Hello all, We have all had experience of mis-spelt, mis-pronounced, mis-transcribed and umpteen variations of names, but it is easy to understand how and why this happens, as it is happening here and now. I have received many emails during the past few days, some of which have been address to Janet. I recently received a cheque that was addressed to Janet Wood – my bank refused to accept it. I was given credit for information in an article recently published in a local history magazine, but my name was given as Janet Woods, so nobody knew it was me! At the time, I thought it was perhaps a good thing, as the writer had misinterpreted several of the facts that I had given him. I am sure we are all guilty of making mistakes. I think it is because we are in too much of a hurry to stop and read thoroughly. Our ancestors lived at a slower pace, but they had only handwriting to read which, good or bad, can be mis-read. They also had much stronger local dialect and accents to contend with than those that we hear today. Imagine a Yorkshire born census enumerator encountering a Cornish miner in the ironstone mining areas of the North Riding – would they understand each other at all? There were also many Irish immigrants as well as incomers from County Durham and Northumberland – what a language problem they must have had – I have trouble understanding people in that area now, and it’s only 50 miles from home. How lucky we are that we can communicate in readable print! Janice Wood