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Transcribers.

p.risboy

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#1
I have just come across a transcription of my home town, whilst searching the 1851 census.
I was looking for Risborough and I saw an entry spelt, Ruisbeoory.

I looked for myself and I could not believe that such a mistake could have been made. Even with my dodgy eyesight, I could see the original entry was nothing like what was transcribed. I took my glasses off, and I still could read it correctly.
Were these people on drugs or something.:D :eek: :(
I hope I don't come across anything worse, or I will have no chance.

Now I know why it can take 20yrs to knock down a brickwall.:'(

Julie found a weird one for me the other week, must be the same transcriber.:D

Again, another lesson I have learnt.

Whats your worst. ?

Steve.
 

benny1982

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#3
Hi

My gggran Gertrude Wallaker was mistranscribed as Jarichnaede Wallaker in the 1871 census.

My 4xgreat grandfather William Stewart was mistranscribed as William Werrart in 1861.

Ben
 

p.risboy

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#4
Hi Steven,

that could be what happened on your 1851 census on ives, if you have looked at what i copied.

As I said Joyce, my eyes aren't that brilliant, so that's why I asked. I have been looking for him for a while. Now I know why he didn't pop up on any searches.
I bought the 1851 census for Buckinghamshire, hoping that I would find him. I knew that he was alive at his sons wedding in 1847, so I gambled and looks like it payed off.
Mind you, I gave my eyes a bashing trawling through all those entries.

Still can't find his wife though.

The address entry in 1851 appears to be a pub, as Bennion is a publican.

Thanks, Steve.:)
 

p.risboy

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#6
I have found and confirmed another error and thanks to joyceawood17for helping me.

Looking for James Ives and came up with James Joss.

Although on the following census page, his son John Ives was not treated in the same manner, thank goodness.

I urge everyone, who finds a glaring mistake to notify whoever, to rectify them.
I have done so on Ancestry.

Then those that follow will not go through the same aggravations.

Again thanks, to all for your help and hope it continues. And together we will blast those brickwalls.

Steve.:)
 

benny1982

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#7
HI

For ages I tried finding my ancestors Jesse Titshall and Thirza Snell in Suffolk and Oxfordshire. I searched and searched to no avail. Jesse was 19 in 1871 born in Bredfield. Thirza was 17 born Marsh Baldon. It turns out Jesse was mistranscribed as Jessie Litshall, born Breadfield, aged 22. 2 spelling mistakes and an age contravene.

I found Thirza as Sarah E Savell, born Marsh Baldon, aged 17, in Abingdon, Berkshire in 1871 working as a servant. I checked and there were no other candidates so it had to be Thirza, they maybe mistook her firstname for Sarah.

Ben
 

JMR

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#8
I've had a couple of problems with my Gaunt family being transcribed as Gann or Ganns, however when I looked at the original document each time, I could understand why the mistake was made.

Looking for my Gt Gt Grandfather Charles Henry Holdsworth on the 1991 census though was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. One day when I was searching for a completely different family line, the person popped up on the same page as Charles Henry Doldwortt, lodging with his 2 young sons in someone else's house. When I checked that transcript, Holdsworth was written as plain as day and the problem was just very poor inaccurate transcribing. Hey though! none of us is perfect and we are so lucky to have access to the data we do!

Jill
 

leefer

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#9
Good shout Jill,ware all very lucky we have so many places we can look now.
It is frustrating when your close to finding out what you want and especially on the census records one letter or initial can throw you...but thats part of the fun of looking.
 

p.risboy

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#10
I've had a couple of problems with my Gaunt family being transcribed as Gann or Ganns, however when I looked at the original document each time, I could understand why the mistake was made.

Looking for my Gt Gt Grandfather Charles Henry Holdsworth on the 1991 census though was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. One day when I was searching for a completely different family line, the person popped up on the same page as Charles Henry Doldwortt, lodging with his 2 young sons in someone else's house. When I checked that transcript, Holdsworth was written as plain as day and the problem was just very poor inaccurate transcribing. Hey though! none of us is perfect and we are so lucky to have access to the data we do!

Jill
Hi Jill,

It is 'our' data, we and our ancestors have paid for it, and still are. And like everything else, it seems, is 'sold off' so we can buy it back.:mad:

I do hope transcribers today take more care, pleeeeeaaaasse.:)

And yes, I am perfect, except for being impatient, stubborn, ungrateful, disingenuous, tall, ugly, having stubble, big feet, big mouth and..........................!! Oh well, perhaps you are right.:biggrin:

Steve.:)
 

JMR

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#11
Hi Jill,


Hi Steve,

It's not that I don't see your point, because I do and I get frustrated too sometimes. I wouldn't even be able to research my family history from Australia if so many volunteers hadn't selflessly given up their time to transcribe the records. It's my understanding that especially in the early days this was done by unpaid workers.

I suppose you still can get your information free if you want to take a train in the wet and freezing cold and get to the records office, queue, read microfiche, decipher old handwriting, photocopy records and pay a fee for that, then go to another records office, fill in forms and pay postage for certificates to be forwarded etc etc.

Being the lazy type I am, I can just get it all on line. The generosity of people on-line is amazing. I've only bought 1 certificate, all the rest have been emailed to me. Photos have been emailed to me from all over the world. I have an excel spread-sheet full of 3rd cousins as pen pals, Grand Aunts who make me write real letters to them (that was a stretch at first). It pretty much only costs me a basic Ancestry subscription each year. I'm so grateful to sites like this one and the generous types this hobby attracts, you know, perfect people like you Steve!!!!

