Derbyshire Parish Registers have been added to Ancestry: Derbyshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 Derbyshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1991 Derbyshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932 Derbyshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1916
I've seen a report on a Facebook group, today, of some glaring errors in the indexing provided by Ancestry. Examples are "Kirglai" instead of "Nicholai", "Huhelin" instead of "Gulielmi" and "Wechallin Ejus" instead of "Durneelee Willielmus". I would recommend that any such errors found are reported to Derbyshire CRO, rather than Ancestry. If Ancestry receives reports they may well correct them (why not, all the work has been done for them) but there is no incentive for them to spend money to institute a more general quality check (and the CRO may never even hear of it). On the other hand if the CRO receives multiple reports then they should be able to bring pressure to bear upon Ancestry to bring the index up to the required standard.
You're quite right of course and the examples of ridiculous transcription above are atrocious. However I do feel we've lost something by relying on indexes and not scrolling through registers looking for a 'hit'. It always gives me a 'feel' for a particular place at a particular time that can not just be be very useful but also rather satisfying in a peculiar way.
I too prefer to check the 'originals' where-ever I search - even when they too have errors, tho' not so glaring as some transcriptions. It's rather homely ( or something) to see these pages & the names there-in.
I appreciate the difference between originals and indices but that is not the point in this case. Ancestry has obtained that contract in order to make money, nothing else. That being the case then their standard of accuracy should be far higher than it apparently is.
Spot on Flook. Of late I've given up on the indexes to the Devon parish registers on Ancestry and browsed through the images instead - and I've found about twice as many entries to the surname I am looking for than are recorded in the indexes. As you say, it is so much more satisfying and (almost) takes me back to the days when I could actually turn the pages in record offices
I find it amazing that so many quite clearly written original records do not show up in the Indexes at all. Obviously some of the original parish records are extremely difficult to decipher and therefore may well not end up transcribed on the Indexes but from my own experience Ancestry's transcriptions have deteriorated markedly in the past few years and in some cases you do rely more on their transcriptions if, for example, your ancestors moved about a fair bit. That said, I do love trawling through parish registers - I must be somewhat strange - and by so doing have often found entries, purely by chance, pertaining to other families lines. Janet
In a way I feel a tad cheated that I stayed over in Derbyshire not so long ago to get the info now available online, but by scrolling through the Derbyshire parish images on Anc over recent days I have found a handful of new ancestors, so six of one and half a dozen of the other. What is also infuriating is that I have the easiest to spell surname ever, and in the last few days I have found ten different ways of spelling it!
I am starting to get a little annoyed now, having been browsing the collection for over a week. So many errors. I am able to find many of my ancestors' records because I have an idea where and when I can find them - when I do, generally, the image quality is very good and the clerk's handwriting is neat and clearly legible. As an example, I've just prompted a search result for Joanna, 3rd great aunt, by entering the correct date on the record, and she comes up as 'Isanna'. Not sending reports as advised by GJH, partly on principle but mainly because I wouldn't get any work done.
I probably have missed some folk also due to mis-transcribing, trouble is FMP at times do no better. Too much hurry scurry to get records done & on line. Then there are the ones who do not show in GRO but appear in Baptisms - middle child at that. 1848--still looking for her demise also. [Startha for Martha not a big help ]
Feel free as I have been having the same problem all week. My eyes, and brain as well, are suffering from trawling through screeds of Derbyshire parish records because so many, of what I consider at least to be, reasonably legible records do not appear on the Index! So much depends on the transcriber doesn't it, and having thrown a few brickbats at pretty lousy transcriptions, the Snelston parish registers are pretty nigh impossible, non-existent or damaged and some of the early Cubley records are extremely difficult too, so the transcribers have my sympathy in these cases. Janet
I'm surprised people don't report errors. Would they not complain about such a low quality standard in other circumstances - e.g. faults in a new car or TV, sub standard meal in a restaurant?
Perhaps because it would take so long! I reported a couple of fairly major faults to one company - the particular parish records I wanted were supposed to be online and what came up was a load of gobbledegook on each page consisting of US census record forms, Military record forms, etc., etc. - this was at least 9 months ago and when I last searched nothing had been corrected although their reply stated that they would look into it. I have recently found the same anomaly on other totally unconnected parish registers. So many errors it would take ages to report them all: for example I have a direct ancestor named Samuel CASE and when searching for him in Warwickshire I had a large number of hits. On further research the majority of them were for Samuel base son of ...... There must have been well over 40 of them all perfectly legible! That said, certain transcribers are very good, others are really dreadful and the majority probably fall in between, which is fine if your ancestors stay in the same area but not so good if they travelled. Rant over, as I am still very happy that so many actual parish register images are now online. Janet
A now deceased relative sent me a clutch of high definition scans of 17th and 18th century family Wills. He wrote "If you are bouncing off the ceiling with delight, try and imagine how I felt. I got to handle the actual documents".
How wonderful BD. I've never had the pleasure had that pleasure. I do have three books printed in the 1800's and each time I look at them I am amazed they are still around and wonder who might have owned. Not quite the same, but a pleasure none the less.
That's why I said make the report to the CRO. The company may have little incentive to make corrections but the CRO may be able to bring pressure to bear.