One of your census transcriptions has my family surname spelled incorrectly, will you fix this?
NO. Once a transcript has been proofread and placed online it cannot and will not be changed. We advise transcribers to transcribe what they see, and proofreaders to verify that they see the same thing, not what they think it could or should be. Please keep these things in mind as you are viewing the transcriptions:
- The transcript may in fact be accurate. Not all enumerators could spell all names correctly. Please view the actual census on microfilm before assuming the transcript is wrong.
- Spellings are not always accurate and depend on how well enumerators could spell and how they heard the surname as it was being spoken (not everyone was fluent in English). Surname spellings are also dependent upon the person giving the information - it's not uncommon for two relations to spell their shared surname differently.
- Microfilm can be (very) difficult to read.
- Transcribers & Proofreaders are not necessarily familiar with the families/surnames they are transcribing. They may not know that the odd looking character they see is supposed to be an 'S' instead of an 'L'. What they see is what you get!
How can I make a correction to your census transcriptions?
First, take note of the FAQ above - we will not correct the transcriptions. However, we do offer a corrections area where you can post your corrections. To access this area, locate the transcript and click on 'corrections'.
If the census you'd like to correct does not have a correction link, corrections are not currently being accepted for that transcript so please do not send them in (wait until a correction link is available).
If you find your ancestors in one of these transcripts, consider volunteering to proofread! Not only will you get to correct your ancestor's information yourself, but you'll also benefit from seeing what other information the microfilm has to offer regarding your ancestors (not all census columns are transcribed!)
What are the * or ? found in your census transcriptions?
A * or ? means that the transcriber and/or proofreader could not make out that piece of information. Transcribers and proofreaders are advised that when in doubt -- leave it out. If any question about a letter or name pops up a * or ? is put in its place. It's the job of each genealogist and researcher to see the original census for themself and decide what the * or ? stands for.
Why are pages missing from some of the transcripts?
Usually because they did not contain the information we request transcribers to transcribe. Some census years (1851/2 is a good example) had enumeration forms that were two pages wide. One page had the information our transcribers transcribe, the other page had ‘extras’ that you should seek out on your own. These pages were numbered consecutively, so when our transcribers have a complete transcript they will have only done odd numbered pages (1, 3, 5, etc). Other census years had the agricultural census included. So there will be a “gap” of several pages (for instances pages 1-20, then 25-30) until the personal census returned. If you are concerned that something important was missed we encourage you to view the original census on microfilm!
What do the abbreviation(s) in the Religion column stand for? I don't understand the meaning of a word used in the transcriptions |
