Name changes through transcription

[baldangel]

I've a thread going on the Isle of Man section but thought I would ask a question on this beginners board because it is something that is confusing me.

I am attempting to trace the family history of Edith Ellen Greenwood who was born and buried on the Isle of Man. In the 1901 census the family have moved to Whitehaven, Cumbria but now appear as Grimwood. This was probably due to poor handwriting I'm told. Following this line, Edith marries in 1903 but the name remains recorded as Grimwood, surely she would have had her proper name recorded on the marriage documents?

When she was buried back on the Isle of Man, her name has now returned to Greenwood.

The christian names of her mother and father on the 1901 census match, which leads me to believe it is the right family.

Perhaps the experienced genealogists can offer an explanation.

[Girl Guide]

Could Edith read and write?  If not then she would not have realised that her name was incorrect on the marriage certificate.

Re the 1901 census, I see that Edith is a servant.  The mis-transcription of her surname may just be down to having been misheard by the enumerator.

Enumerators would have written what they heard so the green must have sounded like grim.

[baldangel]

Thanks. Tend to forget in these days of computers that in 1901 the enumerators went door to door.

[Rosinish]

Also different accents can make things sound different to someone not used to the accent.

Annie

[spendlove]

Having followed the family back through the census I think that the correct name is Grimwood.
The name she used in her first marriage.

The entry in 1901 as Greenwood is incorrect, as suggested because of accent.

However in all records, even her baptism record transcribed as Greenwood, she is recorded as
Edith so where did the name Ellen come from?

Also do you have civil registration certificate of her birth?

Spendlove

[Jebber]

Could Edith read and write?  If not then she would not have realised that her name was incorrect on the marriage certificate.

Re the 1901 census, I see that Edith is a servant.  The mis-transcription of her surname may just be down to having been misheard by the enumerator.

Enumerators would have written what they heard so the green must have sounded like grim.

We have to remember that not only different accents can affect the way names are heard and written, transcriptions are another opportunity for error.

Since what you read in the 1901 census is a transcription of what the householder wrote in the schedule, and we have no idea how good their handwriting was, we only have to look at some of the 1911 schedules to see some of the difficulties the enumerators had, it is no wonder we come across these inconsistencies.

It is also not unknown for employers to call subsequent servants my the same name, it was easier than having to remember the new persons name, it is these quirks that can us trip us up.