Anyone missing a Thomas from the Ancestry BMD Index?

[csh]

I am missing a Thomas on the 1911 census, I shall give those names a go in a while when its all quiet here.

Thanks for the tip.

Regards

[kooky]

Has anyone any variations on Richard, other than Richd?
I am missing deaths of two Richard Fishers, one between 1841 and 1851, and the other between 1851 and 1861.
Kooky

[Ringoroses]

Sounds mad, but given what I said before about Punsen Cawick (who the hell calls their kid Punsen?)  I'd try non names, like Bichard, or Kickard, *ichard,  Fichard, or even with no first name, and just Fisher in the surname box and his year and rough place of birth.  Or try his surname, rough year of birth, and his occupation.

I'd vary Fisher too, in the same way  - who knows what the indexer thought it said - Tisher? Eisher? Asher? I've even come across some transcriptions which just miss out letters they can't read and say something like        --sher???

Minefield. 

[kooky]

Thank you Ann. Lots to think about there!
Could I adopt the same approach in FreeBMD ?
Kooky

[Ringoroses]

Probably. Not sure about using * or ? and such like on those (don't think they have wildcard software). But you can certainly mess about with name spellings and such like. After all, they all use transcribers, who all suffer from the same problem - no, not alcohol miduse or poor eyesight!  Illegible handwriting. 

[carol8353]

Kooky I really don't think you need to vary it much on Free BMD.
They have been copied from the actual GRO indexes,and whilst a few errors creep in,there aren't too many.

When you can't find someone you expect tio be there,surely it's best to try every version of their name however daft it may seem to try and find them.

Our main beef is with the stupid transcriptions that have been done on Ancestry.
When it so clearly says Thomas/George/Joseph etc etc.
And they have transcribed them as Thoams/Geroge/Jospeh......in their thousands  

Carol

PS there must be others too,on the girls side like Elziabeth etc etc

[Ringoroses]

I agree. I have seen an Elizabeth transcribed as Eliza. (with a dot after it) even though it is written clearly as Elizabeth on the document.

I have also seen Johns written as Jnoh and such like. Quite frustrating.

[Hammerman]

Surely though Ancestry have just used the FreeBMD transcription. All mistakes on Ancestry are there on FreeBMD as well because they transcribed it originally.

I wonder where the best place is to correct the errors. FreeBMD is still not 100% complete, even pre-1916. Do Ancestry update with the latest FreeBMD transcription every month?

Perhaps contacting FreeBMD pointing out all their mistakes on common names might be in order. Then Ancestry will correct with their next update from FreeBMD.

[carol8353]

Ancestry used Free BMD for the indexes 1837- 1915,the newer ones 1916-2005 were scanned and number and letter recognition was used as well as transcriptions.

Hence you not being able to find some of the partners to a marriage cos it's been read wrongly by a machine! Example Horton/Morton/Norton all look the same in some cases when it's from some of the typed GRO indexes.

Carol