The late genealogist Julia Case told of errors she encountered reading a key reference in Virginia genealogy, Nell Marion Nugent’s Cavaliers and Pioneers. In Volume II, Julia found the surnames Somerscales and Migettoe as Somerseal and Migelloe. “If one cannot trust Nugent, whom can one trust?” she asked. “The answer seems clear. No transcription or abstract is perfect.”1 Indeed. It reminded me of a transcription error made by a skilled genealogist (who achieved fellowships in two prestigious organizations) that unintentionally pointed to an entirely different family. Of seventeenth century handwriting, Donald Lines Jacobus (the dean of American genealogy) wrote: “I have known first-class genealogists, even professional ones, who could not read that script with ease.”2
It’s a common problem on genealogy sites where Harriett Voss exists in a twisted heap as Howneth Vap, joining other “missing” ancestors who are hiding in plain sight due to transcription errors that mangle their names beyond recognition. The upside-down-looking “n” and the uncrossed “t” in Carpenter is misread as Carpeuler; Nesmith morphs into McSmith, and Leatherwood is butchered into oblivion as Neuterwood.
One memorable doubletake for me was a surname in an early sixteenth century English parish register appearing to read Monkeyfield. Surely not. Upon closer look, it read Monkeffield, but the lower loop in the first “f” looked like a “y.”
These examples are a reminder of how understanding old handwriting is essential for the successful researcher. Fortunately, the National Genealogical Society now offers a ten-module course, Reading Old Handwriting, which teaches suggested strategies for reading wills, deeds, court records and other documents. “This illustrated course explains the writing systems and styles used in the United States during the last three centuries,” NGS explains.
As often as this topic appears in Facebook genealogy groups and pages, Reading Old Handwriting sounds like a worthwhile course.
- Julia M. Case, “Confessions of a Transcriber,” American Genealogy Magazine, Vol. 9 (September—October 1994), no. 5, pp. 7, 15.
- Kip Sperry, Reading Early American Handwriting (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1998), p. 7.