Census Reference check

[peter]

If the entry is from 1881 then check the transcription at Ancestry in case that is different from FMP. Although both transcriptions were the same initially, some records have been updated by either or both since then, based on user feedback. I have been caught by similar situations on several occasions.

Just to clarify, it's the Ancestry version you should use, not Findmypast's amended version. Only a very small percentage of entries are affected, which is why we use Findmypast for reference checking.

Ancestry use the original LDS transcription which was the only version available at the time LostCousins began. Sadly FamilySearch now uses Findmypast's version, so the only place you can find the original is on the CD ROM set, or at Ancestry.

 

[trebor]

The ! symbol indicates that there is a close match between your entry and another entry. The fact that this person is apparently not listed at Findmypast has no relevance - you can't have a close match to nobody.

(I say apparently because Findmypast will only list people on the same page as the head of household, so if the household is split between two pages it won't show all of them.)

If the other members of the household have matched with a living relative compare your entry with theirs (you'll have to ask them). Y0u certainly shouldn't confirm your entry based on what you have said so far - if it is an entry from 1841 or 1911 take another look at the handwriting and see if it is capable of being interpreted in more than one way.

After reading your explanation I have checked again. It is an 1881 census result. All three family members are on one page - the missing person being the last one on the page. FMP have incorrectly recorded their transcription using the next page number. How should I record this in Lost Cousins - with the incorrect FMP page or the correct page where the entry occurs? At this point there is no match with a living cousin. Thanks.

 

[Bryman]

Ancestry use the original LDS transcription

Except where they have made their own changes, sometimes different from FMP.

 

[peter]

Except where they have made their own changes, sometimes different from FMP.

Ancestry don't update their transcription based on user submissions, they show an alternative version, but keep the original.

 

[peter]

After reading your explanation I have checked again. It is an 1881 census result. All three family members are on one page - the missing person being the last one on the page. FMP have incorrectly recorded their transcription using the next page number. How should I record this in Lost Cousins - with the incorrect FMP page or the correct page where the entry occurs? At this point there is no match with a living cousin. Thanks.

Always follow the instructions on the Add Ancestor form. The LDS transcription is the master source, deviations at Findmypast should be ignored. Findmypast provide a quick and easy check that works 99.9% of the time - since the LDS will not allow me to use their transcription (they don't even use it themselves!) it's the best option we have.

You should report to Findmypast that the transcript for that individual is linking to the wrong image. It might take time, but they will correct it eventually.

 

[trebor]

Always follow the instructions on the Add Ancestor form. The LDS transcription is the master source, deviations at Findmypast should be ignored. Findmypast provide a quick and easy check that works 99.9% of the time - since the LDS will not allow me to use their transcription (they don't even use it themselves!) it's the best option we have.

You should report to Findmypast that the transcript for that individual is linking to the wrong image. It might take time, but they will correct it eventually.

LDS are also using the incorrect references so from your instructions I will change to the page reference that does not show the person involved. I had originally created the record either by manually inserting the correct details from the image on FMP or by automatically adding the correct details from Ancestry. If the former I would have created the household first with the father and just added the other family members and as they are all on the same page I would not have seen the need to check for an error.
I will report to FMP and if I can see a way also to LDS.

 

[Alexander Bisset]

Interesting Peter. I can see that there may be issues around the traffic light checking for that 0.1% although that's 99.9% that will be accurate. However it's always the edge cases that trip you up.

 

[peter]

I will report to FMP and if I can see a way also to LDS.

No need - Findmypast take all of their UK census data from Findmypast.

 

[trebor]

I am now totally puzzled.
I went to change the entry to match the page references on LDS and FMP but also noticed that the full middle name was still in use rather than the initial
I thought that I had previously changed this but obviously not. Corrected the middle name to match the census but did not change the page references.
Straight away the ! was replaced by a wonderful TICK - so even though the page reference does not match either LDS or FMP it finds living relatives.

 

[trebor]

No need - Findmypast take all of their UK census data from Findmypast.

 

[peter]

so even though the page reference does not match either LDS or FMP it finds living relatives

But it DOES match the LDS transcription - and that's what matters. The only online source of the LDS transcription of the 1881 England & Wales census is Ancestry, the only online source for the LDS transcription of the 1881 Scotland census is ScotlandsPeople.

It also lives on in CD ROM form, and of course it forms the basis of the Findmypast version, which is also used by FamilySearch.

 

[canadianbeth]

I found two different spellings of the same given name at Ancestry and FindmyPast. Both were incorrect but I used the one at Ancestry. I just found the FindmyPast one when clicking on the grey arrow.