Genealogy Chat

Ive noticed a few discrepancies in transcriptions of old records and have come to the conclusion that quite a few are due not to misreading the original document but misspelling from audio records.....| have been cross referencing British origins and IGI info and one marriage in particular has different spellings for the same sounding name but could not have been misread..........William Tudsbury married Elizabeth Taylor 1719 in Edwinstowe................in british origins it is written TAILOR.....!...you would have to be half blind to make that mistake..........so watch out for phoenetic errors .......

Yeah, it is a pain. Soundex searches normally find stuff like that though so it's always worth doing if you can't find what you're after and know it should be there. The problems really start when they have just been completely misread and transcribed wrong. I have had a family turn up with the surname of the woman in the house next door to them. She lived on her own and the transcriber hadn't noticed. She had the whole of the family down with her surname and the head of my family down as her daughter (a 40 odd year old man!!!). That's what makes this lark so much fun!!! lol.

I have Irish ancestors who are listed as coming from the Minories in London. I know they came from Ireland so I'm convinced they came from somewhere that SOUNDED like Minories. So far I've found about 20 possible places such as Meennirroy or Meenaneary. Frustrating, isn't it?

I have to admit I am a complete dummy not to realise that different census sites have different transcriptions. I was looking for my Gordon family which I had entered onto my program notes over 2 years ago. Thought I go back to tackle them cos of my dead ends (this is hubbys side) and because I suddenly remembered the name of the guy who died on the Titanic (a Gordon). I went to ancestry and searched and searched for the entry I had on my notes which had been mistrancribed 'Hughe Gordon' - I couldnt understand why it wasnt still there. Then enlisting the help of my mate super brain Merry realised that my first record had been taken from the TNA records when I first started this and on ancestry Hughe Gordon turned up as Hugh Lorden!

just got another one . Duke Tudsbury marries Ann....1681..... Its actually Marmaduke ....bit of a difference !! the thought of americans transcribing this at a distance doesnt bode well...

Alter, I had a 'Buddy Horstead' - actually Biddy! And a Benie Horstead - actually Bessie.

British Origins have transcribed one of mine as Tipping Tudsbury-Ive looked at the image and have to say-havent a clue what it could be instead-all the rest of the family having normal names,if you include Betsey as well !!

Please spare a thought for those of us who spend countless hours transcribing. It is often very difficult to read something and the instructiona state that we are to put down what we think it is with [?] at the side, so that the people checking and uploading the info realise that there is a query over the word. Also I have had on may occasions vicars who have put a particular spelling for a name one year, and then a couple of years later a different spelling. Although I know what it should probably be, instructions quite rightly state that transcriptions must be what is actually listed in the registers at a particular time. Lets face it if people didn't transcribe you wouldn't be finding anything, although I do realise your frustrations.

You only have to check any Census on Ancestry and see how many people are transcribed as being born in Hungary (some of husband's rellies were). If you check the images about two thirds were really born in Hunts. or Hants.

Dear Sd - I think most people are talking about the transcriptions obviously done abroad and without local knowledge of names/areas. I mean, I bet you wouldnt put Syria as pob for a guy born in Surrey, would you! (Of course mistakes like this and the Hungary one is most like due to the predictive programs which even freebmd use but with local knowledge we would immediately spot as a mistake). Im sure all of us are absolutely double double grateful for vollies who do transcriptions.(BTW I used to do it too before my eyes got this bad)

The point I am making is that thaere are mistakes due NOT to misreading but to HEARING the name on a dictaphone or tape then writing it.....

Another example of MISHEARING or transcribing by audio Wilton- misread as Muttloe (have seen the census and children above and below had been transcribed as wilton as middle name) on another database it is written as Muttlow -now this is again a phoenitic change not a written or misread change from the original mistake........almost a case of chinese whispers......... Wilton>>Muttloe>>Muttlow I would be interested to find out what processes are used between the second and third name in this example because it cant have been from the original census.

Quite right alter, weve wandered, as is our wont!

Hmmm, I'd never thought of that before. I can't imagine somebody sitting in the records office with a dictaphone, but perhaps they worked from a printout or a scan at home and found that was the easiest way to do it? Have you come across that 1758-1812 name index yet? (Edwinstowe, wasn't it?) It's good, isn't it? Kate.

A nice girl called Lesley on this site has just found my Oughton family in US for me........they were down as Houlton, then I suppose the Geordie accent in America would maybe sound like that.

Jean, there used to be a girl in my form at school called Oughton. She always pronounced her name Ourton - just in case you have probs.

When dealing with Parish Records as well as the possiblility of working from audio records....there's also the PR's v BT's variances. Duke on one and Marmaduke on the other, for instance?? Merry

On IGI,I guess there is a mixture of historical changes,mistakes at source and mistranscribing. Ive contacted a lady called Jennifer Tudbury who has done a one name study who has variants listed as Todbury Tudberry Tudbery Tutbery Tutbury and acknowledges the chance of Tudsbury being linked-they all originate Notts and Derby area. But when putting Tudsbury in ,none of these are treated as variants...just these>>> Tudsberrie Tudsbery Tudesbury Tudsberry Tudsbeyre without seeing the original books,how many of these 10 name variants are from source and how many down to human error??