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Tag Archives: Transcription Tuesday

Transcription Tuesday – Italian Handwriting

On the first Monday of each month, the next rotation of our online courses begins. The National Institute for Genealogical Studies offers 230+ online courses on a wide variety of topics, providing genealogical education for those interested in beginning to research their family history, as well as professional genealogists. 

One of the foundational research skills for our students to develop is Transcribing. For this reason, we have created a compulsory Basic Level course (Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting ) to equip all of our certificate students with this vital ability. However, all family history researchers, no matter what their level of expertise, should strive to acquire this core skill. 

As we research our family history, many of us will eventually encounter immigrant ancestors. As we document their arrival, we gain clues for their country of origin. Many times, this will involve a change of language and introduce us to records in an unfamiliar country. Time needs to spent learning about what is available and where to find more information. It is recommended to consult the FamilySearch Wiki as a launching point. Choose your country of interest. We will be using Italy Genealogy for examples today. 

One of the first challenges we are faced with is different languages, but also the handwriting that was used in various historical time periods, for specific record types, and even in locations or districts involved with their homeland. Be sure to study everything you can gather about the location where your research will be focused. 

We have developed an essential basic level course for Italian research: Italian: Language and Location to guide you through many of these challenges. From the course description: Understanding, or being able to decipher, the languages found with Italian genealogical documents is an essential skill needed to effectively research your Italian ancestors. While most records are in Italian, you will find other languages within the records depending on the history of the town or region you are researching. Emphasis is placed on reading the handwriting and how to translate and understand basic Italian records.

This course is offered monthly, and is just one of the courses included with our Italian Records Certificate.

Additional Helpful Italian Research Resources from FamilySearch.org: 
Italy Language and Handwriting
Italy Handwriting

Italian Genealogical Word List
Italian Birth Document Translation 
Category: Italy

Researching in records from other countries can be challenging, but utilize the tools that have been developed for your success. Italian Handwriting can be studied and transcribed. Use the FamilySeach Word Lists and resources, along with what you will explore in our Italian Record courses. Document your immigrant family’s story, including every document you discover – transcribed and translated. Preserve your Italian heritage!
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As researchers, we have found that there are many skills we need to employ in order to achieve success in our future research projects. Transcription Tuesday will share guidelines and practical suggestions to help our readers to develop the skills for making effective transcriptions, abstracts, and extractions.

Transcription Tuesday previous blog post 
Transcription Tuesday Index
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
These three core courses demonstrate Transcription principles. They are offered monthly, beginning on the first Monday of every month: Register today!
Methodology-Part 2: Organizing and Skill-Building (Basic Level)
Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting (Basic Level)
Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents (Advanced)—————————————————-
Visit our website for a complete list of online courses offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Check our Course Calendar here. 
Follow us on Social Media: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. 
*Note: Please be aware our social media accounts are monitored regularly, but NOT 24/7. If you have any questions, please contact the office directly.

Contact information:
1 (800) 580-0165
Email: admin@GenealogicalStudies.com 
Website: www.GenealogicalStudies.com
Blog: blog.GenealogicalStudies.com

LEADERS IN ONLINE GENEALOGY EDUCATION since 1997 

Transcription Tuesday – Scottish Handwriting

As you pursue your family history research, you will at some point, encounter difficult-to-read handwriting on a document of interest. Therefore, transcriptions should become a regular part of your research projects. Transcription Skills are developed by transcribing; there is no shortcut. Transcribing documents gives opportunity to make a clear and easy-to-read transcription for future reference and analysis. The National Institute for Genealogical Studies offers a variety of course topics for developing these skills through record groups from various countries.

To become familiar with the handwriting of a certain time period, and in particular location, take some time to find out what script was being used. It may surprize some new researchers that not only were there different handwriting styles, but also scripts used only in certain settings. Finding these general rules will save a lot of time.

Our Basic Level course: Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting is a great place to start to develop your Transcribing Skills. As you go deeper and further back in time, you will encounter unfamiliar text and handwriting scripts. Our Advanced Level course: Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents will help you to meet these challenges and to eventually master the handwriting you will encounter in historical documents.

If you have Scottish Research, you will need to spend time exploring this website: Scottish Hanwriting.com, hosted by the National Records of Scotland (NRS). It is an online resource that provides tutorials for palaeography in the Scottish documents you will need to access. 

In our Scottish Records Certificate program, we have courses that will examine topics requiring you to develop solid transcription skills. Here are a few examples.

Scottish: Old Parish Registers – Handwriting in OPRs will challenge you!
Scottish: Wills and Testaments – Legal Terminology and Inventories
Scottish: Special Aspects of Scottish Research – It is recommended to complete the Palaeography course before registering for this course. 

