Letters in cursive script that are often mis-transcribed

[Fresh Fields]

Part Quote -
My Francis fathers was a compositor and I have been led up the garden path by the occupational description on Printer on the census transcription, only to see that it is actually painter.

Hello.

Not sure of the point you are making here.

In the days of LETTERPRESS printing a compositor was the person assembling the individual letters, and or slug lines of hot moulded type, to be locked up in frames to be inked for printing on to paper or fabric.

I think the term carried over into the digital age when the typing for, and setting up of pages went digital, and then images were used to create the surface that was used for printing. Especially OFFSET PRINTING.

The term was still in use in the 1970's when a local jobbing printer, printed an annual year book which I was convener there of. The small number of staff there were multi tasked, and qualified, so could easily referr to themselves as one or the other.

Alan.

[nellie d]

Freshfields

What I meant to convey was, that due to misinterpretation of cursive script on several transcribed census returns, I had discovered and wrongly assumed that a chap with the same name, date, place of birth and occupation...printer, as my gt gt grandfather, was my gt gt grandfather. As I knew from birth and marriage records that my gt gt grandfather was a compositor, I assumed that seeing the occupation of printer, for someone with the same name, dob, etc, was him.
But, by looking at the original document and not just taking the transcription at face value, I discovered that this other chap was in fact, a painter, and therefore, not my great grandfather.

I have learnt a lesson, in that, it is always worth the time to double check the original document.

[Suffolkgal]

Well said, Nellie D., I once double-checked a parish baptism and found that the incumbent had commented that the parents had refused to have the child baptised and that he was brought to the church by his grandparents.  You don't find that in transcriptions!

[Fresh Fields]

Agreed.

The first rule for research is seek out the original records, where ever possible. I was recently able to prove that in a commissioned book celebrating 100 years of a local County, an assumption was made that was incorrect. This well written and indexed book, has been quoted as source many times since, by well respected history commemtators, and the incorrect assumption is included in the Councils current district plan papers.

Likewise original birth enteries in the registers, often have notations, and data incorrectly assigned in the printed columns.

Alan.

[MaureeninNY]

But, by looking at the original document and not just taking the transcription at face value, I discovered that this other chap was in fact, a painter, and therefore, not my great grandfather.

I have learnt a lesson, in that, it is always worth the time to double check the original document.

Quite right.

Lawyer and sawyer....many (esp. USA or Canadian descendants) have been ?? by that.

But shouldn't you always look at the original when available?

[Treetotal]

My experience of this was believing the census transcription of my Great Grandmother's birth place as Alford, Lincs. But I couldn't find her in any other census until I sent for her birth certificate were it was revealed that she was born in Salford, Lancs.
Carol

[heywood]

Lawyer and sawyer....many (esp. USA or Canadian descendants) have been ?? by that.

Sailor and Tailor often look very similar with loops on the ‘T’.

[JohninSussex]

Sailor and Tailor often look very similar with loops on the ‘T’.

As I have mentioned before, a certain well-known commercial family history website had on one of its introductory pages, an image of a Census entry with the commentary that this young lady had been, er, honest, in describing her occupation as "Temptress".

Unfortunately on more careful inspection the initial letter was in fact "S".