Hi I'm Paddy I'm transcibing Marriages and find that generally the scans are underexposed and look fat and difficult to guess. Before I retired I was a scanner operator and retoucher in the graphic arts industry. It seems obvious to me that the original copies were thin and lacking contrast. Therefore the operator set his scanner to catch the lightest tones. This is the ideal way to deal with this type of copy. May I suggest that if folk are having difficulty reading anything they should retouch the images. this means using Microsoft Photo Editor, Image and Effects until the image approximates the original. I find it a great help. Best regards Paddy

Hi, Just to add to this ... Its important that the list is copied so that we can pick up on any 'wrong' advice that is passed on. In general most answers on here are correct, but seeing the responses does help us to pick up on any erroneous info that may be going around ... Cheers Graham Jacky Middleton wrote: > Dear Fellow Transcribers, > I have had several really helpful answers to my recent posting titled "Where are the answers to useful questions?". I hope that I have thanked everyone individually. > It seems that such questions are often answered direct to the originator, rather than to the list in general. > Please, as a 'newbie', could I ask that the list is sent a copy of the replies. There must be people joining all the time who could benefit from the advice of the more experienced transcribers. > Jacky. > Jacky Middleton in Ancaster, Lincolnshire > > > ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== > Need to get a fast answer to your transcribing problems? Go to the > Transcribers Knowledge Base at http://FreeBMD.RootsWeb.com/vol_faq.html > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > > >

Dear Fellow Transcribers, I have had several really helpful answers to my recent posting titled "Where are the answers to useful questions?". I hope that I have thanked everyone individually. It seems that such questions are often answered direct to the originator, rather than to the list in general. Please, as a 'newbie', could I ask that the list is sent a copy of the replies. There must be people joining all the time who could benefit from the advice of the more experienced transcribers. Jacky. Jacky Middleton in Ancaster, Lincolnshire

The problem seems to be that many answers are sent direct to the originator without a copy to the list. I have in the past done this myself without thought for others who may be seeking the same info. Most answers are to be found in the 'Transcribers' knowledge base', 'Hints & Help for Beginners' and 'Data Formats' but sometimes these suffer from having been prepared pre-WinBMD. Maybe some thought should be turned to the completion of section 3. WINBMD QUERIES? Meanwhile here is one tip - WinBMD uses comma not semi-colon as the delimiter - a simple answer to something which must have tripped up many newbies! I have also found it very useful to have a copy print-out of the district files (WinBMD_A and WinBMD_B) sorted by Volume. If you have a spreadsheet programme (e.g. Excel) this is easily produced by opening the original, in the spreadsheet programme, as a comma delimited file then sorting and saving with a different name. Then when you come across a name which is difficult to 'decode' it is easy to find all the districts in vol. 7a OWHY. The WinBMD drop down does give this but I often feel happier with the full list visible rather than the restricted window on screen. If the list produced is a little too long to print 'as is' then it can be exported to a word processor programme on pages formatted as two columns. One last thing that bears repeating. The ouput from WinBMD is in the form of a plain text file so if you find a problem with e.g. (xxx) or / then ignore this till later, close and save the file, re-open in 'Notepad' and make the corrections before uploading. John.

I'm pretty much new myself (approx one month) but having checked out Question and Answers on http://FreeBMD.RootsWeb.com/vol_faq.html 6. PRINCIPLES OF TRANSCRIBING DATA the answer to both Bronny and Helen's dilemma although slightly different, may be found here at d. which reads as follows: 6 (d) The page on the fiche which I am working on at present (1882 Dec Marriages) has three similar corrections on it. There is a handwritten X by the name of an entry and, handwritten at the bottom of the column, with a referencing X, is a different page number from that which is in the original entry (which is quite legible). The difference is a numeral transcription. i.e. 451 typed in entry line but 541 handwritten at bottom. How do I deal with this? Where there is a correction like this, you transcribe it in corrected form, and add a comment to the file on the next line; #original was 451 manuscript amendment to 541 Also see question 6g Apologies in advance if this is incorrect. Dorothy Jacky Middleton <jacky@kevock.freeserve.co.uk> wrote: Dear fellow Transcribers, I am new to Transcribing and this list. Please would you clarify the purpose of this list. On 8/11/05 Bronny Slowe asked a question about the transcription of single letters that have been crossed out. I am still waiting to see a reply to her question. On 15/11/05 Helen Speight had a similar problem and asked the list a similar question. As yet I have seen no help offered to her either. Yet the comment on the updating of the Transcribers' Page elicited 11 replies! Is this the norm or have I just joined at a bad time? Jacky. Jacky Middleton in Ancaster, Lincolnshire ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== FreeBMD - http://FreeBMD.rootsweb.com ============================== Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx

Dear fellow Transcribers, I am new to Transcribing and this list. Please would you clarify the purpose of this list. On 8/11/05 Bronny Slowe asked a question about the transcription of single letters that have been crossed out. I am still waiting to see a reply to her question. On 15/11/05 Helen Speight had a similar problem and asked the list a similar question. As yet I have seen no help offered to her either. Yet the comment on the updating of the Transcribers' Page elicited 11 replies! Is this the norm or have I just joined at a bad time? Jacky. Jacky Middleton in Ancaster, Lincolnshire

Hi All I have been overwhelmed by your help in establishing M Harboro as being the district I could not decipher. Thanks to all of you. Brian -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.12.8/163 - Release Date: 8/11/2005

