The worst Ancestry transcription ever?

[Calleva]

I haven’t read this thread from start to finish to be honest because it’s quite long but wonder if adding ‘sic’ after a verbatim transcription of the record is the simplest way to protect veracity?

Thoughts?

[coombs]

I have come across original census schedules where a birthplace is given, and the place has never even existed such as "Suffolk, Miltonhall" for someone from Suffolk living in Yorkshire, when it means Mildenhall. I guess the enumerator wrote what he thought he heard.

[Calleva]

Thinking on; (sic) not ‘sic’ and assuming any lettering or words are reasonably clear which is inevitably easier if typed or printed rather than handwritten.

As an example, I informed the registrar of my Dad’s death giving his middle name as McFee. I then found the record of his birth which gave his middle name as McPhee. Other family members have MacFie, McFie, Macafee and so on.

Feels rather dreary to add (sic) after each transcription of the name recorded but not sure if there is a better or simpler way - all thoughts welcome.

[MollyC]

There is a difference between transcription and indexing.  Yes, transcriptions must be (sic) but a well organised index should have provision for an "added entry", a "see" reference or a "see also" reference i.e. you can enter one item under more than one term.  Digitisation of indexing has lost something which works perfectly well in a card index or a book index!  There is really no reason why they cannot add extra lines but they are using a transcription to create an index, muddled thinking.

[Calleva]

There is a difference between transcription and indexing.  Yes, transcriptions must be (sic) but a well organised index should have provision for an "added entry", a "see" reference or a "see also" reference i.e. you can enter one item under more than one term.  Digitisation of indexing has lost something which works perfectly well in a card index or a book index!  There is really no reason why they cannot add extra lines but they are using a transcription to create an index, muddled thinking.

Completely agree MollyC.

I made a similar point about adding narrative to entries in an index on a recent post of about 1800 names of Catholic births in Pennsylvania where Latin had been used using the accusative form e.g. ‘Elizabetham’.

While this entry happens to be easy to follow, her twin has been written as ‘Janam’ which needs explanation as it could be based on a number of names.

This is impossible if the indexing system being used only allows a small number of letters for each entry i.e. a ‘word count’ of 25 when 26 is needed.

As you say, muddled thinking!
 

[andrewalston]

I guess the enumerator wrote what he thought he heard.

I have one ancestor born in the small village of "Brinscall". In one census, only 10 miles away, it is written "Brinscow".

That is EXACTLY how the locals would say it. 

[Calleva]

Used to live near Okeford Fitzpaine in Dorset. Just been on Google to see what pronunciations were available which gave cut glass English versions pretty much as written. I remember it was pronounced locally as ‘Fippity Ockfurd’..

[bearkat]

I've been looking at some occupational surnames.  I have never met anyone with the surname Cordwainer but Ancestry CMB has many pages of them.  All the ones I've checked have Cordwainer as their or their father's occupation.

So, if you can't find someone try putting their full name in the first names box and you may strike lucky.

It is poor though 

[coombs]

A William Bradford, aged 43 in 1871 was said to be born in "Kent, Maderlane" where no such parish exists, and the original entry seems to say Maderlane, but probably means Maidstone.

Someone has added a correction saying "Maidstone".