TECH TIPS

Use LostCousins to find unknown relatives

Nick Peers discovers how to cross-reference your ancestors with others to uncover new kin

LostCousins (lostcousins.com) dates back to the early days of the web. Founded in 2003, it pioneered the idea of using a website to connect people with shared ancestry to each other.

Its concept is simple. You just log your ancestors’ details as recorded on various census returns, then that is cross-referenced with the information entered by LostCousins’ 116,000-strong membership. If any matches are found, you’ll be alerted and given the opportunity to connect.

LostCousins originally started with just the 1881 England and Wales census, but has since expanded to now include additional censuses from England and Wales (1841 and 1911), Scotland (1881), Ireland (1911), the USA (1880) and Canada (1881), plus Newfoundland (1921).

The site is free to use – up to a point. When a match is confirmed, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid subscription (just £10 a year) to be able to initiate contact. You don’t have to subscribe if you’re happy to sit and wait for them to contact you.

In addition, anyone with a LostCousins account receives a regular free newsletter by email that alerts users to free periods, as well as discounts from other companies and great family history tips

Reader offer!

Sign up today and get full membership up to 31 August 2022 for free (new members only) using the special code WDYTYA.

1 Get Signed Up
Go to lostcousins.com and click the blue ‘Free to search and free to join!’ box. You need to provide your email address, name, country and how you heard about LostCousins. Select the newsletter you wish to receive, and enter the code WDYTYA to take advantage of our special reader offer before clicking ‘Register’..

2 Review Your Profile
You’ll be emailed a temporary password – use this to log into your account. Once done, click ‘Change password’ to access your profile page. Replace the temporary password with a strong one of your own choosing, then review and edit your profile further before clicking ‘Submit’.

3 Start Entering Data
With your first census to hand, navigate to the ‘My Ancestors’ page and click ‘Add new household’. Start by selecting which census you’re using from the dropdown menu (1881 is the best census to start with). You’ll see the reference number fields change depending on which one you’ve chosen.

4 Fill In Your First Ancestor
After entering the reference numbers as instructed by the site (additional help is available to identify these), input the details of your first ancestor in that household: surname, forename, middle names or initials, plus age. Finally, select your connection to the ancestor and click ‘Add’.

5 Add More Details
You’ll see your ancestor appear under ‘Current household’. Click their name to edit what you’ve entered, or add additional information such as maiden surname, exact birthdate and so on. This step is optional for your own use, and does not affect the matching system. Click ‘Save’ when done.

6 Add The Rest Of The Household
Now click the ‘+’ symbol next to your ancestor’s entry to add another member of the household. You can add non-family members too – just use the ‘Relationship/Connection’ dropdown to select their status, such as visitor or lodger. Continue adding the rest of the household.

7 Keep Adding More Relations
The more relations you enter, especially from the 1881 census, the more chance you have of finding matches with other users. When you’re ready, click ‘Search’ at the top of the page to see if LostCousins can match your information with anyone else’s.

8 Review Your Matches
If no matches are found, don’t worry – your details are now in the database for the future. If matches are found, you can review these under ‘My Cousins’. You will need to buy a subscription to contact a new cousin, unless you used the code WDYTYA when registering for a free upgrade until 31 August 2022.

9 Get In Touch
Click the ‘Make contact’ link to reach out to potential matches. Choose whether you’re happy to exchange email addresses or not, then click ‘Contact’. Initial contact is always made through the website, and you’ll be notified when they respond to you. All of your information remains private at all times.