First Cousins & The Leeds Method: When Clu...  
🧬 DNA Clusters to Family Connections: Leeds Method Next Step Guide:    • Analyze Your Leeds Method Clusters: Find H...  

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