Sunday, August 26, 2007

Occasional notes No 3 - Place of Birth

I write about this because even experienced volunteers (7 years servitude!) are getting things wrong. Unfortunately, some of it is subjective and in some areas I do not agree with the Free Census policy. It is all covered in the General Instructions that everyone, including checkers, should have.

This can be divided into two - 1841 - and the rest.

In 1841, there are two fields. The first one asks if the person was born in the county or not. If the answer is YES, then the enumerator should enter a "Y". We enter the county code. If the person being recorded was born in England or Wales but not in the county, then the enumerator should record N for NO. We just enter OUC or the county mentioned. The enumerators were not required to enter the county. However, if the person was born overseas, or in Scotland or Ireland, then the enumerator should use the second column and enter F, S or I. We use OVF, SCT or IRL. If there is additional information, then record it in the notes column. If there is no information or you can't read it, enter UNK.

After 1841, things changed. There are still two columns to fill. The first should be the county and for this you use the Chapman code. Free Census has a modified version of this table; modified to include OVB, OVF and UNK. The second column should record the town or parish. For Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the enumerators were only required to enter the county, not the town or parish. For some reason unknown to me, ALL volunteers are strangely reluctant to use the Chapman code for Irish and Scottish counties. In fact, hardly anyone does, so I have to input them. If the second field is not used by the enumerator, input a hyphen.

Overseas births are difficult. This is a Free Census thingy and is not "as is". In general, I subscribe to the idea that if the name looks English, then they are OVB no matter where they are born. You, of course, still enter the details of their birthplace in the second column. In the first, you enter OVB or OVF. Quite often, British Subject or B S are added to the place of birth. You should enter this information, even if you are entering OVB. You should also enter OVB for people who are described as naturalised. If they are born at sea, then it is OK to follow the rule of thumb and enter OVB or OVF; but you can also enter UNK.

Free Census supplies a gazetteer, but it only has 35,000 or so place names. It is possible for the validator to enter the modern place name, but I don't. As long as you are sure it is transcribed correctly, then it will pass through the system and appear online, just as the enumerator wrote it. It is up to the customer to work out where the place is. If you are having trouble reading the place name, then there are various aids you can use. The first is Google. Just type the place name in and see what happens. Quite often, Google will put up our census returns in the first ten hits. So, another way of checking on a place name is to search our online returns. English place names have been largely unchanged for a long time. Sometimes, it is worth just browsing our online returns for clues. Some volunteers use the LDS familysearch web site; others use FreeBMD. If you think it will help - then leave a note. Do not correct the enumerator's words!

If the place of birth fields are empty, then you enter UNK hyphen. If it says N K or Not Known, then you enter the respective words and UNK for the county. In fact, whatever it says in the place of birth field, that is what you should enter. I will also point out that it is very unlikely that the enumerator would enter U K, as United Kingdom was not used then as it is today. It has got to be a badly written N K. Sometimes you will see N B; this is for North Britain, usually meaning Scotland. If you can't get everything into the place of birth field, then split it and use the notes column. Try and make it so that it makes sense. If you have something like St Stephens by Launceston, then St Stephens by Launc is acceptable. You can also spell out the whole thing in the notes column. Please don't use St. when the enumerator has used St - it makes hard work for me.

The bottom line is that we want what the enumerator has written; not what we think he should have written. As is!!!!!!

Saturday, August 25, 2007

COCP 1871 Project Upate




Hello folks

First question - where is this?

Second question - Here is a list of the remaining 1871 pieces. Let me know if you disagree.

2217 Week St Mary Poundstock being transcribed by Caroline Buckland
2220 Camelford St Breward being checked by Judy Waddell
2225 Launceston St Magdalene being checked by Francis Kenshole
2228 Anthony Maker being transcribed by Julia Woodley
2234 Callington St Ive being transcribed by Lesley van Goeson
2236 Liskeard Menheniot waiting for transcriber
2237 Liskeard St Clear being transcribed by Susan Tippett
2238 Liskeard being checked by Julia Mays
2240 Liskeard St Neot being checked by Donna Hazledon
2253 Padstow being transcribed by Celia Wikert
2254 Padstow Little Petherick being checked by Pam Pinkerton
2255 St Columb Major being transcribed by Eleanor Twist
2288 Kea being checked by Doug Luke
2289 Kea Feock being transcribed by John Wright
2291 Mylor being checkd by Chris Uphill
2293 Falmouth to be checked by Christ Uphill
2296 Falmouth being checked by Barbara Pullar
2300 Wendron being transcribed by Robert Worthington
2304 Helston to be checked by Jeff Beaton
2306 St Keverne being checked by Penny Trueman
2315 Redruth being transcribed by Irene Todd
2316 Redruth being transcribed by Janet Copping
2322 Illogan being transcribed by Karen Duvall
2324 Camborne being transcribed by Yvonne Morgan
2325 Camborne transcribed; to be checked by John Nance
2328 Phillack being checked by Brian Millett
2331 Uny Lelant being transcribed by Samantha Hussey. To be checked by Maxine
2339 being transcribed by Primrose May
2340 Penzance being checked by John Nance
2341 Penzance being transcribed by Sandra Searston
2343 St Just in Penwith Morvah being transcribed by Gillian Johnson
2346 St Buryan being transcribed by Sue James

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Occasional notes No 2 - Occupations

The occupation column often contains a lot of useful information - useful for our customers that is. The transcribers have 31 characters(including spaces) available. However, many of you are using a templated spreadsheet that allows only 27 characters. I keep meaning to change this. It is, however, a useful discipline thing.

