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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: PhyllSmith on Tuesday 10 January 17 11:36 GMT (UK)

Title: Who transcribed the 1911 Census?
Post by: PhyllSmith on Tuesday 10 January 17 11:36 GMT (UK)
I'm sure i read somewhere that when the UK 1911 census was digitised in the mid 2000s it was transcribed by prisoners in some far east country where they didn't know the language / names - hence many of the transcription errors.  I'm not sure if this 'ignorance' would make you more or less objective in your work myself.

Anyway, my question is - where did i read this? Is it true? I can find any methodology for how the holograph transcription was achieved now i'm looking for it - does anyone else know where i might find out?

Thanks...
Title: Re: Who transcribed the 1911 Census?
Post by: Redroger on Tuesday 10 January 17 13:36 GMT (UK)
Others may differ, but I believe the 2001 was transcibed by British convicts. The 2011 was transcribed on a contract by people whose first language was not English and who had never seen Copper-plate handwriting before, hence the number of capital Ls transcribed as S or T
Title: Re: Who transcribed the 1911 Census?
Post by: PhyllSmith on Tuesday 10 January 17 13:43 GMT (UK)
Thanks for that Redrodger - do you know of a book or link which supports this? There should surely be something on theNational Archives or Findmypast's web sites?
Title: Re: Who transcribed the 1911 Census?
Post by: Redroger on Tuesday 10 January 17 13:55 GMT (UK)
I believe Phyll there is a thread somewhere on this site which gives confirmation. Why not try a search under 1911 census transcribers?
Title: Re: Who transcribed the 1911 Census?
Post by: Guy Etchells on Tuesday 10 January 17 15:56 GMT (UK)
I believe the 1911 was transcribed in India the 1939 National Registration was transcribed in the UK

Cheers
Guy
Title: Re: Who transcribed the 1911 Census?
Post by: PhyllSmith on Tuesday 10 January 17 17:41 GMT (UK)
It appears from other threads that 1911 was transcribed in the Philippines - and was subject to a FoI request about the status of transcribers, but the page has been removed from the NA website  http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/foi/1911-census-transcription.htm
Title: Re: Who transcribed the 1911 Census?
Post by: jim1 on Tuesday 10 January 17 19:10 GMT (UK)
I know earlier censii for Ancestry were transcribed by students in the Far East.
Title: Re: Who transcribed the 1911 Census?
Post by: stanmapstone on Tuesday 10 January 17 22:19 GMT (UK)
It appears from other threads that 1911 was transcribed in the Philippines - and was subject to a FoI request about the status of transcribers, but the page has been removed from the NA website  http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/foi/1911-census-transcription.htm


You can see it at http://web.archive.org/web/20130210000314/http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/foi/1911-census-transcription.htm

Stan
Title: Re: Who transcribed the 1911 Census?
Post by: smudwhisk on Tuesday 10 January 17 22:50 GMT (UK)
You can see it at http://web.archive.org/web/20130210000314/http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/foi/1911-census-transcription.htm

Stan

I tried archive.org earlier with the posted link and it came up saying it didn't have a copy of the webpage. :-\  Must have done something wrong. :-X
Title: Re: Who transcribed the 1911 Census?
Post by: PhyllSmith on Tuesday 10 January 17 23:52 GMT (UK)
Got to love the wayback machine! Thank you, all. Not convict labour in this case then.