Market Harborough Pat :-) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Poplar" <bjang@aapt.net.au> To: <FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 6:16 PM Subject: District Problem > Hi All > > I am new to this and on my first scan file I have hit a problem. I cannot > make any sense of a district. I am using WinBMD and have "show district > auto complete" checked in the options menu. Whatever combination of > letters I have tried have not come up with a district that comes close. > Maybe if one of you more experienced transcribers could have a look to see > what you make of it. > > It is found here > <file://??>http://images.freebmd.org.uk/GUS/1849/Marriages/June/EW-02/Q-Z/ > and is scan 82. The first district on page 2. > > Thanks in anticipation. > > Brian > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.12.8/163 - Release Date: 8/11/2005 > > > ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== > FreeBMD Transcribers homepage > http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/vindex.shtml > > ============================== > New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your ancestors > at the same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn more: > http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&targetid=5429 > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com

Hi All I am new to this and on my first scan file I have hit a problem. I cannot make any sense of a district. I am using WinBMD and have "show district auto complete" checked in the options menu. Whatever combination of letters I have tried have not come up with a district that comes close. Maybe if one of you more experienced transcribers could have a look to see what you make of it. It is found here <file://??>http://images.freebmd.org.uk/GUS/1849/Marriages/June/EW-02/Q-Z/ and is scan 82. The first district on page 2. Thanks in anticipation. Brian -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.12.8/163 - Release Date: 8/11/2005

Hi Brian I've only been transcribing for about three weeks, so I'm much a newbie myself. Agreed Market Harborough, but remember you must type what you see, so it should read M Harboro' Good Luck Dorothy Patricia Pasterham <gopuppygo1@yahoo.com.au> wrote: Market Harborough Pat :-) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Poplar" To: Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 6:16 PM Subject: District Problem > Hi All > > I am new to this and on my first scan file I have hit a problem. I cannot > make any sense of a district. I am using WinBMD and have "show district > auto complete" checked in the options menu. Whatever combination of > letters I have tried have not come up with a district that comes close. > Maybe if one of you more experienced transcribers could have a look to see > what you make of it. > > It is found here > http://images.freebmd.org.uk/GUS/1849/Marriages/June/EW-02/Q-Z/ > and is scan 82. The first district on page 2. > > Thanks in anticipation. > > Brian > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.12.8/163 - Release Date: 8/11/2005 > > > ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== > FreeBMD Transcribers homepage > http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/vindex.shtml > > ============================== > New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your ancestors > at the same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn more: > http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&targetid=5429 > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== Need to get a fast answer to your transcribing problems? Go to the Transcribers Knowledge Base at http://FreeBMD.RootsWeb.com/vol_faq.html ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx

Hi Brian The district is M Harboro' XV..............if you type in Market Harborough you, will see its the same district Hope this helps Julie

Bouquets Page - If this page is to remain on the FreeBMD site, perhaps it should be kept up to date? Last update Nov. 2003 Evan Smith

----- Original Message ----- From: "Evan Smith" <evan_smith@optusnet.com.au> To: <FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 7:33 PM Subject: Transcribers' Page > Bouquets Page - > > If this page is to remain on the FreeBMD site, perhaps it should be kept > up to date? > Last update Nov. 2003 > Last bouquet Nov. 2003??? Patricia. Perth, Australia. Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com

Thanks to all who responded. I now have the email address.

I have a couple of instances in the handwritten entries where individual characters have been scribbled out eg Johannah where the first h has been scribbled out. Can anyone advise how to transcribe this entry? Regards Helen Scan2 2302 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.0/167 - Release Date: 11/11/2005

>> >>Near the bottom there is Conroy, John Hugh Claudius, (something >>beginning with B and ending in ford) Williton,5c 253. >> >>Can anyone tell me what that name is as I have only typed Williton 5c >>before or is it his 4th forename? (Beresford perhaps). >> > Well, you must type what you see but I see it as John Hugh Claudius > Beresford, Williton > > -- > Philip Powell == Thank You John and Philip. Karen :))

Sorry to have to send this to everyone, but I can't think what else to do. This is for Lesley Bayston (apologies if I've spelt this wrong); I'm assuming I haven't heard from you because you don't have my email address, so this is it: alan.rayzone@ntlworld.com But if anyone has Lesley's email address, please send it to me. A few weeks ago my computer crashed and I lost everything, so I don't have your email address or any of the information you previously sent me, so I'm a bit stuck and I haven't been able to complete the last batch you sent me. So, please contact me, so I can get back on track. Regards, Alan Cheale.

In message <013101c5e942$b2917e40$0401a8c0@KarensLaptop>, Karen Shaw <karen.shaw1@ntlworld.com> writes >1862D2C0523 > >Near the bottom there is Conroy, John Hugh Claudius, (something >beginning with B and ending in ford) Williton,5c 253. > >Can anyone tell me what that name is as I have only typed Williton 5c >before or is it his 4th forename? (Beresford perhaps). > Well, you must type what you see but I see it as John Hugh Claudius Beresford, Williton -- Philip Powell Looking north across the Derwent Valley and Northumberland to The Cheviot

Dear Karen, It is indeed a 4th forename, and is Beresford, and of course you are quite right the district and volume number is Williton, 5c Cheers John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Karen Shaw" <karen.shaw1@ntlworld.com> To: <FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 5:41 PM Subject: Help with Place Name please > 1862D2C0523 > > Near the bottom there is Conroy, John Hugh Claudius, (something beginning > with B and ending in ford) Williton,5c 253. > > Can anyone tell me what that name is as I have only typed Williton 5c > before or is it his 4th forename? (Beresford perhaps). > > Many thanks > Karen :)) > > > ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== > FreeBMD Transcribers homepage > http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/vindex.shtml > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > >

1862D2C0523 Near the bottom there is Conroy, John Hugh Claudius, (something beginning with B and ending in ford) Williton,5c 253. Can anyone tell me what that name is as I have only typed Williton 5c before or is it his 4th forename? (Beresford perhaps). Many thanks Karen :))