Genealogy Chat

Hi has anybody registered with the lost cousins website. I know it is free but is it safe and most importantly does the site help you to find lost cousins!? Thanks to any replies stephanie.

Steph, I put my info on Lost Cousins over a year ago and have yet to been contacted by anyone. I've better luck on this site than any other. Rose

Yes I registered ages ago and entered all my 1881 census' but have had no contacts. The latest message I received was to say that they will be charging a subscription later. Don't think I will bother. It is a bit like Hot Matches on here, as they do the Matching up. Regards Jane

Hi there Yes i have had three finds thro lost cousins . It is excellent.I have been in touch with people who I have exchanged lots of info with. IT IS NOT LIKE HOT MATCHES at all. You put on all the rellies you have listed on 1881 census including the piece ,folio and page no. They are then matched against others who have the same name on that particular page of the census. Therefore you get EXACT matches. The more people that register on the site the better it will become. As for payment, it is free and a registration fee to be introduced later will not be for this free service but for other extras. Quote GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION! 18th April 2005 You can't buy a subscription to LostCousins, but you can earn one! Just use your My Referrals page to tell three other people about LostCousins and you'll be awarded Subscriber Status until the end of June 2005 - what could be easier? Over the next three months we are introducing extra features and privileges for those members who have earnt Subscriber Status, and this is a great opportunity for YOU to try them out. Subscriptions - latest news 9th November 2005 We had hoped to start offering subscriptions from today, November 9th, but there will be a short delay of a few days. However other site updates are now 'live'. These include several new features on your My Details page: - Emergency Contact Email, an email address that we can use to contact you if emails we send to your main address are returned. It could be your address, or the address of someone you know well. - Account Inheritor Email, the email address of the person you'd like to take over your LostCousins account when the times comes. - Joint Subscription: you and your spouse can save money with a joint subscription (or, if you have been widowed, you can take out a joint subscription with a child or grandchild). Enter the other member's personal code (found on their My Summary page), and specify your relationship to them. Remember that there's a special offer for existing members who buy a subscription before the end of November. To benefit from this offer enter the code from our November Newsletter (please ask for a copy if you don't have one). Kat

I registered a few weeks ago and haven't had any matches, yet. The more people who add their ancestors the better it will be. You need to add as many of your ancestors as you can as, apparently, it is usually through blood relatives and not direct ancestors that you find matches. The idea is good as they use the 1881 census to match people up, so it will create exact matches. Go on, add yours!

Hi everyone thanks for all your replies when they ask fo a subscription can i turn it down and end my account? Loads of mixed feelings i am a bit unsure by i think i may have a go as long as it is safe and a secure site. Stephanie.

Again thanks to the few people who added comments of 6.00pm yesterday! Stephanie.

I am disappointed that LC has not yet extended the censuses to include anything other than 1881 - most of my rellies were either dead or not born in 1881 if you see what I mean. 1871 for instance would be far more helpful to me. I have not had any contacts but didnt really expect to, I know everything 'forward' - its BEFORE 1881 that my mysteries occur. Olde Crone

I hope everyone realises that Lost Cousins doesn't do all the work for you. Once you have listed all the relevant ancestors you have to press a button to start the matching process. If you have never pressed this button then you NEVER will be matched.

The reason they only have 1881 on there is that they can specify you take all the spellings and reference numbers exactly as given by the LDS transcribers, which makes their matching process very easy indeed. If they use any other census they will have to either specify one particular company's transcription be used or write some complicated matching routines! The only 'lost cousin' I have found on there so far was one I had already contacted on GR. I volunteered my services as a 'buddy' for them (lost cousins) and only ever got one request for help and that was sent to everybody, I think. Kate.

Horatia, Yes, I've been pressing the little blue button relentlessly, but still no matches. Haven't given up though! They do say that the more relatives you can add, the better the chances of finding a match. I also found it interesting to see exactly who I had and where they were for that census. They group the names by piece number so you can see very clearly. It also lists what certificates you say you have for each realtive, which gave me an idea or two. I hope enough people add their data, cos I think it could be really good.

I was contacted the very first day i entered my details , the persons great grandfather and mine were brothers, and the name was SMITH, so to my mind its great!! Mo