Even though I agree the 1911 census is pricy, it's still been value for money and I've only spent 50 pounds for all the information I need for now.

From a very grateful,
Jill :biggrin:
 

p.risboy

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#12
Hi Jill,


Hi Steve,

It's not that I don't see your point, because I do and I get frustrated too sometimes. I wouldn't even be able to research my family history from Australia if so many volunteers hadn't selflessly given up their time to transcribe the records. It's my understanding that especially in the early days this was done by unpaid workers.

I suppose you still can get your information free if you want to take a train in the wet and freezing cold and get to the records office, queue, read microfiche, decipher old handwriting, photocopy records and pay a fee for that, then go to another records office, fill in forms and pay postage for certificates to be forwarded etc etc.

Being the lazy type I am, I can just get it all on line. The generosity of people on-line is amazing. I've only bought 1 certificate, all the rest have been emailed to me. Photos have been emailed to me from all over the world. I have an excel spread-sheet full of 3rd cousins as pen pals, Grand Aunts who make me write real letters to them (that was a stretch at first). It pretty much only costs me a basic Ancestry subscription each year. I'm so grateful to sites like this one and the generous types this hobby attracts, you know, perfect people like you Steve!!!!

Even though I agree the 1911 census is pricy, it's still been value for money and I've only spent 50 pounds for all the information I need for now.

From a very grateful,
Jill :biggrin:

Yes Jill, I agree, I'm being a little git. >:D Where on earth would we be now without internet. That alone has been an absolute godsend.:)
I am fortunate that the vast majority, of my 'family' lived/worked/died in the same area.
Even up to the point when I left my home town, my X5 grandfather lived 5 miles away. And his son's/grandsons etc. closer still.
But until I found that one tiny mistranscription, could not get back further than 1825. Having found that link, within 2 days I have got back to almost 1540. I will say not by my own research, but that of a 'cousin', who has been doing this 25yrs longer than I.
His Ives family and mine, were about 2miles apart. But he still could not link us until last week, when we(this site) found it between us.

On a more personal basis, my wife who was adopted, could not find her adoption records.
Her birth mother was Scott, but someone 40 odd years ago had typed Scorr.:mad:
My wife had given up after 14yrs, so i put a post on genesreunited, and within 3 months she had all her records in her excited sticky little fingers.:)
But there is no realistic chance of tracing her birth family, unless they are of the same mind. I really don't think her half brothers are aware of her existence.
But she is content with what she has, and if a miracle happens. PARTY TIME.:2fun: :2fun:

Steve.:)
 

marie44

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#13
I have found and confirmed another error and thanks to joyceawood17for helping me.

Looking for James Ives and came up with James Joss.

Although on the following census page, his son John Ives was not treated in the same manner, thank goodness.

I urge everyone, who finds a glaring mistake to notify whoever, to rectify them.
I have done so on Ancestry.

Then those that follow will not go through the same aggravations.

Again thanks, to all for your help and hope it continues. And together we will blast those brickwalls.

Steve.:)
do you seriously think Ancestry changed it? not a chance. the had my ggrandmothers name spelled wrong and i told them and they havent changed it yet and that was 20 years ago.
marie44:mad:
 

p.risboy

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#14
do you seriously think Ancestry changed it? not a chance. the had my ggrandmothers name spelled wrong and i told them and they havent changed it yet and that was 20 years ago.
marie44:mad:

Yep Marie, They changed it within 2 days, I have checked. Perhaps they need to be reminded again. Technology has moved on for all of us, so give them another reminder, it is so easy to do.
Clicked a few buttons and it was sorted.

BUT, mine was an 'obvious' error.:eek:

Try it Marie, and you might get a surprise. Who knows.:)

Steve.:)
 

leefer

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#15
I've had a couple of problems with my Gaunt family being transcribed as Gann or Ganns, however when I looked at the original document each time, I could understand why the mistake was made.

Looking for my Gt Gt Grandfather Charles Henry Holdsworth on the 1991 census though was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. One day when I was searching for a completely different family line, the person popped up on the same page as Charles Henry Doldwortt, lodging with his 2 young sons in someone else's house. When I checked that transcript, Holdsworth was written as plain as day and the problem was just very poor inaccurate transcribing. Hey though! none of us is perfect and we are so lucky to have access to the data we do!

Jill
The 1991 census Jill!....Charles must be getting on abit.
 

JMR

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#16
The 1991 census Jill!....Charles must be getting on abit.
:biggrin: :2fun:

You know leefer if he had still been alive then, between us my cousins and I would have just asked him family history questions 24/7. He would have held all the answers to our Holdsworth "brick wall"! :eek: As all his descendants, except my dad were girls, he'd have wished he was dead anyway! >:D :2fun:

I did indeed mean,:rolleyes: 1891.
 

JMR

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#17
Hi Steve,

That's good news for you wife! It's a great step in the right direction. You never know where the break through will come and I've found that it always does come - at some stage! :D

The FH community is so widespread, just post her story everywhere you can think of and I bet someone will know someone who....

A "content wife"! How lucky are you? :)

Cheers,
Jill
 

p.risboy

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#18
Hi Steve,

That's good news for you wife! It's a great step in the right direction. You never know where the break through will come and I've found that it always does come - at some stage! :D

The FH community is so widespread, just post her story everywhere you can think of and I bet someone will know someone who....

A "content wife"! How lucky are you? :)

Cheers,
Jill
OOOOHHHHH NOOOOOO Jill,

Only content with her adoption info.:biggrin: :biggrin:
She really wants to change the world, but only for the better.:kissu:

"Contentment breeds complacency". A thought from confucious Steve.:) :)
 
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