For years, I sought evidence for my Brunelles in Westford MA. Finally, I wrote (yes, this was back in the pre-Internet days) to the Town Clerk and this wonderful woman took the time to go through her records and found the entire family of Brinnells.
Again pre-Internet, at an AFGS lecture in Rhode Island, the speaker talked about needing to say something phonetically that looked odd in a census record. He illustrated with the word "Touan," which was an odd name for a French-Canadian child. Ahh...what the native French speaker was trying to communicate to the English census taker, was that the child was a "twin."
The craziest one was a person listed on the census as Ooplicate Roid. That sounds like a crazy name, so I looked at the image. My relative's real name was written, but then crossed out. Over it was written Duplicate - Void.
If my relative wasn't living next door to my other relative, there is no way I would have found him!
Very thorough detective work. I admire your persistence and determination in figuring out some not so easy puzzles. I have come across lots of subscription errors but none as complex as yours as far as I can remember.
This was a great bit of detective work! Knowing French is critical for reading census records and church records in Quebec. It's been a dedicated hunt for some people because of the transcriptions of entries from people who struggled with non-French names.
Same here. I audibly groaned when I read about you going through every page of the entire county census. It's daunting, but so rewarding when you find what you're looking for. If I remember a good transcription mistake, I'll post it here, but my mind goes blank when I try to think of one.
The most fun and harmless one was “apothecary shoemaker” on a census record. I should probably have AI give me an image of what that would look like.
Two errors come to mind.
For years, I sought evidence for my Brunelles in Westford MA. Finally, I wrote (yes, this was back in the pre-Internet days) to the Town Clerk and this wonderful woman took the time to go through her records and found the entire family of Brinnells.
Again pre-Internet, at an AFGS lecture in Rhode Island, the speaker talked about needing to say something phonetically that looked odd in a census record. He illustrated with the word "Touan," which was an odd name for a French-Canadian child. Ahh...what the native French speaker was trying to communicate to the English census taker, was that the child was a "twin."
I love reading your posts!
So many!
The craziest one was a person listed on the census as Ooplicate Roid. That sounds like a crazy name, so I looked at the image. My relative's real name was written, but then crossed out. Over it was written Duplicate - Void.
If my relative wasn't living next door to my other relative, there is no way I would have found him!
Ooplicate Roid was a character in Mad Max in Thunderdome. Or not.
Very thorough detective work. I admire your persistence and determination in figuring out some not so easy puzzles. I have come across lots of subscription errors but none as complex as yours as far as I can remember.
I’m lucky that way.
This was a great bit of detective work! Knowing French is critical for reading census records and church records in Quebec. It's been a dedicated hunt for some people because of the transcriptions of entries from people who struggled with non-French names.
And then there is the rabbit hole of jaune. Yellow is not just a color in French.
Among other things, jaune refers to the yolk of an egg. I am so impressed you figured this out!
Wonderful detective transcription work! I love this stuff.
I am good at this stuff only because I have made all the rookie mistakes at least twice.
Same here. I audibly groaned when I read about you going through every page of the entire county census. It's daunting, but so rewarding when you find what you're looking for. If I remember a good transcription mistake, I'll post it here, but my mind goes blank when I try to think of one.
If I can make at least one person groan in anguish, well then my work is done.😂
Success! 😁