Why make corrections to census

[ptjw7]

Hi
Just had a reply from 'Fin....past' about a correction I had sent them about one of my rellies and they say
'Our process in dealing with errors is to look at our transcription alongside the original census image. If the transcription matches what the enumerator wrote on the census, then we will not amend it as we aim to provide you with an exact copy of the original census page.'

This is the second miss reading of the census record the first time it was transcribed as "Halton" this time (albeit another company) as "Walter".
I know it is wrong as the family lived in the same house for 50 years.
It may be a policy to give what the enumerator wrote but a mistake is still a mistake, so just who is right.

Perhaps that is why some of the relations are just never found on a census.

Anyway thats the last fault I'll report.

Rg09 232/11/17 down the bottom

peter

 

[p.risboy]

Hi Peter,

That's why I moved my custom elsewhere, from FMP. Most times the 'other' site will put corrections/alternatives, alongside the original.

Don't stop the doing the corrections/errors etc. as some will be valuable for others. I know it feels like you're doing their work for them, but try and remember those that follow you.

Whilst looking through the various census for my home town, I have submitted 100's of corrections as I know the area and most of the 'families' that have lived there, even though they are not related to me.

Steve.

 

[ptjw7]

Thinking more on this I dont get their philosophy in that the whole point to the census on line is to find people. If a mistaken entry can be corrected then it becomes useful.
I found my mislogged entries because for 50 years they didnt move.
The ones who moved endlessly I could newver find.
I just cannot get my head around the method of putting what apparently the enumerator put is pointless in the extreme.

peetr

 

[nainmaddie]

Hi peetr

How easy is it to make a mistake !! Look at your last message. I know you probably meant Peter, but that is not what is written.

I agree that it is irritating when a census is written incorrectly by the enumerator, but that is history. FMP have the rule that it is correctly taken from the census as is written, which in some people's minds is what it should be. How are they to know that you are correct ? Just because you know you are, as they are your family, or that you hope they are, should they always change it.

We all belong to different sites such as An....y, Ge.......st, or F>> and they all have their differences. I can sometimes access mine which is 2nd one and I cannot find what I am looking for whereas Davelambert can find them on his which is different site.

It would be nice if we could all belong to a variety but money comes into it !!
I agree that it is irritating, but you join a site agreeing to their rules.

I am only trying to put it into context as opposed to disagreeing with you. As you can see it is easy to make a mistake !!!!

Maddie

 

[ianto73]

Maddie you have made a good observation. I would add this as an example,:-

On my maternal family tree, my great grandmother's name is given as Abell, but this can also appear as Able on census returns, who is right is beyond me and I'm sure many of us pronounce things differently - my cousin (Manchester born and bred) and I (Rhondda born and bred) say "Maria" totally differently, and education standards when these documents were created was not as good as it is now.