RootsChat.Com

General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: gazza on Friday 10 December 04 23:36 GMT (UK)

Title: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: gazza on Friday 10 December 04 23:36 GMT (UK)
Here are 2 for my ancestors,
Glistte camfas   ,should have been castle camps!
St Houser,    should have been st osyths.

No wonder I had trouble looking them up :)
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: minime on Saturday 11 December 04 00:25 GMT (UK)
I posted this once before, but it still irks me...The 1881 Census had Jane Birchall listed twice. Once with her mother Frances Birchall...age was 8...once with her sister Arabella Birchall Speakman, age 17. Come to find out...the one with Frances should have been James Cooper Birchall.
If he ever saw he was listed as his sister and as a female to boot...he probably ended up with a complex.

No wonder I couldn't figure out who was who with the family. Talk about typos, misprints and hearing difficulties. LOL!!!


Minime
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Darcy on Saturday 11 December 04 09:57 GMT (UK)
I have a few mis-transcriptions.

A relative recorded as being born in Offaly, Ireland when the original, quite clearly, says Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire.

And one that makes me sad. On the 1901 census for Belfast Northern Ireland, my father, Samuel McDonald, is recorded as his brother William! Underneath is William again. Why is it always the one you want most that is missing......

Darcy
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: minime on Saturday 11 December 04 16:16 GMT (UK)
It's just disturbing that the enumerators could be that far off.  :(

Minime
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: bonjedward on Saturday 11 December 04 16:46 GMT (UK)
county Offaly was previously known as Kings County, so that must be the reason.
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Sandyq on Saturday 11 December 04 17:25 GMT (UK)
I spent weeks and £££'s looking for my great-grandfather and his second wife
William and Maude Tudor on the 1901 Census. I knew they were both alive then as they ran a pub in Birmingham.
I eventually found them listed as William and Maude Freder.
At least I got there in the end, but talk about needle in a haystack !
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: petere on Saturday 11 December 04 17:33 GMT (UK)
I spent ages looking for my grandfather in the 1901 census (he was born in 1891). I eventually found him listed as "baby  boy  age 10". His two elder sisters were listed as "twins dau  12".    Still, I got them in the end! 

Peter
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: GRACELAND on Saturday 11 December 04 17:36 GMT (UK)
pet :o   At that time ! He would soon be getting to the age of Work so Baby is a bit odd  ;D
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: petere on Saturday 11 December 04 17:57 GMT (UK)
To change the subject slightly; no, a lot; why do my number of posts always remain at 1 and not show the correct number? s it something I can adjust?

Peter
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: petere on Saturday 11 December 04 18:13 GMT (UK)
Oooops. I have just found the answer myself.   :-[ :-[

Peter
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: bel_jon68 on Sunday 12 December 04 21:44 GMT (UK)
I spent a LOT of time trying to find my great- grandfather's brother Hamlin (and I thought it was a lovely name, too, though rather unusual for a Welsh family).  When I eventually got a decent copy of the census returns, it turned out he was in fact Llywelin Rees...

Bel
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Cell on Monday 13 December 04 08:02 GMT (UK)
Has anyone else  noticed that Ancestry has this huge  amount of people below ,who were born in England Somalia?

Census Records  37,989  matches    | info 
  1901 England Census  27,797     
  1891 England Census  10,145     



They have  transcribed  a lot of the the "SOM" birthplaces from the images  as Somalia, and not Somerset.

Birthplace:
Bristol Somalia Daughter 
 Bath Somalia Wife
 Bath  Somalia Head  Bristol 

Go to the census, drop down menu "where did they live" put in England . You don't have to put a name in for the person, leave that blank, and just type in Somalia as keyword. And you will have this list of people being born in Bath and other Somerset regions as being born in Somalia

So if you can't find any of your rellies who were born in Somerset, fear not,  try typing in  "Somalia" for the  birth place , you may just  find them :D


Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: minime on Tuesday 14 December 04 18:40 GMT (UK)
My step-mom noticed that some relatives on my Dad's side were listed as born in Va. (Virginia) instead of Ve. (Vermont). She banged her head against the computer screen for months on that one.

Minime
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Ros Fornaro on Tuesday 14 December 04 21:00 GMT (UK)
I have Horsley, Gloucestershire transcribed as Savosley! 

Ros Fornaro
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: 7igerby7he7ail on Sunday 19 December 04 15:26 GMT (UK)
I had an ancestor down [in the IGI] as 'FLANAKIN'.Then searched for the 'originals' that too was FLANAKIN, the father of the said FLANAKIN turned out to be FLANAGAN, a church scribe mis-hearing the Irish brogue perhaps?
It took me five years to find that out.

A funny one in a PR
Jacob---------- farted from this life on the third day of October-------.

Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Biker on Tuesday 21 December 04 09:49 GMT (UK)
Found my Freiensener family at last on the 1871 census.  Why did it take so long?  In 1901/1891/1881 the name is transcribed correctly on the census.  On the 1871 they are listed as Francini.  So, not only completely wrong, but a nationality change from German to Italian overnight  :D 

Glad I found them anyway.

Jonathan
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Jane Masri on Tuesday 21 December 04 16:44 GMT (UK)
 :-[ Oh dear, I've gotta come clean on this one.  I eagerly transcribed an ancestors will as ' James Bravery of Elba'.  Ummm, so I spent ages looking for a place called Elba in deepest Surrey.  Even came up with a wonderful theory that this was a name given to a house/farm by a gent  fresh back from doing his Grand Tour in the nineteenth century.  Wellllll, come on, sounds plausable ::)
Having nearly torn my hair out trying finding this elusive Elba, I sent the offending will to 'One Who Knows', in Surrey, to find out that it wasn't Elba after all, but read, James Bravery the Elder :-[
Didn't feel too bad though, as I had shown it to the librarian at the Surrey History Centre and he read it as Elba too!
Jane
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Keith Sherwood on Wednesday 22 December 04 23:44 GMT (UK)
For ages I was puzzled by the row of dwellings transcribed as TONIN'S Cottages, Camden, on the L.D.S. 1881 Census on the internet.  Then I realised from a marriage certificate of my WHITE family that the address was supposed to be TORRIANO Cottages, which I eventually visited with my digital camera after stepping out of the Tube at Kentish Town the other day.
I think the problem is sometimes with the cursive handwriting being misinterpreted, for another example is on the death certificate of my gt-grandmother's first husband, who died on Tenerife in 1903.  His death was reported by an Ernest CHIN, who actually turned out to be an Ernest UREN.
Keith
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: gennig on Tuesday 04 January 05 00:24 GMT (UK)
I have spent many years trying to find one particular family and them changing their name from GRECO to GREGORY when they came to Australia didn't exactly help.

When I  found a 2nd marriage in Aus his mother was listed as Agnes ESTA his eventual BC revealed his mother was in fact Angelina PODESTA. 

Then came the 1881 census of Wales, I knew the family was there but couldn't locate them under any variant of GRECO.  Eventually I decided to search using just Angelina's first name and there they were in Newport Monmouth under the name of GLUCO OR GHEEN.  On checking the image the name certainly looks like GLUCO or GLECO.

I must say this family is still giving me grief.

Cheers
Genni



Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Gerry on Tuesday 04 January 05 17:18 GMT (UK)
Hi

I've had Walmsley as Walmcurley, Walmsly and Evans as Ennis.    Thanks to the many helpers who eventually tracked them down.

Gerry
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: gazza on Tuesday 10 May 05 23:00 BST (UK)
This one I came across today made me chuckle
Birth place , "Oil of man"   :D
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: 1000xlch on Thursday 12 May 05 00:13 BST (UK)
Hi Gerry

Definitely had Walmsleys from Lincolnshire mistranscribed, particularly the first name Arthur came out Ausetter!  Work that one out.  Village of Bubwith in Yorkshire came out Hesketh which is in Lancashire!

Are enumerators intelligent or just paid to put marks on paper?  :-\
John
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Keziahemm on Monday 16 May 05 18:29 BST (UK)
My gg aunt Zaida has been transcribed as Lada - obviously after the car  ::)

Susan
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Biker on Wednesday 18 May 05 09:47 BST (UK)
One of my Craze family members, born in Cutcombe, Somerset on the census but was creatively transcribed as Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Cutcombe  :o

Jonathan
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: TheWife on Tuesday 07 December 10 21:59 GMT (UK)
I Spent nearly 9 months looking for my great great grandfather i was missinformed as to where he came from I was told the North of England (which initself was a challange. I gave up for a few weeks as banging my head against the wall so offered to do searches on Ancestry for other people and whilst doing a search for someone i opened a marriage page and lo and behold was my G G Grandfather his name Robert Garnet Crofts and he was down as Garret  garnit Croxt  the coincidence was just to much so i sent for the cert and was releived to find I had the right person lol. having found this information with his fathers name i then discovered he was not from the north of england but from Northamptonshire (i spent hundreds on searches) but at least i managed to find a new branch for my tree
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: skyblue_scarlet on Tuesday 07 December 10 22:26 GMT (UK)
my poor g.gma is named on the 1911 census (according to the website anyway) as    Fellas Kitchen!!!!!   now dont get me wrong her name is Zillah so the double L is correct.. I mean its clear enough to read or at least i thought so but come on does that sound like a typical Yorkshire name to you?

 ;D
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: SBZ5809 on Wednesday 08 December 10 14:00 GMT (UK)
I spent ages searching for a Louisa until someone else found her listed as Lawrence.

