PolishOrigins(TM) Forum

Re: Wrong information on LDS microfilms

PolishLibrarian — Sun Nov 10, 2013 2:56 pm

Author: PolishLibrarian

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 2:56 pm

Hi rsowa~ If it’s any consolation, even if you did submit a correction, it appears the correction does not go into the actual index so that you can search by the correction.

My father’s Polish surname is indexed wrong in the 1940 census – the way the name is spelled in the index is not the way it is written by the enumerator on the census form, and the in addition the enumerator also spelled it wrong. I submitted a correction to the index related to the actual spelling on the original record, but also said that original spelling was incorrect and gave them the correct spelling.

The correction (the spelling as confirmed on the census form) to the way the name is indexed shows in brackets along with the pencil symbol next to the original indexed name, but you can’t search by this corrected name/spelling. It only shows up if you find the record by the location or the other people in the household (at 19 he was a hired hand on a family farm one mile from where he grew up so I know it is him) or spell the surname the way it was originally indexed (in my case not likely – for a 7 letter surname the first 2 and last 2 are correct but the 3 in the middle aren’t close). The correction as spelled on the Census is pretty close to correct - all the letters are correct, but Z and C are reversed. I just tried searching with his first name, and the surname Ba***ak and the Lived In location of his state, and the incorrect indexed name does show up at the top of the results list (with the correction in brackets), so it can be done but you do have to be creative.

I don’t know if you have the option to send a correction if you are using the Ancestry Library Edition that is available for free use in many public libraries across the country as well as libraries offering genealogy services (in my state it’s the State Library, in the home state of my father it's the State Historical Society) and I believe also at the Family History Centers. The Ancestry Library Edition must be used in the host library (at my library you can bring in a laptop and access via Wi-Fi). You don’t get the family tree part of the service (no waving green leaf on your search results) but have access to all the databases (not just US databases). ~Polish Librarian

Re: Wrong information on LDS microfilms

rsowa — Sun Nov 10, 2013 10:45 am

Author: rsowa

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 10:45 am

I found an erroneous LDS indexing of my grandmother's name. In the 1910 census, she was indexed as "Itasia" Polek. A brief glance at the actual census record made it obvious that it should have been indexed "Stasia" instead.

So I did what I thought was right, and submitted feedback to FamilySearch. They quickly responded that, yes, it was indexed wrong. BUT, they didn't own the index. Instead, it belonged to Ancestry.com. Which, by the way, is not mentioned anywhere that I could find on their site. So to fix it I needed to contact Ancestry.com.

OK, so I tried. But to make the change, I need an Ancestry.com account (and pay a fee). When I submitted feedback to Ancestry.com, their response was to send me to their help page, which shows how to recommend changes to their index...but requires I be logged in to their paid service. They won't touch the record otherwise.

The lesson for me, is that the results you find at FamilySearch may not belong to them, and that once you find an error in their data, getting it fixed might not be possible.

Re: Wrong information on LDS microfilms

dnowicki — Fri Apr 05, 2013 5:13 pm

Author: dnowicki

Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 5:13 pm

Gilberto,

I looked at the online records for Bydgoszcz and the description is for parishioner lists for the diocese of Wloclawek and two entries for misc. documents. The records are basically of no help for genealogical research. The so called register of parishioners is actually the official correspondence of the bishop of Wloclawek to his diocesan clergy and deal with matters like meetings of the priests of the diocese and directions to the clergy for sacramental practices, matters of administration, etc. So not only is the geography poor, but the books are not at all what the description says they are. I have no idea why anyone bothered to film these documents (unless someone wants to research the bishop's letters) and why they bothered to put them online---especially since so few Polish records are on the LDS site. Since I know that your relatives are from Kujawsko-Pomorskie, I thought that I would let you know that it would be a waste of time to look for anything of value in those particular records.

Dave

Re: Wrong information on LDS microfilms

Anonymous — Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:50 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:50 pm

An useful information for those of you searching Family Search online records:
under Częstochowa Roman Catholic Church Books, 1873-1948
one can find records for

Bydgoszcz
Katowice
Kielce
Kraków
Opole
Poznań
Warszawa
Wrocław
Łódź

Someone missed Geography classes.

Gilberto

LDS error

zamagurie — Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:07 pm

Author: zamagurie

Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:07 pm

Thank you.
I was actually quite high in the chain. The issue is, we cannot figure out WHAT the error is to fix. Hopefully, we will find it soon. Another issue is saying a range of records is on line but they are not ALL on line as they continue on the next or start on the previous film number.

Please know that I am very thankful for the work done by the LDS. In fact, I even volunteered for several years at a history library as a way to give back.

zamagurie

Re: Wrong information on LDS microfilms

nm-wood — Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:14 pm

Author: nm-wood

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:14 pm

There is a simple and straight forward way to begin the correction process for submission errors on LDS records. Errors do happen. Refer to FamilySearch Forums. Calling is not helpful.

Re: LDS microfilm

zamagurie — Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:28 pm

Author: zamagurie

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:28 pm

Recently, I came across a disturbing find on the LDS records. I did a search by entering a name and the TEXT version says a particular person was born on a specific date and year. It lists the village. It then says that no image is available. However, if you go to the village itself, the microfilm is available on line. Yet, the person is NOT on the online microfilm. So I next ordered the film and went to see it in person. Again, it is not on the film. I confirmed it as the correct village, no pages missing etc.

I next did a search of villages surrounding. I am pretty well versed in the church diocese organization of the parishes for the Spis County and actually have been doing research in the area for 18 years. I even completed a Fulbright Research year in the very villages. Still nothing.

I contacted LDS directly and spoke with the archivist. They understand what I am saying but have NO explanation as how an extraction can occur from a film when the data is not on the film Thy think it may be a broken link.. but this is bothersome.

Just yesterday, another of my DNA project members and I found the same thing. In this case, I could go to my personal photos and confirm they were NOT on the film nor in the second writings but lo and behold they are on the TEXT search results.

I cannot explain it other than the source citation is incorrect.

zamagurie

Wrong information on LDS microfilms

Anonymous — Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:54 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:54 pm

Hi,

Since we all researchers depend on reliable sources of information, I thought it would be a good idea if everyone could share their experiences concerning wrong information found on LDS microfilms. From what I have seen, they seem not to be interested in correcting mistakes researchers find. By sharing correct information we would help one another in finding records we thought did not exist.

Koscielna Wies case is mentioned here: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/POLAND-ROOTS/2004-07/1090465367

Another one, a typo, (Pogrodzie/Podgrodzie) was posted here: http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?podgrodzie::germany::58916.html

A third one is about the film number 1.860.247 (Broniszewo (Radziejów) parish. According to Film Notes, the item 2 comprises
Akta urodzeń 1868-1874, 1863-1867, 1855-1862 - FHL INTL Film [ 1860247 Item 2 ]
However, right after birth records for 1868-1874, there is death records for 1870-1889, within the same Item 2.
This information is clearly stated on the film, but was ommited in Film Notes.

Gilberto