I was using a book of marriage records from the 1840s in Ohio recently. The handwriting was consistent from page to page and from year to year. It turns out I was using a transcription of the original marriage ledger that had been made by the clerk some years after the original records were made. Transcriptions are not bad, but I did see if they had the original (they did) so that I could see the actual handwriting.
Sometimes transcriptionists make errors–so you need to check them.
Sometimes transcriptions transcribe things when the writing is still legible and they could read it. That might not be true today.
Don’t disregard transcribed copies of records.
Just make certain to know what you are using.
3 Responses
I’ll try to remember that.
My ancestors married in Hamilton Co., OH. I experienced the same situation you describe. Records in that county were lost in a riot. However, I was able to find the records from the church where they were married.
Another example is Copiah Co., MS. There are two sets of marriage books on film The originals and the transcriptions. The old books were probably too fragile to use. One one transcribed record, the groom has a different initial. A dead give-a-way on the printed form is a date “194__” for an 1847 marriage.
I wondered why the declarations of intention from Hamilton County, Ohio, for the 1840s looked so “uniform.” They were transcribed from a book that had been partially destroyed in the courthouse fire they had there.