• Only registered members can see all the forums - if you've received an invitation to join (it'll be on your My Summary page) please register NOW!

  • If you're looking for the LostCousins site please click the logo in the top left corner - these forums are for existing LostCousins members only.
  • This is the LostCousins Forum. If you were looking for the LostCousins website simply click the logo at the top left.
  • It's easier than ever before to check your entries from the 1881 Census - more details here

My Cousin's Ancestors

Sue_3

LostCousins Member
My cousin is my mother's brother's son. He isn't interested in researching his family history, but likes to hear what I have discovered. He was happy to do a DNA test, which I manage on his behalf. I've spent much of the past few months researching his maternal ancestry, which has always been something of a mystery. While exploring the ancestry of one of his DNA matches I unearthed some records that indicated where their connection with my cousin might be. After a few false starts, and once I set aside some long-held beliefs, I made a breakthrough. At long last I knew for certain who my cousin's grandfather's mother was. I went on to discover who his grandfather's father very probably was, although the evidence for that is a little less complete.

I want to put my cousin's maternal ancesters on to Lost Cousins, in case anyone else is researching them. There are living cousins that we can't find and there will almost certainly others that we don't know about. I could just add his ancestors to my account as 'related by marriage', but I have found that researchers can be more focussed on their direct lines or on DNA matches and less keen to collaborate with someone who isn't a blood relative. Faced with a list of people to contact, I would myself prioritise the ones that seemed most likely to shed light on the brickwalls in my own bloodline.

I have been wondering whether I should instead set up a Lost Cousins account for my cousin? I already have another account for my husband's family and don't know if I could have another with the same email address? If not, my cousin does have an email address that we use for his DNA, so that could be used instead? I wouldn't want all of his paternal ancestors on there as well, however, because they are the same as mine. Apart from the duplication of effort, we would be flagged up many times as each other's 'lost cousins' and of course we haven't lost each other at all! I don't know, though, if having an account with just his maternal ancestry would cause any other issues that I haven't thought of?

Does anyone have any experience of this situation, or have any advice as to how best to proceed?

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
Perhaps I'm overthinking this? It would be easiest for me to just add my cousin's maternal ancestors to my own Lost Cousins account. If there are any matches, I can contact them - as I have a paid account - and offer any additional information I feel may be relevant, especially if they appear to be a blood relative of my cousin. I think I'll just go ahead on that basis, rather than continuing to dither!
 
Back
Top