Hello To All RootsChat Members,
How is this for Incorrect Transcription Errors?We recently took out a months subscription with
‘FindMyPast’ to ‘Passenger Lists Leaving UK’ . With in the first couple of days we came across incorrect ages on the Transcription Pages.
It was while checking the Transcription Pages against the original Shipping Record, we found that the female Passenger we were checking out, her age had been swapped with the person (a male) listed above, she was transcribed incorrectly as 16yrs, when she was actually 32yrs.
The next entry we came across listed this certain person as having
an age of well over 900 years (can not remember exactly), however I do recall giving them a comment to the fact that: “According to the Bible, Methuselah lived 969 years, this one seems to have lasted longer”. I also mentioned to them that: “On the original record it appeared to be [-7], it was hard to read but could be a [27] not sure”.‘FindMyPast’ -
do have the facility for reporting any errors that anyone may come across. The errors were also rectified within a matter of 2 or 3 days. By the way they also credit your account with 3 credits (for each report) for taking the trouble to report the transcription amendment.**********
Also recently on
Ancestry.com, we decided to check out an address on the
1891 UK Census. Where it is known that a person we are researching had been employed by the
'PYSER’ family, the surname came up as
‘TYSER’.
We then went to the
1901 UK Census, this time they were listed as
‘PYSER’. We checked the original Census records and could definitely see the letter as a
[P]. The other documents we viewed, which listed
‘PYSER’, were Birth and Marriage Certificates.
I guess one must always try to view the original document, and not take all that we see transcribed as being factual.
Although where would we be, without the many people who do give up their time to transcribe the many and varied resources, we need in our research? We just, must be prepared to check and re-check everything. **********
Jeanette H.