Shocked by quality of transcription on Findmypast on Kent registers

[melba_schmelba]

I noticed that recently findmypast has added the ability to see all linked transcripts to the page you are looking at, as Ancestry has done for years, also giving you the ability to make corrections to records other than the one you were specifically looking for. Unfortunately this has now given me an insight into the overall quality of transcription, and I am a bit shocked!!! Looking at the burial register of Leigh, Kent from the 1780s and 90s, it is absolutely riddled with errors, with maybe 60% of the surnames wrong, often so utterly wrong you wouldn't have a chance of finding it with a wildcard search  . It seems findmypast are using transcribers who are (i) not familiar with older handwriting styles, and (ii) have absolutely no familiarity with British surnames, as even when the handwriting is clear, they still get it wrong.

[rosie99]

Findmypast has always given the option to view linked transcripts, they are just setting it out differently now. 

On the plus side at least findmypast change their wrong transcripts if reported to them.

[Gadget]

On he whole, I've found FindMyPast records far superior to Ancestry's - both original images and transcriptions.

I see that the Kent burials on FindMyPast appear to be transcribed by  Rob Cottrell, Trueflare Limited

Add - others by Kent Family History Society

I've not gone through all of them but it doesn't seem that FindMyPast transcribed them but purchased them from various sources.

[rosie99]

I have just looked at a couple of pages for Leigh in the period mentioned, the main reason for the few errors I saw was that the register did not start surnames with a capital letter and were sometimes not obvious.  I did put in an amendment for the few that I looked at and were wrong.

I agree with Gadget, I find FindMyPast's transcripts are generally superior to Ancestry's

[melba_schmelba]

On he whole, I've found FindMyPast records far superior to Ancestry's - both original images and transcriptions.

I see that the Kent burials on FindMyPast appear to be transcribed by  Rob Cottrell, Trueflare Limited

Add - others by Kent Family History Society

I've not gone through all of them but it doesn't seem that FindMyPast transcribed them but purchased them from various sources.

I'm not sure this is correct gadget. I know Rob Cottrell has done some of them, as well as the Kent FHS, and possibly NWKFHS. However, the burials for Leigh, and (just as a quick sample) the nearby parishes Tonbridge, Chiddingstone, Plaxtol, Pembury and Sevenoaks give no credit to any of the FHSs or Rob Cottrell so I think these are outsourced transcriptions.

[melba_schmelba]

I have just looked at a couple of pages for Leigh in the period mentioned, the main reason for the few errors I saw was that the register did not start surnames with a capital letter and were sometimes not obvious.  I did put in an amendment for the few that I looked at and were wrong.

What date was this, all start with a capital where I am looking. I've corrected all burials from 1783-1800 so far when the handwriting seems to change. Also when the records seem at all blurry, they just seem to give up and leave out whole lines of people.

[melba_schmelba]

A few examples of the problem on just one page

William Thompson - should be William Humphry
Jacob Concham - should be Jacob Couchman
Mary Rnell - should be Mary Knell
Elizabeth Furnes - should be Elizabeth Furner
Philip [blank] - should be Philip Pound
William Rayzelden - should be William Hayzelden
Henry Rumsey - should be Henry Hawkins
Sarah Thomas - should be Sarah Holmes
John Wighlingale - should be John Nightingale
Richard Shorbridge - should be Richard Shoebridge
Keziah Tister - should be Keziah Tester
Elizabeth Waster - should be Elizabeth Waite
William Ruchard - should be William Burchard
Elizabeth Wireking - should be Elizabeth Wicking
Thomas Noare - should be Thomas Hoare
Sarah Warkins - should be Sarah Hawkins
John [blank] - should be John Miles
Sarah [blank] - should be Sarah Crowhurst

[rosie99]

I was looking at 1781/2.  b's were being transcribed as C's.

[Gadget]

On he whole, I've found FindMyPast records far superior to Ancestry's - both original images and transcriptions.

I see that the Kent burials on FindMyPast appear to be transcribed by  Rob Cottrell, Trueflare Limited

Add - others by Kent Family History Society

I've not gone through all of them but it doesn't seem that FindMyPast transcribed them but purchased them from various sources.

I'm not sure this is correct gadget. I know Rob Cottrell has done some of them, as well as the Kent FHS, and possibly NWKFHS. However, the burials for Leigh, and (just as a quick sample) the nearby parishes Tonbridge, Chiddingstone, Plaxtol, Pembury and Sevenoaks give no credit to any of the FHSs or Rob Cottrell so I think these are outsourced transcriptions.

I'm really not sure what you're getting at.  I went through the burials from the beginning - no details entered.I found these just by scrolling down and seeing the attribution.

Anyway, you should be looking at the originals when they are provided. Stop complaining and get on with looking.

Gadget