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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: BettyofKent on Friday 16 February 07 14:02 GMT (UK)

Title: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: BettyofKent on Friday 16 February 07 14:02 GMT (UK)
My funniest mistranscription (so far!) is
Jemina Crumpler becomes Fanina Oompler  (1891 census)

Can anyone beat that?

 ;D
Betty
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: ozchook on Friday 16 February 07 14:25 GMT (UK)
No Betty, I can't top that one. But on a copy of the passenger list for the ship I came to Australia on in 1950, one of the Melbourne addresses for a passenger was given as Foot Spray. The suburb is actually Footscray.
 ;D

Irene
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: keithwc on Friday 16 February 07 14:49 GMT (UK)
My Great Grandfather was a Horsebreaker by profession  The transcription has altered it to Housebreaker!  I don't think he would have put that down on a census return do you!?

Linda
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: madammagician on Friday 16 February 07 15:48 GMT (UK)
 ;D ;D my name is fannina oompla, i am a housebreaker and i live in footspray! ;D ;D
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: deeiluka on Friday 16 February 07 23:51 GMT (UK)
;D ;D my name is fannina oompla, i am a housebreaker and i live in footspray! ;D ;D

and my baptism was before I was born!   ::)   ::)   ::) 

....dee
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: BettyofKent on Saturday 17 February 07 14:50 GMT (UK)
I found one like that dee, & one of a man married three times after his death!  He didn't Rest in Peace  ;D ;D

Betty
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: patrish on Saturday 17 February 07 23:11 GMT (UK)
 I had one who's christian name was Caroline, transcribed as PARDON. ;D ;D

This one was on a recent thread posted by cbCaroline, place of birth Chooks Berry, she found out it was in fact Tewkesbury  ;D ;D

Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: Erato on Sunday 18 February 07 14:40 GMT (UK)
Not a mistranscription, but I had one in 1901 where a Old Cleeve, Somerset was recorded as "Oakleaf, Somerset."
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: Lemontree on Wednesday 21 February 07 23:03 GMT (UK)
Hi

I found Snotterfield in Warwickshire - should be Snitterfield and also sometimes mistranscibed as Snifferfield.

Lemon
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: marysma on Thursday 22 February 07 22:40 GMT (UK)
Hi all,

         Some of my ancestors lived in a place called Bog Rotten!!

        Sounds an awful place to be.


         Cheers

        MM
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: stockman fred on Thursday 22 February 07 23:44 GMT (UK)
In 1901, my gt grandad and family were living at Sitterton in Dorset (near Bere Regis) . The proper name of the hamlet actually has another letter, but it has been commonly dropped since Victorian times by the more prudish among us (including me just now :D)
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: Josephine on Friday 23 February 07 03:59 GMT (UK)
I saw this mistranscription tonight:

1870 census, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Charles Engman, 6, born On Atlanlie Decan

The image actually says he was born "on Atlantic Ocean".

Regards,
Josephine
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: PillyP on Friday 23 February 07 15:48 GMT (UK)
It still happens today, if the content is not understood. Not too long ago I saw
this as an Email autoreply,..Tomb it may concern....'

Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: DebbieG on Monday 26 February 07 20:24 GMT (UK)
Hi

Yes I saw the Chooks bury one - love that  also seen today  a 75 year old female in 1871 occupation - accountant !     original says annuitant  (not much difference  )

Debbie
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: mtp123 on Monday 26 February 07 20:31 GMT (UK)
Not that funny but I am in the index as Mavis  not Marie heaven help my descendants!!! :)
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: meles on Monday 26 February 07 20:42 GMT (UK)
In 1901, my gt grandad and family were living at Sitterton in Dorset (near Bere Regis) . The proper name of the hamlet actually has another letter, but it has been commonly dropped since Victorian times by the more prudish among us (including me just now

Ah, yes. Good old Slitterton...

meles ;)
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: GalaxyJane on Tuesday 27 February 07 14:42 GMT (UK)
That is even worse than the original name of Nottingham, which was Snotingham...  :o
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: Webby on Thursday 01 March 07 06:06 GMT (UK)
Looking at a early census of Hastings, Sussex

St Mary in the Cattle!!!


Webby
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: Ingham on Friday 02 March 07 02:46 GMT (UK)
My great grandfather, Thomas Cook, in 1851 Census, written as Thos., with the 'S' in tiny letters, has been transcribed as Pho.
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: andycand on Friday 02 March 07 03:11 GMT (UK)
Not a mistranscription but a funny occupation. In the 1851 census for Hexham there is a John Black whose occupation is "smuggler of Whisky" and his wife Jane is a "smugglers wife"
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: Emjaybee on Friday 02 March 07 13:32 GMT (UK)
An address in Worcester was writeen as Wondertidings, for 1 The Tything.
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: DavidJP on Friday 02 March 07 17:25 GMT (UK)
Hi all,

Dunno about funniest, but on my Gt Grandparents marriage cert in 1917, there were two mistranscriptions.

My Gt Grandfathers rank or profession was mistranscribed as 'Soldier, R.F.G', this was of course the R.F.A (Royal Field Artillery!)

And

My Gt Grandmothers residence at time of marriage was mistranscribed as 'Northern Leyland', which was actually Northumberland!

These mistranscriptions were made in 1997 when i originally requested the certificate!

Regards

David
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: nanny jan on Friday 02 March 07 17:37 GMT (UK)
My gt.aunt Tilly (Matilda) appears on 1901 census as Mubilou and another family apparently lived in the parish of St. Elements (St Clements), Nottingham (Notting Hill), London; for the cherry on the cake their surname was also mistranscribed.........they were none too easy to find!

I just hope it's not the same people transcribing the 1911 census.

Nanny Jan
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: chinakay on Friday 02 March 07 17:38 GMT (UK)
Apparently Shillington in Bedfordshire used to have an extra T in it, and in exactly the worst place...

Cheers,
China
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: sallysmum on Friday 02 March 07 18:06 GMT (UK)
oh yes, 3x gt grandfather Jonathon Sparke was mistranscribed as a Jonathon Spook - I got spooky ancestors!

Sallysmum
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: Josephine on Friday 02 March 07 19:38 GMT (UK)
I can't prove this is a mistranscription because I can't view the original, but it sure looks like one to me:

In Ancestry's U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946:

Name:    Jamekrm Mru KK M Seifert

Regards,
Josephine
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: chinakay on Friday 02 March 07 19:49 GMT (UK)
Good old Jamekrm Mru KK M! Often wondered what happened to him!

C
 ;D
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: Josephine on Friday 02 March 07 20:13 GMT (UK)
LOL, China!

 ;D

Regards,
Josephine
Title: Re: Funniest mistranscription?
Post by: Josephine on Sunday 04 March 07 16:38 GMT (UK)
I've just seen the surname Oliver mistranscribed as Clouse in the 1871 census of Scotland transcription online at Ancestry. 

I only know it's them because of some info a cousin sent to me or I would never have figured it out.  And if by some miracle I had figured it out, I would have started wondering if my Scottish Olivers were in fact German Klauses!   :o

And it looks like they've transcribed Galashiels as "Goberhids"!

Regards,
Josephine