British Viking
04-07-2010, 04:08 PM
I'm seeing quite a few posts here where the main culprits are often the poor transcribing of documents. I suppose in years gone by the level of literacy was much lower than it is nowadays plus census info, I believe, were transcibed onto a sheet per abode then transferred onto the enumerator's books which is asking for trouble!
I think somebody mentioned here children were often used to fill in these census forms as they went to school of sorts whilst their parents remained unable to read or write as being one example of "asking for trouble".
A couple years back I had this problem too as, no matter how I tried, I just could not find my newly arrived in UK family in a certain census (can't remember which) and only managed to located it when some kind soul pointed out to me it had been mis-spelt..... (Miller instead of Moller or Møller as used in Denmark).
Makes for extra work! Anybody here had this "mis-transcribing" experience?
I think somebody mentioned here children were often used to fill in these census forms as they went to school of sorts whilst their parents remained unable to read or write as being one example of "asking for trouble".
A couple years back I had this problem too as, no matter how I tried, I just could not find my newly arrived in UK family in a certain census (can't remember which) and only managed to located it when some kind soul pointed out to me it had been mis-spelt..... (Miller instead of Moller or Møller as used in Denmark).
Makes for extra work! Anybody here had this "mis-transcribing" experience?