Genealogy Chat

In the 1901 census I have found the correct family but the parents are unexpectedly recorded as having been born in Brixham. I really don't think this is correct but until I get the birth/marriage certs I cannot confirm this. Has anyone else found this problem? Did people say, or record, whatever was most convenient? Thanks Abigail

I've not found errors in place names, but several errors in peoples names: Ethel intead of Elizabeth, Michell instead of Michael, Patrick insted of Frederick for example. You have to have some other source to confirm what's been transcribed. Michael (in Dundas).

This seems to be a general rule, that people don't always say the truth, especially to government officials ! Apart from the many similar stories I have seen on GC and other forums, I have found what I believe is my g-grandad's family on 1901, with GG-D born in Stepney. But my dad says GG-D was born in Germany ! Another source of errors was in transcribing handwriting, or, when the enumerator helped fill in the form, his interpretation of what people where saying, i.e. trying to understand someone speaking with a heavy accent !

You have to remember that the census was transcribed in India by Indians. Names and Places are frequently transcribed incorrectly. How many of us would be able to transcribe Indians places/names correctly ?? I'm still looking for my ancestors on the 1901 census (there were only two people with the surname spelt this way) .......they just cannot be found, and i have tried every variation of spelling i can think of. best of luck with your research

How many English people would be able to transcribe Welsh names? How many people in Dorset know names of Hampshire villages? And would your instruction to transcribers be "Write what you think it says" or "Write what you think it ought to say"? FreeBMD uses the first of those instructions.

As you say, till you have the certificates, you won't know where they were born and I have found my relatives have a habit of being born/married/dying where I hadn't expected them to. As for the 1901 census, I've found more relatives' names incorrectly transcribed than right, but place of birth generally good - apart from mistranscribing Limperhal for Limpenhoe. But I have had a merry dance with the 1881 - one gt grandmother recorded as born in Farnham, Surrey which turned out to be Farnham Royal Bucks. Another gt grandma born in Langham, North Norfolk, was written as Langley, an easy mistake as this was the next village along from Limpenhoe, but led me on a wild goose chase looking for her baptism!