Genealogy Chat

Susie - stare at it for a long time !! You'll get there in the end. Watch out for the capital letters - they can be a nightmare. The J's look like L's, the S's look like J's, the T's look like F's and you can't tell the P's, D's, B's and R's apart at all ! My first enumerator likes to draw big swirly things at random intervals too - I kept thinking they were y's or g's. I drew the ones I could work out on a bit of paper for reference. The one that looked like Lames Redgate clearly had to be James and Jamuel Faylor....well you get the picture ! Then of course the enumerator changes and you have to get used to someone else's writing all over again. Rick.

Hi Karen, I think it's just a big conspiracy to make life harder for me !! Seriously though, the biggest problem is the quality of the fiche copy - you can tell where the original page is "bent" - so the edges are much fainter than the middle. The quality does improve later on. As Susie points out, depending on the enumerator the writing can be hard enough to read anyway but I think that's something you get used to. Add in a few Bolton, Surreys and weird occupations for a bit of additional fun and it can be very confusing. Perhaps I should try transcibing by gaslight :-) Rick.

ive just started to browse through my disc,but i cant read a single word of the writing!!! wat do i do now..lol i can make out some of the names and areas but some of it is illegible please can one of you advice a very frustrated transcriber:( susie

Hi Karen, The Bolton in Surrey one was actually written out longhand below a Bolton in Lancashire entry. Don't know where Surrey came from as I'm doing Devon !!! Rick.

Just did page 2 in about half the time with one eye on all the message boards too. Nice if you can actually read what you're supposed to be transcribing. Anyone ever heard of Wigham in Lancashire or Bolton in Surrey ? Wondered if the enumerator had had a few ? Rick.

Karen, Many thanks. I had just found the manual and was about to look up what to do. I'll do some more transcribing tomorrow but it is fine again and I must do some more gardening. Rosemary(Essex)

Hi All, I have just sent off my first 5 pages to Terry. Fingers crossed that there will not be too many errors on my part. Not sure if I am using the same Excel as the census blank that I downloaded. This may or maynot make a difference?? Time flies by when transcribing. Everyone is now tucked up in bed and it is just me, Thomas and Ashe burning the night oil. Goodnight Don't let the bed bugs bite Kathy

Well done Rick! I made it very slowly through the first family, thought I had better save what I had done so far, but, before I could click file that wretched feline office assistant appeared. I dragged it to the top of the page and with it all I had done. Everything disappeared into the wide blue yonder. I'm afraid I gave up at that point and made a cup of tea. At the moment its fine here so I feel I must do something to improve the state of the garden so I will not be transcribing unless it rains. Perhaps my second attempt will be more successful. Rosemary(Essex)

Well I made it through the first page ! Not telling how long it took me though - it looks more like a pools coupon with all the x's on it :-) Rick.

Kathy, Many villages, even today, have cottage names, and then the village name as the address. It must be a nightmare for new postmen! Rosemary(Essex)

Rick, Don't feel too bad. I am also having problems with the handwriting. As a consequence I too am inserting quite a few x's! But, I think it is best not to assume and remember our work will be checked twice. I am transcribing Ashprington. On my first page it starts off with what maybe Ashprington Village. I have just transcribed Ashprington and inserted an X. All the households follow on with no mention of a Street or lane!! Good luck Kathy

Rick I would put what you can see not what you presune to be right and put your X in the appropriate cell this allerts the checker there is a problem, don't let it put you off. Ann doing 1861 for Darlington

Hi Karen, I'm far too stubborn to give up that easily ! I just need some advice on what to leave blank and where it's safe to make assumptions. For example, I'm pretty sure all the houses are in the same street on the first page. Should I go with what I think is true or should I only write what I can see 100% is the question ? Just think - if I make it to page 51 then I should be able to do it with my eyes shut ! Rick.

Glad you're up & running Rosemary. It's a bit of a come-down to have the first 50 pages with so many problems in them. Perhaps I should do it all backwards, but I expect that would confuse the 'puters no end ! Rick.

Jo and Rick, Success at last thanks to your help. I thought the Devon website was most helpful. I'm pleased to say my first page is relatively legible. I have Maiden Bradley Wiltshire. I will make a proper start tomorrow. Rosemary(Essex)

Some questions for you experts: I can just about read the last address on my first page - schedule 299, 7 Brandreth Terra. There are six families in two houses before this, but only one of the schedule numbers is readable, neither of the house numbers are and I can't really read the street name. Should I infer the schedule numbers are 293 to 298 ? The "shape" of the streetname is about right to be Brandreth Terra - shall I put this or leave it blank ? Can I assume the house numbers are 5 and 6 or do I leave them blank ? Rick.

Thanks Jo - I needed that ;-) Rick.

Keep your chin up Rick, you can only write what you see.....If you cant see you cant put it! I think the best thing would be to write any letters at all you can see, even is its just one. Then put a cross and when you send it in say how bad the image was. Good luck, Jo

I've fallen at the first hurdle :-( Cant read the registration district or enumeration district number due to a big black splodge. The schedule & street number/name columns are so feint on the first 50 pages that I can hardly read them at all. Page 1 is a nightmare too - my 5 test pages are going to have lots of x's on them. Someone say something encouraging ! Rick.

Jo and Rick, Many thanks. I'll have another go now I've had a night's sleep. Perhaps this time it will work. Rosemary(Essex)