Your Favourite Census Mistranscriptions!

[Paul E]

Hi Mick

Try inputting 'Western Sahara' on the opening search screen at Ancestry, under 'keywords', and then search... I think you'll be both amazed and astounded!

Paul

[carol8353]

I have ancestors born in Somerset which has been transcribed as Somalia.
A 5 year old father of 6 kids(should have been 55).
A Fred down as Frog.

And my Rapkin ancestors .......you would not believe how many different ways there are of mistranscribing that one.
Rapile,Raphons,Ropkins,Rabjohns to name but a few.
I always have to search by christian name on them......well until I finally found my gt grandma Amy down as Arny RAFKIN.Born in Edgware Road,(EDURE RD)!!!

Who said genealogy would be easy 

Wouldn't be any fun would it otherwise.

Carol

[AngelaR]

Paul

Which screen are you looking at which has a keywords box? I can't find it 

Angela

[Paul E]

Hi Angela

You can access the keywords box in a number of ways.

If you are in a particular census year (eg 1871) and are on the blue EXACT MATCHES screen rather than the orange BEST MATCHES screen, there is an option to the left of the SEARCH button that says 'Show Advanced Search Options'.  If you click on this, you get a range of options, one of which is KEYWORDS.

Its also available on the SEARCH CENSUS RECORDS screen, which performs a search across all the censuses.  If you input Western Sahara on the Keywords box here, (you don't need to complete any other box) and click search, you'll see the result.

Hope this helps

Paul

[carol8353]

If you use Paul's method and type in born in Somalia on the census page.
It has been mistranscribed for Somerset.

You get the following results!!!!!!!!

  1871 England Census        1     
  1871 Isle of Man Census  3     
  1871 Wales Census        355     
  1891 Channel Islands Census  1     
  1891 England Census     10,099     
  1891 Wales Census      1,402     
  1901 England Census  2     

All of you with ancestors born in Taunton and surrounding areas, whom you can't find in 1891, try Somalia.

By the way Ancestry are aware and are working on putting things right.

Carol
 

[Paul E]

Carol - you've just dashed a thousand family historians' dreams of tracing their family back to the African plains!

best wishes

Paul

[Paul E]

In 1881 he was called 'FWITCHIS' .............. honest .. if you dont believe me take a look ............. He's the only one there with that 'dopey' name !!
joboy 

Sounds like you need to be visiting the CENSUSWHACK thread, joboy!

Paul

[Manchester Rambler]

On the 1871 census transcription, I recently came across

Gaston Huguenin, born Watchfield, Cheshire, Switzerland!

How the transcriber could get the name right, but misread "Naturalised British" as "Watchfield, Cheshire" defeats me!

[Paul E]

I always thought there was a Swiss Canton called Cheshire, MR, where the locals persisted (despite a wealth of experience to the contrary) in trying to make watches out of rock salt.
Oh, how the rest of the country laughed at them!