Incorrect Census transcriptions on Ancestry

[Burrow Digger]

I can't use Ancestry. It makes my blood pressure go up. Why do they keep estimating the birth year? So often they have it wrong, and why must the names be in alphabetical order? Why can't we have it like it is on the census form?
And WHY did my great grandfather William come from Hobberaam when it was Hubberston?
The LDS can get it right, why not Ancestry?
I had a months free trial with my Family Tree Maker, but gave up after two weeks from sheer frustration. Silly, I know, but that's me, a silly old bird.

You are not silly. I totally agree with you.

I refuse to pay for their shoddy work.

BD

[Necromancer]

Yep - the transcriptions are shoddy in many cases...... as are the original Enumerators 'translations' of what he heard !

Estimate the birth year ? They dont - they take it from the declared age on the original (if legible)

At the end of the day its a darn sight better than nowt .... dont under estimate the scope of the task ....

[PaulaToo]

Thanks BD, it's nice to know I'm not alone.

[loo]

I ran across a whole bunch of a name starting with M, which had been transcribed with a W the other day.  I don't remember the name, as it wasn't one of mine, but it's something to try if you're stuck on an M-name (or a W-name for that matter!)

[stonechat]

It's always a good technique , that i  you can't find someone, but have a resonably certain birth  place and date, to do a search on first name, birthplace and date, omitting surname, I have had much success this way

Bob

[Stumped!]

I've just been searching through the 1871 census for Alderney.
Having been given the folio and page number, I was surprised that I couldn't find it (RG10/5770 F39 P13)
I looked at the description page at the front and it seems that a whole district (no 3) is not in the database. I was able to find the image that way, but if a little place like Alderney can be wrong.....
Peter

[stonechat]

There are areas totally missing from some censuses.
Walton is missing from 1841 Census

Also I found that some pages in Torquay were missing from Ancestry, but present in the 'official' 1901 site

Bob

[sunnylady2005]

I'll add my irritation :  My forebear was given the first name "Read" when it is clearly "REVd" with the D in superscript and his occupation is Baptist Minister - at least I found him (his first real name is unusual which helped)..... and have entered a correction.  But on other sites they got it right....

[PaulaToo]

True, Ancestry is American, so they are unfamiliar with our names and place names, but familysearch is also American and there aren't as many mistakes, jumping to conclusions, yes, but not many transcription mistakes.