Genealogy Chat

Has anyone else had this problem? I spent ages looking for a John Wekes, only to find out his name was Wokes. Then i started looking for a Joy, only to discover that she was an Ivy. Ive come across this loads of times and i end up with nothing to go on. Anyone else found this problem? Wendy

All the time! But when you look at the number of spelling mistakes on this website, I can see why they occur, both mistakes in original records and transcription errors! Merry (who can't spell either!!)

There are at least three issues here... Firstly, in the past (even up to quite recently), people weren't always too worried about how their names were spelled. NEWLAND/NULAND in the same document, for instance. Secondly, the enumerators - even some of the registrars! - couldn't all spell - or didn't always recognise correctly what they were hearing - especially when there was a regional accent. Sometimes they made assumptions - wrong ones. Thirdly, the modern-day transcribers don't always have the relevant local knowledge to recognise people- or place-names - and sometimes they clearly can't read the old-fashioned script, either... (EBRNETH for SMITH, for instance!). You just have to think of it as making the hobby more challenging! - A greater sense of achievement if you beat the system and find teh info after all. Good hunting! Christine

Oh - and if the transcriptions are done with keyboard - then some folks transpose letters - like I do! 'teh' above, for instance. Christine

I absolutely agree with Christine - the sense of achievement from finding something that has not been handed to you ''on a plate'' is so much more rewarding!! Merry