If there is more than 31 characters worth of detail, then you have two choices. You can abbreviate and fit the lot into the occupational field, or you can split the information and put part in the notes field. Or you can do both.

Abbreviations should be designed to make sense to the customer and to look neat. There is no need to abbreviate more than you have to. I get lots of "Farmer 200ac E 7m 3b" . It is obvious what is meant, but "Farmer 200a Emp 7 men 3 boys" looks better and still fits. If you have someone who has several occupations, then shuffle the employment data into the notes field. If you do that - enter it to fit the pattern you can see in the online returns already completed. So in this case, enter Employes 7 men 3 boys, not E 7m 3B.

If you have someone who is described as Grocer & Draper employing 3 lady assistants and a United Free Church local preacher, move the preacher stuff to the notes field - it is obviously not his primary occupation. You must strive to capture all the data. If a doctor gives his qualifications, as he was supposed to do, then enter them. It might help a researcher later on.

I cannot emphasize enough this business of capturing all the data. I have just done a piece which was full of entries like "Almswoman formerly laundress". It is not correct to enter Almswoman (laundress). She was, but she isn't now.

Things that are crossed out must be entered in the form "Pauper (crossed out)". If there isn't room, then put this information in the notes field. Sometimes things are crossed out because they were wrong, but in many instances, the information was correct but the enumerator was tidying up by crossing out things he should not have put in. We don't know why it was crossed out - but the researcher has all the data we have.

Things are rather more complicated for volunteers checking the 1881. Due to the reformatting, occupations are in uppercase and frequently, large chunks are shunted into the notes field. Checkers cannot edit the notes field, but they can edit the occupations field and/or leave a note for the validator.

Do NOT correct the enumerator's words. This morning I had a "Potografher". Don't transcribe this as "photographer"; enter it "as is". Leave a note if you wish. There are web sites containing lists of old occupations; but my first port of call is Google.

The final word is to try and get the entry as near as possible to the enumerator's words, given the limitations of the Free Census software. And make it look good for our web pages!

Monday, August 13, 2007

Occasional notes No 1 - Ecclesiastical Parishes

When Free Census started in the summer of 2000 the only software was INCENS which was used for transcribers. The checking software, CHKCENS was developed on the hoof just in time for the first Cornish and Devonian pieces. At that time it was decided that the Ecclesiastical Parish needed to be captured. The project was only working on the 1891 at the time and the EP was almost always given in the top right slot on the page. It was felt that this was a valuable lead for researchers who would know the most likely parish registers to search. As the decision was rather late in the day for the numerous pieces already in the hands of transcribers, it was decided the checker should insert the EP.

The next set we tackled were the 1841; there was no slot for EP on the page. In 1851 there was a field for Ecclesiastical District, but it was rarely filled in. In 1861 the Ecclesiastical District had moved to the top right field, but didn't seem to be filled in very often. The position remained the same for the 1871 but in 1881 the field was changed to Ecc Parish or district. These were not often filled.

The difficulty is knowing just what an Ecc District is. The census returns themselves do not define it and enquiries made to people who might know have produced no answer. The fact that many of the returns have no entry for the relevant field suggests that the enumerators didn't know either. The assumption might be that it is a group of parishes, but that is only an assumption. And we don't do them, do we?

Sometimes, the ecclesiastical parish is mentioned on the enumerators "patch" description, but if it is not on the actual pages, we don't use that. Because it isn't "as is". We do take the ED number off that page, but nothing else.

So - what is required of transcribers and checkers? For transcribers it would be nice if they would leave a note against the first record of each ED, saying if the the Ecc field is filled in and with what. Or that it is empty. This will alert the checker. Checkers MUST fill in this field. At the first prompt you are required to do so. If there is nothing there, then enter a hyphen. Checkers must check the header detail at the start of each new page. Quite often, parishes, both civil and ecclesiastical change or go missing. You must follow these changes faithfully.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

COCP 1881 update



Hello Folks

The pub next door taken about 1890.

This is the list of 1881 pieces being checked currently. If you are not on the list or are not doing what I think you are; please drop me a line.

