Results 1 to 6 of 6
  1. #1
    Dorset Girl
    Guest

    Default Never trust the spelling of a surname!!!

    When hunting never rely on either Ancestry or FMP coming up with alternative possibilities! In 1871 George Reeves was just that - it has taken days to find him in 1861 and 1851 - and this is why.
    1861 - Ancestry - REVES
    1861 - FMP - READ

    1851 - Ancestry - REIVES
    1851 - FMP - REWES
    None of these names came up in the searches - however vague I made them!
    Hard slogging but at least another (knee high) brickwall smashed!
    Marion

  2. #2
    LittleSpark
    Guest

    Default

    Yes, it is amazing how surnames are mistranscribed - they've caused me many a headache over the years but with a little perseverance it's so rewarding when you find that elusive family member.
    So well done Marion for smashing down another brickwall.

    Sheila

  3. #3
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    North London
    Posts
    5,147

    Default

    Well done, Dorset Girl!

    I would always recommend searching the census without entering any surname at all -- assuming your provider allows it, and you have enough other information to search on.

  4. #4
    Nicolina
    Guest

    Default

    well done. It is so rewarding when you make sense of some of those ridiculous mis-spellings. One of my main lines is ILES for which I have a long list of alternate spellings but one ancestor kept eluding me until I found him as JILES. I still haven't worked out where the J came from.

  5. #5
    spison
    Guest

    Default

    Excellent News Dorset Girt! One of my Jones family was transcribed - it was dreadful writing - as James and one of my Isons has been left off Ancestry completely for 1841. I only found them by reading the whole village. (Thank goodness it wasn't Warrington and Manchester where the Joneses hide!)
    Jane

  6. #6
    Jeuel
    Guest

    Default

    My own sister in law's surname is misindexed in the marriage indexes as Searce instead of Pearce! No idea how, the S isn't near the P on the keyboard.

    As for mistranscriptions in the census, my favourite would be Howard for Stevens - not a single letter the same. I only found the Stevens because a son with a different surname was staying with them!

    My grandfather's first name was Jeuel and its wrong on every census (not now, as I've sent in amendments!). My ex's gt x 2 grandfather Zusman is recorded as
    Zusman Zuzman Guzman Luisman Tesman Zuseman and Zuesman!

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