How often have you reported a transcription to be told "we only transcribe what is on the page"?
It seems to me that this is very much more a case "we only transcribe what we feel like".
Today on the 1881 census I came across the following Piece 5562 Folio 75 Page 32:
Robert Watts - Occupation "vety surgeon" - both major sites have the same transcription - now I grant you the handwriting would have not have won prizes but where is the common sense?
Then if you go on the places of birth for him and family - they are written as:
Robert - Park Gate, Cheshire
Sarah Ellen - London
Mabel - Llanllyfni Carnarvon Penygroes
But transcribed as:
Robert - Park Gate, Cheshire, England - both major sites add a country that does not appear on the original return
Sarah Ellen - Either: City of London, Middlesex, England or London, London, Middlesex, England. Since when did London only cover one county, and how did these sites divine that she was born in the county of Middlesex from that one word "London"? etc. etc?
Mabel - Either: Caernarvonshire, Wales or Llanllyfni Peny Groes, Caernarvonshire, Wales. So one of them adds an unnecessary country, but deletes the village and parish, and the other adds an unnecessary country and mis-spells the village.
Results 1 to 10 of 13
Thread: Just a transcription grumble!
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26-07-2018, 1:28 PM #1
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Just a transcription grumble!
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26-07-2018, 1:59 PM #2
So Robert wasn't a veterinary surgeon? That's how I'd read it...
London and its assorted counties has recently been driving me nuts!
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26-07-2018, 2:01 PM #3
One of my favouries, and obviously transcribed by an American or American software, is PENN, in Buckinghamshire. England.
The result is Pennsylvania, USA........or America.
As far as I've found, no Buckinghamshire in Pennsylvania USA. Or have I missed something.Too many bones, too much sorrow, but until I am dead, there's always tomorrow.
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26-07-2018, 2:27 PM #4
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26-07-2018, 2:36 PM #5
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26-07-2018, 2:38 PM #6Sarah Ellen - Either: City of London, Middlesex, England or London, London, Middlesex, England. Since when did London only cover one county, and how did these sites divine that she was born in the county of Middlesex from that one word "London"? etc. etc?Alma
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26-07-2018, 2:57 PM #7
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I understand your frustration. Not only do some transcriptions read wrong, but these incorrect transcripts have a knock on effect when searching for a person, making the process so much harder. Reporting the error can help fix some of these problems, but essentially all you are saying is 'my interpretation of the information as well as my background knowledge is better than your interpretation of the document'. Short of researching the person in question to verify what you are saying is true, there is no reason to believe that your interpretation is correct and their's is wrong.
As a transcriber myself, I understand the importance of transcribing EXACTLY what is on the original document (handwriting allowing), and not interpreting the information or applying 'common sense'. The phrases used, inaccuracies written and method of documentation is just as much a part of our history as the information itself.
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26-07-2018, 4:54 PM #8
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There is only one 1881 census transcription*.
It stems from a project initiated as long ago as 1985 jointly between the Mormons and the Federation of Family History Societies. As the transcription was largely by people with local knowledge, it is generally reckoned to be a pretty good transcription.
For some years Family Search was the sole distributor of the transcription which was available on a set of CDs and eventually online.
Part of the deal was that the transcription was not to be exploited commercially and that is why you can search the 1881 census transcription free of charge on Ancestry and FMP.
The rule of every transcription I've been involved in is "type what you see". Vety is what it says and Vet or Veterinary would not be correct transcriptions.
In the original 1881 transcription, birth places were transcribed as shown in the original. Ancestry and FMP have their own ideas about how place names should be standardised to assist in searching the database. We could argue for ever about this practice but we know what they get up to and we have access to the original images. I can't see anything to get worked up about.
I did have a wry smile at FamilySearch who have ditched their own transcription (with original birth places) and use FMP's transcription (which is the original transcription but with doctored birth places).
*Subject to whatever procedures Ancestry and FMP have have for submitting amendments.
And something else...
how did these sites divine that she was born in the county of Middlesex from that one word "London"?
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27-07-2018, 2:32 AM #9
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it seems to me that the 'type what you see' rule can sometimes lead to avoidable mistakes. Haven't we all come across the following scenario (names for illustration only)
10 Acacia Avenue, Anywhere
Albert Smith - Head - 42
Dora [ditto] - wife - 41
George Brown - visitor - 38
Susan [ditto] - wife - 35
Susan ends up being transcribed as wife of head of household, therefore named Susan Smith. As I say, avoidable with a little logical thought.
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27-07-2018, 10:28 AM #10
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The transcription would be 100% correct - recording exactly what the document says.
Unfortunately, some websites (particularly Ancestry) then have software algorithms that interpret the data and assume relationships, or connect place names that are completely wrong. Some users then import or copy the data onto their trees without checking it properly and you end up with a huge mess very quickly.
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