1871 Census Sucess story

[Patsy]

I had to share this, I have been searching for this family for ages. Found the son living with his aunt in the 1881 census and subsequently I found his BM & death. I have never been able to find his parents neither marriage or death. Tonight I had a couple of credits left and started searching the 1871 census. The name I was researching was Rutherford the father was Robert and Mary was the mother, too many pages came up with Robert Rutherford none with Mary
The son's name is Selby Walker Rutherford and I was so sure that with a name so unusual I would strike it lucky but nothing, staring at the screen in frustration I remembered something that David said or I read on one of the lists. I used the * I put in Rutherford s* w* and up it came, it had been transcribed as, wait for it "Silly W Rutherford" .

What can I say

Patsy

[CatrionaL]

Noteworthy!

Thanks for sharing that, Patsy.

Catriona

[DavidWW]

.....much snipped "Silly W Rutherford" .

What can I say

Patsy

Patsy, that is an absolute classic, thanks.

As much as anything else it's also a classic example of the situation where, when you know what it is, of course you see "Selby" which it is, but pity the poor indexer working under pressure coming across such an unusual name as this, who sees "Silly"

David