Genealogy Chat

I'll put a list in as a reply - as usual!

I was looking to see how many folks had COODE as a first name (other than the immediate family) and realised that one alleged instance was where students were listed surname-first, and the Ancestry transcriber hadn't twigged - or not at first, and didn't go back to correct the error... Source information: RG12/1010 Registration district: Windsor Sub registration district: Egham ED, institution, or vessel: Royal Indian Engineering College Folio: 169 Page: 1 GSU Number: 6096120 Egham Berkshire [excluding staff, who are (probably) correctly transcribed] Attfield Henry Sewart abt 1869 Morchard Bishop, Devon, England Student Fo169 p1 Barlow Thomas abt 1871 India Student Fo169 p1 Berkeley Arthur Mowbray abt 1870 Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales Student Fo169 p1 Borrero Victor abt 1871 South America, United States Student Fo169 p1 Boyle Alexander George abt 1872 Ireland Student Fo169 p1 Coode Charles Lome (Louis) abt 1870 St Austell, Cornwall, England Student Fo169 p1 Corbett Patrick Poseph abt 1870 Ireland Student Fo169 p1 Craven Louis Bertrand abt 1870 Italy Student Fo169 p1 Finlaison Harry Glen abt 1869 London, Middlesex, England Student Fo169 p1 Heap Jus (Jas) Henry abt 1869 Rochdale, Lancashire, England Student Fo169 p1 Latham Percival Marsden abt 1870 Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England Student Fo169 p2 Leicester Arthur Hamilton abt 1869 Isle of Wight, Bembridge Student Fo169 p2 Morres (?Morris) John Lamplow abt 1871 London, Middlesex, England Student Fo169 p1 Richards George abt 1869 East Pennard, Somerset, England Student Fo169 p1 Smith Edward Arundell abt 1869 Yasmania Student Fo169 p2 White John Henry abt 1868 St Just, Cornwall, England Student Fo169 p2 Willmott Herbert Morton abt 1870 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England Student Fo169 p1 cheers Christine

It occurs to me that there could be other lost names for the same reason... soldiers in barracks people in institutions (workhouse/hospital) seamen on board ship prisoners Christine

Wondered whether I'd made the problem/risk clear in my first messages. Christine

Sorry Christine I don't quite follow. Don't they usually have the surname first? David

Unless you look at the page it is a bit complicated to explain. Some census enumerators put the surname first, some last. Ancestry indexes them with the first names and surname separate, so that the names come up user-way-round but sequenced by surname. e.g. Fred BLOGGS George BLOGGS Caroline JONES On the page in question, the enumerator listed staff first names - surname and students surname-first name. The transcriber has transcribed them all as if they were first names - surname So all the students come up as if their first names were surnames and vice versa. e.g. Jones CAROLINE Bloggs FRED Bloggs GEORGE But only on the first page or so. It means that, if you're searching for Fred BLOGGS, you won't find him because you'd need to be looking for Bloggs FRED! Christine

Just found a couple of Gould SARAHs (i.e Sarah GOULDs) and a Hodder Ralph OLIVER (i.e. Ralph Oliver HODDER), also transposition errors and also in 1891. One of the Gould SARAHs was on a page full of back-to-front names for servants. Christine

Thank you Christine, for that. I have just found my great uncle who was not with his family in Bristol in 1891. He was lodging elsewhere in Bristol and is transcribed with surname first, as were the other lodgers. He was 19. I shall now apply that reasoning to searching for other missing rellies. Pat

Yes - I have one or two myself - now that I realise what's going on! It appears not to be confined to institutions, either. I've also just submitted a correction for Gould Days JONES... poor Gladys! The enumerator made a pigs ear of her name and the transcriber obviously couldn't work it out. Christine

Thanks Chris, will remember that. I must say I put William in first name yesterday on a search and forgot to enter the surname - WELL, lots of Williams with no surname came up! Makes you wonder if all our missing ones are sitting there waiting for us to be a bit ingenious.

Have been browsing other censuses. Looks like it's a problem not confined to 1891... Christine

Thanks for telling us about that Christine, All those elusive dead rellies out there may just be back-to-front! I'll try putting the ones I can't find like that & see what happens... Thanks Sarah :-)