Some helpful websites for Scottish Handwriting challenges:
ScotlandsPeople – Reading Older Handwriting (Palaeography)
Check out other Research Guides on the left-side menu of this page. 
ScotlandsPlaces – Learn about Old Handwriting
FamilySearch – Scotland Handwriting

Remember – there are no shortcuts. But the more you practice, the easier it will become. Transcription Skills are learned by practicing. Become familiar with the handwriting of the time period and location where you are researching. Take the time to develop your skills and then discover what is really in those documents!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
As researchers, we have found that there are many skills we need to employ in order to achieve success in our future research projects. Transcription Tuesday will share guidelines and practical suggestions to help our readers to develop the skills for making effective transcriptions, abstracts, and extractions.

Transcription Tuesday previous blog post
Transcription Tuesday Index
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
These three core courses demonstrate Transcription principles. They are offered monthly, beginning on the first Monday of every month: Register today!
Methodology-Part 2: Organizing and Skill-Building (Basic Level)
Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting (Basic Level)
Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents (Advanced)
—————————————————-
Visit our website for a complete list of online courses offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Check our Course Calendar here. 
Follow us on Social Media: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. 
*Note: Please be aware our social media accounts are monitored regularly, but NOT 24/7. If you have any questions, please contact the office directly.

Contact information:
1 (800) 580-0165
Email: admin@GenealogicalStudies.com 
Website: www.GenealogicalStudies.com
Blog: blog.GenealogicalStudies.com

LEADERS IN ONLINE GENEALOGY EDUCATION since 1997

Transcription Tuesday – Handwriting

Transcriptions are a regular part of our research projects, and the key to recording every piece of information in a genealogical document. Transcribing Skills are only honed by consistent practice – studying and transcribing a specific collection of documents gives opportunity to become familiar with the handwriting of a certain time period, and in particular, a specific clerk or registrar. The National Institute for Genealogical Studies provides opportunity for developing these skills through course assignments based on a wide variety of documents, including record groups from various countries.

As we are researching, we encounter many handwriting scripts, as well as individual styles. Take your time when studying a document. Look beyond just your entry of interest. Review the whole document. Check the same letters in other words on the same page. If the heading is difficult to read, browse the previous pages, as well as the following pages to see if you can find a clearer entry. By studying these entries, you will become familiar with the handwriting.

Some entries are written in beautiful script, with wonderful flourishes, making them a pleasure to browse. Others we struggle to decipher. Isabella may stump some transcribers for a while, but eventually, we conquer the challenge. Signatures can present another dilemma to transcribe, as they often are stylized and do not always match the rest of the handwriting on the document. Try to study several signatures to verify. Finding the signature for your ancestor is a good way to confirm your document belongs to the same person. It can even be used to distinguish between two or more individuals with the same name. Be sure to save those signatures for future use. Vital records are good for comparing similar names and places, and also individual letters as the same person is recording several entries for that location.

As our research takes us farther back into earlier records, the handwriting can become more difficult. American Colonial Town Records are a treasure trove of information, but it takes time to be comfortable enough to transcribe the original documents. Some entries are simply one line as the marriage record of Ezra Perry & Elizabeth Burge in 1651 (1); or the death record for Rebecca Perry in 1738 (2). The 1729/30 will of Ezra Perry (3) will take patience to transcribe, but is good practice. Creating a simple cheat sheet with the alphabet used often proves to be very helpful. A full transcription will save time in the future as the will is abstracted and analyzed.

Our Advanced Level course: Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents will challenge you to master not only the handwriting you will encounter in historical documents, but provides numerous assignments and practical exercises in the workbook for understanding the content, especially the archaic terms used. Once familiar, you will become more efficient with deciphering these wonderful colonial documents.

If you are just beginning to transcribe your historical documents, consider registering for our Basic Level course: Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting to develop your Transcribing Skills. The examples and practical assignments will guide you through the process of learning the necessary tools to unlock your ancestors’ documents, as you practice your new skills. These two courses are applicable to every aspect of genealogical research, and are compulsory for every Certificate package that we offer. They are highly recommended as necessary foundational courses for every family researcher.

Remember – there are no shortcuts. Transcription Skills are only learned by practicing. Becoming familiar with the handwriting of the time period you are researching – it will be a valuable asset. Take the time to develop your skills and become an experienced transcriber. You will be glad you did.

