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Those of us who have been following this Forum and involved in genealogy for any length of time, frequently read or report on the fact you need to look at the actual document to make sure the data is correct because often the transcriber cannot read the original document, or is careless. The other day I found where the census taker had perfect penmanship but inserted an extra "r" in the name. So, if you cannot find what should be there, search for different spelling. I know this is old news for experienced researchers, but maybe it will help some of the less experienced.
"Since April 1st falls on a Sunday in 2012, we'll have to wait an additional day to access the 1940 census schedules, but recent announcements from officials at the National Archives have indicated the schedules are already scanned and being prepped for digital release through the NARA website, rather than microfilm as has been done in previous years."
"PROVO, UTAH (August 17, 2011)- Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online family history resource, today announced that both the images and indexes to the 1940 U.S. Federal Census will be made free to search, browse, and explore in the United States when this important collection commences streaming onto the website in mid-April 2012.
When complete, more than 3.8 million original document images containing 130 million plus records will be available to search by more than 45 fields, including name, gender, race, street address, county and state. It will be Ancestry.com’s most comprehensively indexed set of historical records to date."
No word on how long the indexing will take, though.
If you know where to look, you will be able to find records before the index is ready, though. So start looking for 1940 addresses for folks in your tree.
Those of us who have been following this Forum and involved in genealogy for any length of time, frequently read or report on the fact you need to look at the actual document to make sure the data is correct because often the transcriber cannot read the original document, or is careless. The other day I found where the census taker had perfect penmanship but inserted an extra "r" in the name. So, if you cannot find what should be there, search for different spelling. I know this is old news for experienced researchers, but maybe it will help some of the less experienced.
Yes, I frequently tell beginners that census records are often incorrect, even the original document. Some of my ancestor's names have been butchered - sometimes, even their birth place or age is completely off.
However, most census search engines take this into account - Ancestry.com, for example, also searches for similar spellings and phonetic spellings unless you select "Match all terms exactly". So unless their names were seriously butchered, you can usually still find them in the results.
Yes, I frequently tell beginners that census records are often incorrect, even the original document. Some of my ancestor's names have been butchered - sometimes, even their birth place or age is completely off.
However, most census search engines take this into account - Ancestry.com, for example, also searches for similar spellings and phonetic spellings unless you select "Match all terms exactly". So unless their names were seriously butchered, you can usually still find them in the results.
Ancestry's search really does work. It kept giving me a record for a person I was looking for, but it took me a long time to figure out that it was that person because the transcription of the first name was misspelled and the surname was not what I was looking for ( because another record had been mistranscribed.) Grrrr!
Yes, I frequently tell beginners that census records are often incorrect, even the original document. Some of my ancestor's names have been butchered - sometimes, even their birth place or age is completely off.
However, most census search engines take this into account - Ancestry.com, for example, also searches for similar spellings and phonetic spellings unless you select "Match all terms exactly". So unless their names were seriously butchered, you can usually still find them in the results.
I had that experience with the 1930 census. I was looking for my grandmother's family but couldn't find it. And I KNEW they lived in the city. I finally put my mother's name into the search and found it...she was living in her stepfather's residence...but they had butchered HIS last name. For some reason they had replaced the H with L!
Just throwing this in for giggles. The is how the first name of one of my ancestors from the 1800s was listed on a string of census records.
George -> Joel -> Jael -> Jow -> Jowel -> Joe -> JJ
He was fairly easy to follow because he had a house full of kids and later grandkids with loopy names, was in his 20s on the first record I found for him. Have no idea what his name really was. He was illiterate and I guess he was saying his name and the census taker was writing something down and calling it close enough.
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