FREEBMD-DISCUSS-L Archives

Archiver > FREEBMD-DISCUSS > 2002-04 > 1018554828


From: <>
Subject: Errors in original index
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 12:53:48 -0700


The latest version of the freeBMD search page states:
"If the index is in error, it will not be possible to make a correction"

I think I have found such an instance: March 1862 births contains two sequences of GOUGHs, but no GOULDs. In most quarters there is a column or so of both surnames.

See http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/GUS/1862/Births/March/UKD-01/1862B1-0474.tif

So presumably one of the sequences of GOUGHs (most probably the second) is really a sequence of GOULDs.

(Some years ago I attempted to extract all the Goughs from certain registration districts from several years' worth of paper indexes at St Catherines House, and I now see that the only entries I extracted for this quarter were from the second sequence - ie. they are probably really Goulds!)

The FreeBMD transcribers have faithfully transcribed both sets of names as Gough - quite correctly according to FreeBMD rules.

However simply to "leave it at that" seems extremely unhelpful to Gough and particularly Gould researchers (I wonder how many Gould descendants over the years have hit an apparently insurmountable brick wall in 1862?)

Should I try to get the GRO to correct the original index? And is there any chance that they will do so?

And if they did do so, then surely FreeBMD would become an inaccurate transcription of the original index?

Would it perhaps be more helpful to submit such cases through the normal FreeBMD correction procedure? They could then be accumulated and sent to the GRO for further investigation. Any corrections could then be integrated into FreeBMD.


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