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Continental Drift? An 1841 Census Error?

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  • Continental Drift? An 1841 Census Error?

    Place of Birth: Lanarkshire, IRELAND!

    I looked for Donnachie in the 1841 Census and there are 16 listed. Several have their birthplace as Lanarkshire, Ireland.

    This is presumably an error. Any ideas as to how it happened?

    Hugo

  • #2
    Are they on the Scottish census?
    Probably there is a Y / Yes in the "same county" column and a mark in the "overseas" column which has been interpreted as "I" for Ireland when it is really something else. You would have to check the images on Scotland's People to see if that is what happened.
    KiteRunner

    Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
    (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

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    • #3
      KiteRunner,
      Thank you very much. You answer one question and it raises another.

      I checked SP and yes there is a Y in the 'Same county' column and what could well be taken as 'ditto' marks in the 'overseas' column where an earlier entry was I for Ireland. Obviously the Ancestry transcription was done by someone who did not check if the transcription made sense.

      However, in Ancestry the surname is DonnAchie whereas in SP it is DonnOchie! Aren't I the lucky one!

      So now the question is which one is more reliable?

      Hugo




      Probably there is a Y / Yes in the "same county" column and a mark in the "overseas" column which has been interpreted as "I" for Ireland when it is really something else. You would have to check the images on Scotland's People to see if that is what happened.

      Comment


      • #4
        In 1841 there was still no standardisation of name spellings, so what the vowel is is of little consequence! It's the genes that matter! lol

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Hugo View Post
          Obviously the Ancestry transcription was done by someone who did not check if the transcription made sense.
          Well, ancestry transcribers aren't exactly noted for their accuracy anyway, but as a FreeBMD transcriber (who I hope are!) I should point out that it is best to transcribe each entry exactly as it appears, rather than try to make sense out of it - for instance, in this case, if the transcriber genuinely thinks they see a tick and a ditto mark, it shouldn't be up to them to try to decide which is correct, but to transcribe both and let researchers sort it out for themselves.

          However, in Ancestry the surname is DonnAchie whereas in SP it is DonnOchie! Aren't I the lucky one!

          So now the question is which one is more reliable?
          As Merry says, the spellings weren't standardised in those days anyway, so you can't pick one of those as the "correct" one, but if you want to know for sure what it actually says on the census entry, you would go by the actual image on SP (not SP's transcription).
          KiteRunner

          Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
          (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

          Comment


          • #6
            Many thanks to you both for your sensible comments.

            My conclusion is that either SP or Ancestry might be right, with SP being the more likely.

            As to being a transcriber, the short answer is no, I am not and have not been. I have offered my services to several sites but they were obviously not the right ones as I never heard anything from them. I will make this a new post; it might encourage others.

            Hugo

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            • #7
              Sorry for any confusion, Hugo, I didn't mean that I hoped you were a transcriber - I meant that I hoped that FreeBMD transcribers were noted for their accuracy in comparison with ancestry transcribers! Maybe I should have worded it a bit better. But I do hope you find someone to transcribe for.
              KiteRunner

              Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
              (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

              Comment


              • #8
                KiteRunner,

                No problem. I am the one who had a guilty concience.

                Hugo

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