Who can find the worst indexing at Ancestry.com?

[ralphjd]

Cannot really fault it, but some belters do appear, just found this one LANCERS FORESTERS thought it was a regiment whose badge I didnt have !!! Any one guess what it should be? (I know) Ralph.

[Stephen Nulty]

I have ~despite the errors~ found it an excellent resource,I had been putting off obtaining MiC for ages~basically since the NA started charging £3.50 a pop & am now enjoying myself seeking out MiCs by the handful & Papers Galore,& have signed up for the duration,one of the best £10+ a month I've ever spent so far

Couldn't agree more. I think sometimes we're a little spoilt these days and expect everything to be readily available with the minimum of effort.

Go into Ancestry with an open mind, be ready to think laterally (not literally), accept that there’s a heap of junk in there, but then sit back, as HB says, and enjoy the wealth of information that comes flooding your way. And if you’re not happy with it, just think what you would have had to do to get at the same information just a few short years ago.

[janwbay]

The Ancestry Pension index says that there are 35 records for my relative, but in fact there are only 19. The remaining records belong to someone who is not listed in the index.

In addition, I have noticed that when clicking on the image link in the index, often there is another image before the first one which the link takes you to.

Examples:

When I click on the image for my relative, David Andrew Darling, it takes me to image 5225. However, there is an image relating to him on 5224.

When I click on the image for Ernest S.D. Darling, it takes me to the first image number 5268. However, image number 5267 relates to him also.

It is worth checking backwards to see if there is another image or images.

janice

[yellow]

If you click on the UNKNOWN link in the alphabetical listing for Service Papers there is a chap on the first page called Frederic George Gandy. It would appear that whoever has done the data input or fische scanning has intentionally not indexed Gandy when his name is as plain as day on the papers. I was really shocked by this.

[Greyhound]

Unless you can see something I can't, it's just a blank piece of paper with the name handwritten at the top. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the pages that follow.

[yellow]

Must be total co-incidence that page 1 is Gandy, I assumed the next page was his since he had served in the artillery but I see as plain as day on the medal slip those are Gunner Gilberts enlistment papers. Gunner Gilberts regimental number is as plain as day and his name is signed on the medal slip!

[Greyhound]

Well, it's still early days. Perhaps this is a kind of holding file for stray papers, and they may be re-indexed when everything else has been loaded. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt for now.

[stu]

I have now had my 14 day free trial, I was so impressed that I have signed up for the monthly subscription.

I think it is a really useful resource, I agree that the indexing is sometimes what might at best termed as creative, but with perseverance I have found tons of great info.

Can anyone tell me if there are any plans by Ancestry in the future to include Officers papers and/or Battalion War diaries.

Stuart

[NeilEvans]

I'll revive this thread

Reason being i've found a long lost missing regiment!!!!!!

The York and Lincolnshire Regt.

Neil

[Moriaty]

Have just come across someone who was born in Buenos Aires, it is transcribed as Buenos, Ayrshire, Scotland .....

[Stephen White]

While searching for one particular branch of the Clive family from Aston, Birmingham. In 4 out of 5 census's I've found them indexed wrongly as Clay, Chia, Clovis and Olive.

Stephen

[Chris_Baker]

Best one yet.

Arthur John Croucher. Indexed as "Lieut Col Comde 20th Bn London Regiment".

Oh no he wasn't. That is what is says on the rubber stamp at the bottom of Croucher's attestation paper.

You pay peanuts ...

STOP PRESS.

Another one. James Gibson. "Comdg 20th Bn London Regiment". My that battalion had lots of COs.

[Chris_Baker]

And in the same search:

address "23 Ravelagh Road, Lupus St Pemliedsor"

regiment "Superny Cou TF Atto 20th Batt London ??"

Were the transcribers taking medication, perhaps?

[NeilEvans]

Thats a good one Chris.

Here is another:

Shesfeshire RHA = Shropshire RHA

[Chris_Baker]

Did I hear the words "duty of care?, or was it the ching of a cash till?

[NeilEvans]

Followed by a suspicious laughter with a slight American accent.

[Jim Clay]

Just found this one:

Name: Peter Wilson

Age: 19

Birth Year: abt 1900

Birth Parish: Alderon

Birth County: Baineshire

Here's the image:

Did they do very badly? Point is, as has been said time after time, a total lack of any knowledge of UK geography will give you results like this. Oh, yes, and a total absence of quality control. Mind you, if the right people had been employed to do the indexing, and QA applied, what additional charges would we be seeing?

[Chris_Baker]

It would be worth higher charges. How much time are we all wasting ploughing through indexed items that are incorrect or misleading - or worse, where the index shows a blank where the information is quite plain on the documents. The indexing of WO364 is laughable, there are so many index gaps.

This was a one-off opportunity to get this right. For most people it will be the only practical route to this documentary evidence of our heritage - and it's just plain shoddy.

[The Inspector]

Hi all

I agree with everything regarding the deplorable transcriptions on Ancestry, question, Do we all post the correct details after having trawled through the docs. and found Service No's, Regt, address, etc? You can type anything you want in the box as long as you leave a space within the Christian or Surname. The software accepts it as an amended name so flags it up as normal. Only difference is it brings up the amendments you post.

At least we aren't just wasting our time and when they get round to doing amendments they should be that much quicker.

Regards Barry

[Sue Light]

Point is, as has been said time after time, a total lack of any knowledge of UK geography will give you results like this. Oh, yes, and a total absence of quality control. Mind you, if the right people had been employed to do the indexing, and QA applied, what additional charges would we be seeing?

They could always take a leaf out of the FreeBMD book. Get dedicated, thorough transcribers (unpaid of course), get all the data cross-checked, verified correct, and a great index created.

And after many years never get the job finished at all.

Sue

[ralphjd]

Whilst I agree with everything said about Ancestry, its a bit late in the day to say what should/could have been done, so lets grin and bear it, and do as The Inspector says, when an error is found alter it, Ancestry do acknowledge all alterations/amendments eventualy it will come good. IMHO. Ralph.

[Greyhound]

Do we all post the correct details after having trawled through the docs. and found Service No's, Regt, address, etc?

Hear hear, Barry. I made this point way back at post 23. I really do hope everyone is amending the errors they find as they go. The facility is there. It's a more positive contribution than whingeing, although we are still free to whinge as well!

[Chris_Baker]

Extraordinary.

Do I take it the transcribers were not in India?

And as for whinging - you forget we are paying for this rubbish. It's not a charitable act with forgiveable slip-ups.

[Hywyn]

I see a lot which would fit into this 'worst index' theme with Welsh placenames

Trouble is it's pointless showing you examples as most people wouldn't recognise the right name!!

hywyn

[Stebie9173]

Another long lost regiment "Victory Medal/British War Medal"

Yes, that was in the Regiment description! ..... on 85 records !!!!

Enter Victory* in the Regiment slot....

Steve.