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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: kizmiaz on Tuesday 08 July 25 09:07 BST (UK)

Title: Death record in French, Haiti 1908
Post by: kizmiaz on Tuesday 08 July 25 09:07 BST (UK)
Good morning,

I wonder if anyone with a good knowledge of French and elaborate handwriting may be able to help me.

I have a death notice for an ancestor of mine who married the Haitian writer, politician and ambassador Louis-Joseph Janvier, and who died in Haiti in 1908.

I have used an automatic online transcriber which seems to me with my limited pre- O'level French to have done a rather good job of transcribing the text, and then used Google translate to get it into English, but there are a few words I am doubting the accuracy of. My old eyes cannot see the same as the transcription in the original, and although I doubt that any of them change the meaning of the whole text it would be nice to have an accurate transcription and translation so that the records are straight in my tree. And if anyone can verify the rest, just to ensure the transcriber did a good job, that would be great.

Attached is a copy of the original, and my attempt to highlight the words I am questioning.

Any help would be most gratefully received
Title: Re: Death record in French, Haiti 1908
Post by: joger on Tuesday 08 July 25 11:30 BST (UK)
Aujourd'hui le treize avril 1905 au 105 rue de  l'Indépendance à huit heures du matin; Par devant nous Marius Nicolas , officier de l'état civil de Port au Prince section Sud ,soussigné, sont comparus les citoyens Polynice Joseph Janvier juge du tribunal de ce ressort et George Hyacinthe Jacob industriel, tous deux demeurant et domiciliés en cette ville, lesquels nous ont déclarés que madame Jane Maria Windsor épouse Louis Joseph Janvier, native de Brighton-Angleterre, est décédée hier soir à cinq heures et demie en la demeure de son époux sise en cette ville rue Republicaine, à l'âge de trente  huit ans.En foi de quoi nous avons dressé le présent acte de décès qui a été transcrit sur les deux registres à ce destinés et les avons signés avec les déclarants après lecture par nous faite.


Louis Joseph Janvier was also a doctor, and also had degrees in " science politique" and Law.

Title: Re: Death record in French, Haiti 1908
Post by: kizmiaz on Tuesday 08 July 25 13:05 BST (UK)
Wow, so quick!

Many, many thanks Joger, that is brilliant.

I was mildly impressed with the auto transcription website, but it yet again shows the limits and risks of relying on these types of machine learning tools. I tried to get Copilot to transcribe the same, and it made up almost everything and presented it as fact.

I have been looking at Louis-Josephs family, and Polynice Joseph Janvier was his younger brother, so another name to add to the tree.

I am intrigued by the story of Louis-Joseph and especially his wife Jane. She came from the backstreets of Brighton, met and married the Haitian ambassador and dined at venues in the presence of Queen Victoria.
Title: Re: Death record in French, Haiti 1908
Post by: Isabel H on Tuesday 08 July 25 13:24 BST (UK)
Quote from: joger on Tuesday 08 July 25 11:30 BST (UK)
Aujourd'hui le treize avril 1905

mil neuf cent huit  1908
Title: Re: Death record in French, Haiti 1908
Post by: kizmiaz on Tuesday 08 July 25 14:20 BST (UK)
Thank you Isabel, now corrected
Title: Re: Death record in French, Haiti 1908
Post by: joger on Wednesday 09 July 25 07:55 BST (UK)
Quote from: Isabel H on Tuesday 08 July 25 13:24 BST (UK)
Quote from: joger on Tuesday 08 July 25 11:30 BST (UK)
Aujourd'hui le treize avril 1905

mil neuf cent huit  1908

Oops, sorry.
Title: Re: Death record in French, Haiti 1908
Post by: joger on Wednesday 09 July 25 07:57 BST (UK)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Joseph_Janvier

https://www.haitiinter.com/louis-joseph-janvier-le-defenseur-de-la-cause-haitienne/