Frustrated Ancestry.Com Subscriber

[kerryb]

Hi Pritch

You are not alone, every family I have searched for in 1871 on ancestry.com has come up with the family members but no image.  So what have they actually got for 1871? and my family are all in Surrey and Sussex.  I gave up telling them after two unanswered emails.  I get very frustrated when companies do not answer emails, it's like they are serious enough for them like a phone call or letter.

kerryb

[Hackstaple]

All of the census transcriptions have errors and omissions. Those who have been involved in transcriptions will tell you that it is not always an easy task. I have seldom found missing images from the 1871 on Ancestry but they surely do exist. There are entire suburbs that have escaped transcription and one of my families does not exist at all in that census but on balance one should think that half a loaf is better then none. It is always worth using this site to ask for lookups as there are members who have partial records independent of Ancestry

[Arranroots]

I found your public rant quite informative, Pritch, a public service really!   

I am a recent convert to Ancestry and have found all sorts of things I thought were complete dead ends (at least without sepnding every waking moment in record offices around the country).

HOWEVER, I am also waiting for my Morgans, Webbs and Pritchards to show up in 1871 and was naive enough to assume that soon meant SOON!!

Have been doing my little best to use the resource to help others, while begging look-ups from Monmouthshire on Rootschat.  Meanwhile, thought I'd add my twopennorth in the hope they DO monitor Rootschat and will feel the pressure...   

[carol8353]

Angela

To report errors or just to have a good old moan at the powers that be I use
http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/mbexec?htx=board&r=5538&p=topics.ancestry.uk-ire

and a chap called L Brown will eventually reply.Or sometimes a chap called Martin who is very knowledgable  about these things too,will offer suggestions.

Good luck,glad it's not just me who thought all my ancestors had won the pools or the lottery on census night and had gone on a round the world cruise.

Carol 

[AngelaR]

Thanks for that suggestion Carol 
Posting on one of ancestry's message boards never occurred to me, so it's a route I never tried.

I'm really hoping that some of my missing relatives decide to come out of hiding soon - I'd just started looking at the local asylums to see if any of the inmates looked possible - in my areas they all seem to be identified by initials only, so it's lots of guesswork. Posting on a board is loads easier 

Thanks again

Angela

[pritch19]

Hi All

GEOFF  -    I have traced my Pritchards back to Llangenny, nr Crickhowell, Brecon.  The most definite record I have is a marriage between James Prichard and Anne Lewis in Llangenny in Oct 1825.  Until this time Pritchard was the usual spelling but James is given as Prichard.  Confirmed this with a birth cert of a son.  James was possibly born in Llangattock Llingoed near Abergavenny about 1795 but I have not confirmed this yet.  This family were in Llangenny in 1851 and had moved to the eastern valley of Monmouthshire by 1861.  I have looked at the census records of 1841 and there were a lot of Pritchards and Prichards in the agricultural areas, Monmouth, Abergavenny and Usk so there may be a connection, but couldn't definitely say so.  Any questions, let me know.

ANGELA   -     Just have to hang in there Ang and hope it does not take another year to come online.  I agree, it does not pay to be rude to them, but boy!  the frustration!  Good luck with the research.

KERRY  -    You're right, it shouldn't take much on Ancestry's part to give a proper response to emails.  They really should do better in response to their customers.

HACKSTAPLE  -   You are right of course Hack, the transcription of the census is a difficult job and in no way would I knock the efforts of the people who do the work.  It's just that Ancestry do not make plain what  information Is NOT posted online, it can be pretty confusing at times.  You yourself kindly answered one of my posts when I was trying to find details of the 1871 Gloucester census.  The family I was looking for are not there, although I know they should be, they were there before 1871 and after 1871.  Still as you say, half a loaf is better than none and I am grateful for all that I have gleaned from them.  I've also found Rootchats invaluable I the short time I have been a member.

ARRANROOTS  -  Hi again,  I agree with you, my original post was not intended as a wholesale rant against Ancestry, I was mainly trying to portray my frustration after waiting so long for the Monmouthshire census.  They said COMING SOON, not PARTLY COMING SOON, so when it finally arrived I expected to be able to access all of it.  Thanks for the support.


CAROL  -   Thanks for the link.  Went and had a look and I see there are lots of people encountereing similar problems.  Frustration seems to be a downside of being an Ancestry member.

Best Wishes

pritch
 

[AngelaR]

Hi all

CAROL

Following your helpful link about the ancestry message board I went there and posted the first (easiest) of my queries and got a response from L Brown just as you said

Thank you very much - that board is really useful, for instance as they've just posted the fact that Monmouth stuff is now on


PRITCH

Have you noticed that Ancestry claim to have just put some more Monmouth bits on for 1871?

Perhaps your missing families are there at last 

Also - you're right - they do like to thank you for your patience 

Angela

[pritch19]

Hi Angela

Thanks for that.  Just been over to Ancestry, no the area I want is not there yet.  Patiiieeennnncccccceeeee.   

best

pritch

[Arranroots]

 

YIPEE!!!

sorry to gloat, but at least SOME of my folk are now there!!!

Thanks again for the heads-up, I would not have thought of checking back having been disappointed so recently.

Still looking for Esther BIRD or Alonzo BURT, if anyone trips over them...

Sue