Citations:
(1) Births, 1803-1843 Deaths, 1803-1843 Intentions of Marriages 2nd Marriages, 1813-1837;Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Marriage for Ezra Perry & Elizabeth Burge, 12 Feb 1651, Sandwich, Massachusetts : accessed 21 Nov 2021
(2) Births, Marriages, Deaths Earmarks 1671-1815; Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Death record for Rebecca Perry, widow of Ezra Perry, died April 16th 1738, Sandwich, Massachusetts : accessed 21 Nov 2021
(3) Probate Records, 1686-1894; Author: Massachusetts. Probate Court (Barnstable County); Probate Place: Barnstable, Massachusetts (Probate Records, Vol 4-5, 1721-1741); Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991[database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Will for Ezra Perry Senr of Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts : accessed 21 Nov 2021
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
As researchers, we have found that there are many skills we need to employ in order to achieve success in our future research projects. Transcription Tuesday will share guidelines and practical suggestions to help our readers to develop the skills for making effective transcriptions, abstracts, and extractions.

Transcription Tuesday previous blog post
Transcription Tuesday Index
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
These three core courses demonstrate Transcription principles. They are offered monthly, beginning on the first Monday of every month: Register today!
Methodology-Part 2: Organizing and Skill-Building (Basic Level)
Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting (Basic Level)
Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents (Advanced)

—————————————————-
Visit our website for a complete list of online courses offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Check our Course Calendar here. 
Follow us on Social Media: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. 
*Note: Please be aware our social media accounts are monitored regularly, but NOT 24/7. If you have any questions, please contact the office directly.

Contact information:
1 (800) 580-0165
Email: admin@GenealogicalStudies.com 
Website: www.GenealogicalStudies.com
Blog: blog.GenealogicalStudies.com

LEADERS IN ONLINE GENEALOGY EDUCATION since 1997

Transcription Tuesday – Abstractions

Transcriptions are key to recording every piece of information in a genealogical document. Transcribing Skills are crucial for accurate analysis and therefore, our students at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies are introduced to these concepts in our basic level courses. It is imperative for all researchers to acquire this core skill. 

In last week’s post, we looked at making a Census Extraction, which is an exact copy “extracted” from the census page(s). Pre-printed forms help to ensure we do not miss any information and check each column to gather every clue the census entry can give us. This week, we are going to look at making an Abstraction.

Abstraction Definition: 
An Abstraction is an abbreviation of the original content in a document. It removes all the legal jargon or “boilerplate” language, but ensures that all relevant details within the document are kept. Mary Campbell Bell in Professional Genealogy sums it up this way: “Abstracts are summaries that record all important detail from a whole document.” 

General Rules for Abstracting

  • Begin all abstracts with a source citation.
  • DO NOT change any wording or tense.
  • DO NOT change any punctuation (do not add or remove).
  • DO NOT correct or alter the spelling of words. Keep the spelling true to the document, including names and places.
  • Take your time to work through the whole record to ensure you have not missed any information.

In art, an abstract painting may look nothing like the original model; however, an abstract in genealogy is very precise, leaving no relevant detail out. They do not replace an actual transcription – that is always the first task. Once a complete transcription of a document is completed, make a working copy and start crossing out the extra words until you have just the details. 

Save your working copy and make a duplicate copy. Then delete all of the words you have crossed out. Reread what remains. Does it make sense? Compare it to your working copy. Is there something you should have kept? Do you need to trim it down further? Continue until your abstract only contains the relevant details. A quick summary of the original document. 

An Abstract can be in several forms. It may be a list, perhaps in point form; or displayed as a table or chart; or written as a narrative in paragraph form. It does not contain any corrections to the original information; nothing is added, even if it is known by the transcriber. No analysis is included in the abstract. It should be a summary of the original, nothing more. Anyone reading the abstract should instantly see what was contained in that document. If more clarification is needed for analysis, then the full transcription can be consulted for context and further examination.

For more details, consider registering for our Basic Level course: Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting to develop your Transcribing Skills. The examples and practical assignments will guide you through the process of learning the necessary tools to unlock your older documents, as you practice your new skills. Our Advanced Level course: Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents will challenge you to master not only the handwriting you will encounter in historical documents, but provides numerous assignments and practical exercises in the workbook for understanding the content, especially the archaic terms used. These two courses are applicable to every aspect of genealogical research, and are compulsory for every Certificate package that we offer. They are highly recommended.

Remember – Abstractions are summaries of the relevant genealogical information found in a document. They are short and concise, and include all of the information, making it easily accessible at a glance. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
As researchers, we have found that there are many skills we need to employ in order to achieve success in our future research projects. Transcription Tuesday will share guidelines and practical suggestions to help our readers to develop the skills for making effective transcriptions, abstracts, and extractions.

