Updated 17 March 2021

Use the menu bar to the side of the project Landing page (the Activity Feed) to navigate to any page of the project website.  To post to the forum ("Activity Feed"), make sure you are signed in as a member.

Updated 18 April 2014

Use the menu bar (including the drop-down menus) across the top of the project page to navigate to any page of the project website.

Surname DNA testing is the the best "add-on" tool available to genealogists!  The many advantages include:-

• Surname tests (Y-DNA) enable genealogists to verify their father's father's...father's paternal ancestry.  (The molecular (aka genetic) ancestry overrides the surname ancestry).
  
• Molecular ancestry information can be very powerful when combined with traditional paper trails and can uncover family secrets!

This project is keen for people from the United Kingdom, all the countries of Western Europe (which have strong numbers of RIDELs and similar spellings), Northern and Eastern Europe, the United States of America, Canada, the Caribbean, South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa (and anywhere else I have missed when I considered the countries in which the surname exists...) to please join it.


Like all surname projects, this one is intent upon proving connections using DNA.  But it is NOT just surname ancestry.  It is molecular (or as some prefer it, genetic) ancestry.

The best articles I have found to date for understanding just what 'DNA' is and how the results of testing can help you with your genealogy.

http://dna-explained.com/2012/08/19/autosomal-results-the-basics/

http://stevemorse.org/genetealogy/dna.htm

http://stevemorse.org/genetealogy/beyond.htm

Here is a hint for you if you have tested FF.

Once you (or anyone) joins a project, you can go to your FTDNA Home Page and scroll down to see and select  "Advanced Matches" . Check FF and select whether you want to see your matches in either the full data base, or just in the specific projects that you have joined, then press Run Report.

Because it is a pain switching from one window to another, I have three different browsers, so that I can get the same person’s Home page to show different reports for the same tester all at the same time.  Either that, or slide each tab away so that it is independent of the others.

If you are reading this, then it is assumed you are hunting for details about your ancestors and extending your knowledge about your particular line.

DNA testing will certainly aid you in a number of ways but you must still have a paper trail if you want to name that ancestor when you find you have a match! 
DNA testing will also inform you whether your paper trail is correct.  (My favourite 'hobby-horse' is to tell you not to rely on the work of someone else UNLESS they have supplied you with references to enable you to check these for yourself).

Take for example, that wonderful book by G.T. Ridlon 'The history of the ancient Ryedales...'  Every Riddle or Riddell searcher needs to have a copy of this in their library.  But it has some incorrect conclusions printed within it.  Therefore, please use it merely as a hand-drawn road map and not as a 'bible'.  It is accurate in parts and fatally wrong in other parts.  (But what a splendid work - put together under most difficult circumstances).

It is available for reading on-line or downloading a .pdf file at www.archive.org

Another book worthy of having in your library is 'Border Memories' by Walter Riddell Carre.  
But again, take care with the so-called facts presented within it.  
It too is available at the above web address.

Please upload your gedcom to your FTDNA Home Page and check that you have stated your most distant known ancestors.

Finally, give a thought to all the women who have no males able to test.  
They are therefore forced to rely on 'Family Finder'.  
And if you are male, you will be "missing out" on finding the surviving members of your family if you ignore testing your atDNA via Family Finder.  
So too will those females be missing out.


Gail Riddell                                        James Riddell
Voluntary Admin                                Voluntary co-admin
gailriddelldna@gmail.com                        podell98@yahoo.com

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