Why I Recommend LostCousins.com

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LostCousins.com is probably the only web site that identifies (with virtually 100% accuracy) people who share the same ancestors. You do not waste time corresponding with people who are not related to you! I have found several new relatives here; and the free email newsletter has lots of useful tips.

To use LostCousins you need to find your relatives in the census for England and Wales 1841, 1881 or 1911; Scotland 1881; Ireland 1911; United States 1880 & 1940; Canada 1881; or Newfoundland 1921 (and access to seven of those censuses is free). Then at LostCousins, enter the census source/page details for those names. Before gathering and entering data, read the instructions carefully, because requirements for each census are different. If you prepare well, entering the data is a lot quicker. From the LostCousins home page, go to 'Census links' and 'Information - Read this first'.

Be sure to enter data for brothers and sisters of your direct ancestors, because it is their descendants who are the 'cousins' you want to contact.

After entering some relatives, click 'Search', and the system checks whether someone else has entered identical data. Remember to log in periodically, go to your 'My Ancestors' page and repeat the search.

It is FREE to join LostCousins and enter your data, but I choose to pay a small annual subscription (about $10) so that there are no restrictions on contacting my distant cousins when they are identified by the extremely accurate matching system.

The more people who enter census data for direct ancestors and their siblings, the greater the chances of finding our 'lost cousins'. Maybe you are my distant relative! I want to find you - so please... start adding your ancestors and other relatives to LostCousins!

(This post first appeared on https://uk-australia.blogspot.com/2020/01/why-i-recommend-lostcousinscom.html.)