Data in disarray
Ever want to test your faith in the ability of others to read? Do as I do; check the accuracy of transcriptions in the world of genealogy. Just this evening, while delving into some free record (opened up to celebrate St. Valentine), I decided to verify my life. Guess what?
Quite apart from the actual copy of the pertinent government form (that’s my signature, right there), I also looked at the database associated with the file. So far, my wife has a different family name, my mother was born in a different country, my home address was incorrect and I lived in a different province. Not bad for free data, but unacceptable in the historical context.
And so, I ranged deeper into the madness. My brother-in-law was married during a different decade. His inlaws were unknown to him and his spouse (almost as if the transcriber had mixed up the paperwork). Another relative had no parents, although I blame the decision to change the form as a good reason. Actually, that we trust any data generated in the last three decades (you know, the computerized period) is perhaps a poor idea.
I have a greater respect for the work of earlier scribes; parish priests, in particular. Their handwriting, and a bad habit of jumping between the vernacular and the sacred (Latin, OK) is perturbing, but they didn’t get the names wrong. They didn’t mess up on the parents. In fact, their records were only destroyed by acts of God (fire, flood, etc). No server crashes, ever.
Genealogy is fun, but it also is an act of faith in the abilities of others.