Transcription Tuesday previous blog post
Transcription Tuesday Index
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
These three core courses demonstrate Transcription principles. They are offered monthly, beginning on the first Monday of every month: Register today!
Methodology-Part 2: Organizing and Skill-Building (Basic Level)
Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting (Basic Level)
Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents (Advanced)—————————————————-
Visit our website for a complete list of online courses offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Check our Course Calendar here. 
Follow us on Social Media: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. 
*Note: Please be aware our social media accounts are monitored regularly, but NOT 24/7. If you have any questions, please contact the office directly.

Contact information:
1 (800) 580-0165
Email: admin@GenealogicalStudies.com 
Website: www.GenealogicalStudies.com
Blog: blog.GenealogicalStudies.com

LEADERS IN ONLINE GENEALOGY EDUCATION since 1997

Transcription Tuesday – Census Extract

Transcriptions are needed in all genealogical research. Transcribing Skills are included in the basic level courses for our students at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies.  All researchers must strive to acquire this core skill. There is no way around it. There are no shortcuts. We all must develop these skills and increase our effectiveness as researchers.

In last week’s post, we looked at finding Census Names with a few transcription tips. This week, we are continuing to look at transcribing census records by making a Census Extraction.

Extraction Definition: An Extract is when you pull out only parts of the information in an original document. The extracting process is normally used for listings, such as censuses, inventories, tax or voters’ lists, etc., where there could be information about one person or family amongst many others.

When making an extraction, always start with the full source citation for the original document. This is especially imperative when you are removing any information from its source as it is so easy to lose track of where you found it. How many times have you photocopied a page from a book without the reference and later could not remember where you found it? Be sure to include all of the details, such as page number, household number, etc., so that information can be located again at a later time. 

Remember – Extractions are still a Transcription, and therefore, they must be a true and accurate reproduction of the written original. Always include all of the column headings. To make this process easier, you can use a pre-printed form to record all of the entries. This will ensure that you have not skipped any information. Record any remarks or notations added to the entry. 

Make sure you include all of the information for the whole household. There can be more than one family living in that house, as well as other people. Examples of others could be boarders or lodgers, teachers, clergy, servants, etc. Include all of them in your extraction. There could be a connection that you discover at a later time. They will be part of their FAN Club.

Watch for Relationships. These are always related to the person listed as the Head of Household at the top of the list. You may glean clues to maiden names by noting a mother-in-law or brother-in-law. A sister with a different surname will reveal her married name. A widow listed as the Head indicates that her husband has died and you should look for a death record since the last census where he was listed. Sometimes a son will be listed as the new Head of Household with mother listed further down. Be careful to identify his children and his siblings accurately. Step-children may be mixed in with the other children; this indicates a second marriage. Make note of all relationships wherever possible.

Census household information may be split between pages. If the entry starts at the bottom of the page, always look on the next page; if it starts at the top of the page, look on the previous page. Find the Head of Household and continue until the next Head is listed. Include both page numbers in your source citation, but record your census extraction as one complete household entry. Each household should be recorded on their own census form.

Remember – Census Extractions are Transcriptions – an exact copy of one Household. They aren’t difficult, but you need to be thorough. Use census forms – they are useful tools and help you to record all of the information without going back to access the full census record for the whole community. By making a census extraction a household for each census year, you can then use them to document that family group every ten years, and analyze them over a certain time period.

Transcriptions are a valuable research tool, which every genealogist and family historian should be using regularly. You don’t need to be totally dependent on other transcribers. Learn to make your own transcriptions. PRACTICE transcribing your own documents. It is the only way to become more familiar with handwriting. And the Bonus is – you will become more familiar with the documents you are working with. You will see things you overlooked before, because it forces you to write out every single word. To further build your transcribing skills, check out our courses below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
As researchers, we have found that there are many skills we need to employ in order to achieve success in our future research projects. Transcription Tuesday will share guidelines and practical suggestions to help our readers to develop the skills for making effective transcriptions, abstracts, and extractions.
Transcription Tuesday previous blog post
Transcription Tuesday Index
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
These three core courses demonstrate Transcription principles. They are offered monthly, beginning on the first Monday of every month: Register today!
Methodology-Part 2: Organizing and Skill-Building (Basic Level)
Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting (Basic Level)
Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents (Advanced)
—————————————————-
Visit our website for a complete list of online courses offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Check our Course Calendar here. 
Follow us on Social Media: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. 
*Note: Please be aware our social media accounts are monitored regularly, but NOT 24/7. If you have any questions, please contact the office directly.

Contact information:
1 (800) 580-0165
Email: admin@GenealogicalStudies.com 
Website: www.GenealogicalStudies.com
Blog: blog.GenealogicalStudies.com

LEADERS IN ONLINE GENEALOGY EDUCATION since 1997