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Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

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Tip of the day...View the original

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Mary

Mary Report 2 Nov 2009 09:40

I second that,I have looked for the name Kidd on one census he was Kind and another Pead.My mum on 1911 census was Jasap should have been Jessop.
It took me ages and used lots of credits even though i knew where she was.
Check and check again.

Maryb

Kense

Kense Report 2 Nov 2009 09:00

When you do find discrepancies then please request a correction to the transcription in order to help others.

Jilliflower

Jilliflower Report 2 Nov 2009 08:43

Good morning uncle Jonesey,
How right you always are!
I just wish I had had this brilliant tip BEFORE I made assumptions in the past. But I don't do it any more and try to do what you have advised. If I can't do it there is often some amazingly clever person (like you) who will look at it for me.
Thanks again
love
Jill

GlitterBaby

GlitterBaby Report 2 Nov 2009 08:38

Jonesey another good tip.

On one thread a member was confused with the surname of FORE but when viewing the image it was actually FOX..

Jonesey

Jonesey Report 2 Nov 2009 08:30

Proverb:

There is many a slip twixt cup and lip.

It certainly applies when it comes to the transcription of old original records. Because of this try to view the original document whenever possible. This can save you a great deal of frustration. When errors have been made it could make you discount records which are the one that you are looking for just as easily as it can make you believe that the one you have found is the correct one.

Typical of ones that I have recently encountered is someone who had been searching for “Years” without success for an ancestor named Buckley. Within a few minutes they were found on a census record transcribed as Burkley. A single letter mistranscribed, a simple mistake but one which caused a considerable delay.

Other errors can be made such as when a child appears on an original census record with “Ditto” as their surname. The transcriber often assumes that the “Ditto” indicates the same surname as the head of the household. This is not always the case and inspection of the original may well reveal that they are the child of another person who just happened to be spending census night at the address.

Errors can occur in any type of record that has been transcribed, census, birth, marriage, death, military, passenger lists ect so wherever it is possible take a look at the original if only to confirm your find.

Good luck with your research.