Another ancestor apparently lived in Gumblesby, Lincolnshire. Grimsby, actually!
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: nanny jan on Wednesday 08 December 10 14:22 GMT (UK)
I've found 2 so far, both transcriptions on a well known site,:

Great Aunt Matilda was transcribed as...... Moubilou   ::)   

and
 
the Kingsman family (Kingaman) in the parish of St. Clements (St. Elements) in Notting Hill (Nottingham), London........obviously not transcribed by a local.


Nanny Jan
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: coombs on Wednesday 08 December 10 20:44 GMT (UK)
I have Woodbridge transcribed as Woodtriop.

A Priscilla Smith was put down in 1871 as Pernella E Smell.  ;D
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Erato on Wednesday 08 December 10 21:06 GMT (UK)
My favorite is gg grandma Sarah Richards who was born in Old Cleeve, Somerset.  In 1901 her birthplace was recorded as "Oak Leaf, Somerset."
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: skyblue_scarlet on Wednesday 08 December 10 22:13 GMT (UK)
I have Woodbridge transcribed as Woodtriop.

A Priscilla Smith was put down in 1871 as Pernella E Smell.  ;D

Coombs I think we may have had the same person transcribe our rellies thats as bad as mine ???  poor Priscilla..
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Abiam2 on Wednesday 08 December 10 22:25 GMT (UK)
I have a funny one!
In the 1891 census Harry Wise is transcribed as Hay Wire  ;D  The whole family were mistranscribed as Wire.  Think I may have posted this before somewhere sorry if I have.  Still makes me smile,
Abiam2
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: BevL on Wednesday 08 December 10 23:10 GMT (UK)
I found one with the occupation - declined labourer.   As he was well into his late 80's do you think it may have been - retired labourer?
Bev
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: carolynb on Wednesday 08 December 10 23:59 GMT (UK)
HI
I have the Purcell family shown as Pussil on the 1881 census

The Hoey family shown as Honey and High on various census returns and certs

I still dont know if I am a Brennan Brannon or Brannan as all three have been used

As a child I found it funny that one of my grandmothers maiden names was Purcell (I thought of the washing powder) and the other was Hynnes (yes I thought of the beans)

My grandads name was Hill and he was proud to have been born in Wales I used to say to him that Hill was not a Welsh name to which he always replied  with a smile "There are lots of Hills in Wales"
Ha Ha

Carolyn

Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Jool on Thursday 09 December 10 01:11 GMT (UK)
Please look away now if you are easily offended   :-[

This is not a record mis-transcription as such, but an e-mail from Anc***ry.

They referred to my "account" - but shockingly got the right letters but not in the right order, the second "c" and the following "o" were reversed.   :o

Jool
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: billslad on Saturday 11 December 10 15:25 GMT (UK)
Hi

My wife has MILWARD in her tree.  On the 1851 Census, in one of her families the parents and 1 child have been transcribed as MICHAEL whilst the remaining 3 children have been transcribed as MILAND

Also recently came across the following on the 1901 Census - George Sharpe, place of birth Preston Lost Left Foot, Lancashire.  Not really a mis-transcription, the spellings are correct, but a combination of two adjacent columns

John
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: bykerlads on Saturday 11 December 10 18:49 GMT (UK)
Admittedly a very unusual Christian name, but my ancestor Hosetta' s name has been subject to various transcriptions:
Lysetta, Osetta, Rosetta + the vicar who was writing up the Baptismal record couldn't recall the name/couldn't be bothered to check it and so wrote " Hos ---( scribbled/unreadable), illegitimate daughter of Eliza"!!
In fact Hosetta Wimpenny was the very first name I searched for in 1881 census - so I got off to a good start-no doubts that I had got the right person.
Anyone else come across a Hosetta?
I have the vague impression it is biblical in origin.
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: patrexjax on Saturday 11 December 10 18:59 GMT (UK)
HI all....this brings to mind a brickwall I had for years until a clever Rootschatter discovered that my King family had been mis-transcribed as "Hing"  -- once that was discovered, it opened up my maternal great grandmother's line for me.......Hooray for Rootschatters!   ;D
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: coombs on Saturday 11 December 10 19:29 GMT (UK)
My ancestor Gertrude Georgeanna Wallaker was put down as Jacrichnaede Wallaker in 1871.  :D
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Minimoo on Saturday 11 December 10 20:02 GMT (UK)
My favourite was someone transcribed as  a cat door operator instead of  an outdoor operator.  I know a lot of the writing is extremely difficult to read but surely a little common sense is required but it gave me a laugh.
Title: Re: your worst/funniest mis-transcriptions
Post by: Geoff-E on Wednesday 15 December 10 15:08 GMT (UK)
I just came across this "occupation" indexed - Dute Of Carpenter Lilles Royal Manager Abroad ...

To me it looks like "Wife of Captn Little Royal Marines Abroad"