You know when you search on a website and it offers you the choice: original image or transcript? Of course, you will always go for the original image - but don't ignore the transcript. Transcripts are word-for-word written out (or typed out) versions of the original image. So when you merrily click on "original image" and find that the handwriting is just too spiky or flowery for you to read - breathe thanks for a transcript.
A "bishop's transcript" is a copy of the original parish register. From 1598, each parish had to make a yearly copy of all the entries and forward this to the bishop. Sometimes these can be useful if the parish register was accidentally destroyed or too difficult to read. You are more likely to find these "bishop's transcripts" earlier rather than later, since the practice tended to fizzle out during the 19th century.
That is great to know and I always look at both. When I went to Ancestry.ca and they had a free preview of marriage certificates I found 11 different ways that my grandmother's maiden name was spelt and I noticed that the transcript(I guess that is what it would be called) was written incorrectly. I could notice in the original written style what it was. It could be that I can read some "foreign" style of writing since my mom is German and they love to have their "M's" and "N's" looking like "V's".
ReplyDeleteGlad you always look at both. That's what I would recommend.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
I never knew the difference between the two. Nice to know that there are options.
ReplyDeleteSean at His and Her Hobbies