2270 Stratton being checked by Glenise Spittey
2272 Boscastle being checked by Richard Hender
2274 Alernon being checked by Geoff Moss
2278 North Hill being checked by John Ball
2282 Saltash being checked by Jan Lewis
2283 Callington being checked by Kevin Burrows
2286 Liskeard being checked by Valerie Paine
2287 Looe being checked by Maxine Cadzow
2290 St Mabyn being checked by Steve Mitchell
2299 Fowey being checked by David Trounce
2304 Mevagissey being checked by Helen Blamey
2309 St Agnes being checked by Geoff Westlake
2313 Kenwyn being checked by Malcolm Rule
2328 Gwennap being checked by Tony Bennett
2330 Redruth being checked by Di Thompson
2337 Phillack being checked by John Smith
2339 Uny Lelant being checked by Carol Jennings
2342 St Ives being checked by Peter Veryan
2349 beign checked by Valerie Pettifer

Most 1881 checkers have more than one piece on their discs; but you are only committed to the list above. Obviously, I hope you will stick with us the the bitter end!!!!

Friday, August 03, 2007

Nth Wilts OCP 1861 & 1871 update


Hello folks

Here is the baptismal entry of one of my great great grandmothers. Mary Delaney, born in Gibraltar in 1825.

Remaining pieces of the Wiltshire 1861 & 1871 and who is working on them.

1269 Highworth to be transcribed by Lilian Fraser
1270 Swindon transcribed waiting for checker
1271 Swindon being checked by Phil Pike
1272 Swindon transcribed waiting for checker
1274 Cricklade being transcribed by Sue Flower
1279 Malmesbury West transcribed waiting for checker
1280 Castle Combe being transcribed by Marlene Bond
1281 Corsham, to be checked by Sue Flower
1282 Corsham transcribed waiting for checker
1283 Chippenham being transcribed by Nancy Frey
1284 Chippenham being transcribed by Jane Brown
1285 Christian Malford transcribed waiting for checker
1286 Calne to be transcribed by Jane Brown

1881 Swindon being checked by Steve Brain
1883 Swindon being checked by Helen Ward
1884 Wootton Bassett being transcribed by Lianne McDowell
1888 Cricklade being checked by Phil Drew
1889 Malmesbury East transcribed waiting for checker
1890 Malmesbury East being transcribed by Karen Hayes
1891 Malmesbury West
1894 Castle Combe being transcribed by Paul Webb
1895 Castle Combe being transcribed by Harry Tadd
1896 Corsham being checked by Heather Williams
1897 Corsham being checked by John Holden
1898 Chippenham being checked by Phil Drew
1900 Christian Malford being checked by Valerie Henwood
1903 Calne being transcribed by Linda-Jane Hamil
1906 Marlborough being checked by Edmund Bristow

COCP 1871 Project Upate




Hello folks

Here is a list of the remaining pieces and of who is doing what to which; if you disagree, let me know please.

2217 Week St Mary Poundstock being transcribed by Caroline Buckland
2220 Camelford St Breward being transcribed by Celia Wikert
2225 Launceston St Magdalene being checked by Francis Kenshole
2228 Anthony Maker being transcribed by Julia Woodley
2232 Saltash being checked by Ken Hosking
2234 Callington St Ive being transcribed by Lesley van Goeson
2236 Liskeard Menheniot transcribed, waiting for checker
2237 being transcribed by Susan Hooper Tippett
2238 Liskeard being checked by Julia Mays
2240 Liskeard St Neot being checked by Donna Hazledon
2253 Padstow being transcribed by Shirley Ball
2254 Padstow Little Petherick being transcribed by Judy Holman (Waddell)
2255 St Columb Major being transcribed by Eleanor Twist
2256 St Columb Minor being checked by Pam Pinkerton
2261 Fowey St Blazey being checked by Kay Hinrichsen
2288 Kea being checked by Doug Luke
2289 Kea Feock being transcribed by John Wright
2291 Mylor being checkd by Chris Uphill
2293 Falmouth to be checked by Christ uphill
2296 Falmouth being checked by Barbara Pullar
2300 Wedndron being transcribed by Robert Worthington
2304 Helston to be checked by Jeff Beaton
2305 St Keverne St Martin in Meaneage to be checked by Jeff Beaton
2306 St Keverne being checked by Penny Trueman
2315 Redruth being transcribed by Irene Todd
2316 Redruth being transcribed by Janet Copping
2322 Illogan being transcribed by Karen Duvall
2324 Camborne being transcribed by Yvonne Morgan
2325 Camborne being transcribed by Sue James
2328 Phillack being checked by Brian Millett
2331 transcribed by Samantha Hussey. To be checked by Maxine
2339 being transcribed by Patience May
2340 Penzance being checked by John Nance
2341 Penzance being transcribed by Sandra Searston
2343 St Just in Penwith Morvah being transcribed by Gillian Johnson
2346 St Buryan to be checked by Judy Holman (Waddell)