OCR madness .....

Post by **SarahND** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:01 am

I thought I would start a new thread for help with interpretation of the OCR scanning of the Ancestry 1851 and 1861 census indexes. For the beginning, see http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 2756#52756

In comparing the FreeCen and Ancestry transcriptions, I have found a case where Ancestry gives more information, but my lack of military knowledge is getting in the way of my interpretation. I'm sure it will be easy for any of you who have more experience. Here's the story:

Charles Giles, age 57, is in Lonmay, Aberdeenshire in 1851. He is, according to FreeCen, a Chelsea Pensionr/ Farmer 48a. So far, so good. A google search tells me what a Chelsea Pensioner is.

The Ancestry index, however, tells more. Not only is Charles Giles now Charles Gibes, but his occupation has suddenly got more interesting and his acreage has plummeted:
Chelsea Pensioner (qunner Royk An Liblery) Farmer Of ( 8 ) Acres

Surprisingly, when I google "qunner Royk An Liblery" I get no results, but a question: "Did you mean: "gunner Ryokan Library" "
Sure, why not.

But alas, "gunner Ryokan Library" also comes up empty, although "Ryokan Library" itself gives you 9 hits.

Okay, I'll get serious.
I have a pretty good idea of what a gunner is, and suppose that Royk is "Royal", but what is the rest likely to be? Artillery? That would make sense to me, anyway. Any other thoughts?
Regards,
Sarah

Post by **Tracey** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:28 am

Hello Sarah

I havnt fully read the other thread on the link you put so may be way out here, but what does the original say on Scotlandspeople ? is this man a close enough link or worth spending the credits on ? Its the only way i can think to full answer your question.

Post by **SarahND** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:38 am

Hello Tracey,
No, this man is not a close enough link (so far as I know...) to spend credits on. My main purpose in starting this thread was to have a place to bring up undecipherable entries from what appears to be Optical Character Recognition software on the Ancestry census indexes. We were working on a few on the other thread, but I thought it was worth its own topic, since there seem to be many! (And some of them are worth a good laugh

)
Regards,
Sarah

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:46 am

Poor Charlie

All of a sudden he goes from opening a 48 acre Library to a wee 8 acre place, even if it does have Royal Assent. (or should that be accident?)

Sarah is there a prize for the best, most outrageous interpretation ?

I love these because they are totally unpredictable. They belong in the electronic world not the real one.
At least with typos there is enough shape there to interpret.
These are just fun

Russell

Post by **SarahND** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:58 am

Russell wrote:Sarah is there a prize for the best, most outrageous interpretation ?

Good idea Russell

And what's the prize? A trip to the Ryokan Library to have your head examined?

Explanatory note: When I googled Ryokan Library, I arrived at http://ryokan.edu/ which is "A Professional School of Psychology" in Los Angeles

Good luck!
Sarah

Post by **AndrewP** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 12:19 pm

Hi Sarah,

Charles Giles (indexed as Gibes on ScotlandsPeople) is a Farmer of (8) Acres and Chelsea Pensioner (Gunner Royal Artillery).

What is OCR software meant to make of Ar on one line, and tillery sqashed into the end of the following line. Only the human eye and mind will join them into the original word.

All the best,

AndrewP

Post by **SarahND** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 12:22 pm

Thanks, Andrew. I thought the acreage was a bit optimistic for that particular family. But I guess he got his army pension also, to make ends meet.
Regards,
Sarah

Post by **AndrewP** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 12:26 pm

Hi Sarah,

This one is worth a Contact Form to ScotlandsPeople asking them to re-index it as Giles.

(see also additional paragraph regarding OCR edited in to my previous reply while you were making your reply)

All the best,

AndrewP

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 1:21 pm

Well Sarah I'm glad there was somewhere to get your head examined. Makes it a bit mundane though.

Having worked in psychiatry I thought I could do the head examinations without having to send folk to Los Angeles.

Then My De Bono type mind got me wondering what an OCR programme would make of the 1880's occupation of Phrenologist.

Maybe its my head that should be examined

Russell

Post by **SarahND** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:15 pm

Russell wrote:Having worked in psychiatry I thought I could do the head examinations without having to send folk to Los Angeles.

So you're offering your expertise as the prize?

Russell wrote:Then My De Bono type mind got me wondering what an OCR programme would make of the 1880's occupation of Phrenologist.

My best guess would be Dkwrobqikh

Speaking of phrenology, I'm wondering... do we all have a distinctive Genealogist's Lump on our heads that is causing all this?

Russell wrote:Maybe its my head that should be examined

We-e-ell... as they say here in France, "C'est toi qui le dis!" ("You're the one who says so")

Cheers,
Sarah