An enumerator who can not spell.

[AndrewA]

Well I am quickly loosing patience with a certain enumerator, or transcriber/copiest who can not spell and has terrible hand writing, it has taken me days to just get half way through the district, and entering only 300 names, when normally I can enter at least 5 times as many. It is not a case of the document being faded, worn or damaged etc, it is extremly clear, but well you just have to see. So what is this offending district, well Its in Sussex, Subdeanery , District 6.

Hand writing is inconsistant, many letters look the same with no real clues as to what they are, other letters are non-existant at best. One example, is surname which looks like Perkeled, is the D crossed out? Perkel , Peckel, Pecked, but no, resorting to a search in 1851 census I find the family in question and it is clear as day, PESCOTT!

Another tatic I use is to check all the tradesmen against various directories, and that helps a great deal. Some of the servants, well anyones guess along with the unskilled illiterate working class, the poor enumerator is obviously just guessing what he is hearing, so those are just going in as unknown.

[AndrewA]

Here is the offending entry, Folio 27 Page 12.

pescott.jpg (71.36 KiB) Viewed 3721 times

[Marchesgirl]

I agree - I wouldn't have interpreted that as Prescott. Perhaps the enumerator was hard of hearing or from out of the area and struggling to understand the local accent? During the 1880s, several of my families moved up to Yorkshire and judging by the spellings of their names in the 1881 and 1891 censuses, I think the enumerator wrote down what he thought he heard

[gardener]

I may be wrong, but I think each household was asked to fill out its own form. The enumerator's job was collect the forms and transcribe them onto the sheets which we now view - the original papers were destroyed. So it isn't fair to blame the enumerator for everything. In some households a child would fill out the forms because they could write and their parents could not. I expect that in 1861 some people still had the enumerator fill it out for them but we have no way of knowing that. Just image having to try and read various sorts of handwriting! You wouldn't even be able to compare on a previous page like we can.
Have a bit of sympathy for the enumerator

[AndrewA]

I will concede that maybe I was wrong to use the word Spelling in my title, but in my defence there were a couple of words for occupations which were miss-spelt. There are also a few names which are not spelt correct, but its obvious what they should be, is this fault of the enumerator? Maybe.

As I slowly hack my way through this mess, its more a case illegible handwriting which is more of the killer. I am aware of how the census was conducted and the obstacles which enumerators faced, however it is not helped by the handwriting.

[MarkCDodd]

He was probably a Doctor. I worry every time I see the scribble they write on my prescriptions.

[AndrewA]

Doctor So who can work this out! I have already found out what this name is, so its more of a little test and game for you.

cantreadthis.jpg (17.72 KiB) Viewed 3669 times

Yes the thought did cross my mind, this has been a nightmare to transcribe as his handwritting is inconsitant at best, a few squiggles to convey several letters which could be anything, its no good guessing either. Therefore I had to resort to trying to find just about every person in the 1851 census and PO Directories. The result is District 6 for Subdeanery has taken me a week to complete, yes I have just this very hour finished!!! a task I do not want to endure in a hurry.

NOw on to District 4 and the handwriting is a vast improvement and easy to read, as you can see below, so I should take just a day or two in my free time to enter this little lot, a vast difference in time.

District 6 much better.jpg (246.56 KiB) Viewed 3669 times

[Northern Lass]

I give up

is the second letter an S?

[AndrewA]

BUZZZZ
Incorrect answer. It is not an S. if you compare the two entries of this surname you can eventually work out the correct letters 6 in total.

[Northern Lass]

Ok 6 letters eh?

is 2nd one an F then

[Northern Lass]

BUZZZZ
Incorrect answer. It is not an S. if you compare the two entries of this surname you can eventually work out the correct letters 6 in total.

Oh and don't buzz me fella!

[AndrewA]

oo err

moving on, yes you are correct, the second letter is an F, which should make the First letter easier to guess!

[Northern Lass]

oo err

moving on, yes you are correct, the second letter is an F, which should make the First letter easier to guess!

-F----

[AndrewA]

This could be a weekly competetion, Transcription hangman.

[Maths girl]

Ifield?