While you often find misspellings in user submissions, it the first time I've seen one on an extracted record on IGI. - At least if they've been decent enough to put a question mark against the entry it lets you know they may have had trouble reading the original. Whilst I can not afford the time to visit far flung record offices I'm working through the Census images for every one that's in my tree and in the UK in the period 1851 - 1901 and some of the writing is terrible. Sometime II wish I could go back and say to the enumerator's yes you did a wonderful job but can you please write clearly and do overmark other entries. Also some of the BMD entries are erronous because GRO allege in the early days local registration offices made up entries. Regards Kevin (England)

Hi Kevin Its true to say the writing on many census pages is pretty awful but its worth remembering the census was not taken for our benefit but simply for statistics, I think we all seem to forget that The enumerators were under some pressure for little pay to get the census done and most I would suggest tried their best, they would not have had time to be as careful as we wished they would have been By *overmark* I presume you are referring to the statisticians marks which often overlap parts of the enumerators writing but sadly the purpose of the census was just that, to compile statistics so we are stuck with it Having said that the 1911 census being in the householders own writing for the first time (or whoever he chivvied into doing it) is no better on some of the pages I have seen As regards the BMD entries it is known that certain Registrars did make some up as they were paid by the entry in the early days Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) > Whilst I can not afford the time to visit far flung record offices I'm > working through the Census images for every one that's in my tree and > in the UK in the period 1851 - 1901 and some of the writing is > terrible. Sometime II wish I could go back and say to the > enumerator's yes you did a wonderful job but can you please write > clearly and do overmark other entries. Also some of the BMD entries > are erronous because GRO allege in the early days local registration > offices made up entries. > > Regards > > Kevin (England)

Nivard, Agree with what you are saying - I was not moaning but saying I want to travel back in time to tell them that they all did a wonderful job and let them know that their work is so important to so many people - 100 plus years after they did the initial work. By "Overmark" its not just the statisticians marks but also addtional words that have been entered over the top of the original words. Regards Kevin