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Altering a name on an existing Ancestry Tree

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

ElizabethK

ElizabethK Report 6 Jun 2013 14:45

Does anyone know how it works ?

I have altered the brides name( having discovered it wrongly spelt on the GRO Index scan and therefore transcription)

Although I altered it on the tree a few days ago the previous spelling still shows when you use the "search" facility-is there a time lapse ?

(I know it cannot be altered FreeBMD so am going to do a postem) :-)

nameslessone

nameslessone Report 6 Jun 2013 15:02

Is it just the ancestry transcription or was it wrongly spelt on the original GRO list? If it just the Ancestry transcriptions you can report it. You would eventually get a thank you email from ancestry and they would add your spelling as an alternative name.
There should be some reporting options on the top left hand side of the page you found the mistranscription on.

George_of_Westbury

George_of_Westbury Report 6 Jun 2013 15:05

Usually if you do an alteration on the transcription page you will receive an email from Ancestry stating the changes.

This can be weeks after you have done it. Don't know how long it takes them to reflect the change on the record.

George

Edit

I am referring to changes on a census transcription, i have never done one on births etc

ElizabethK

ElizabethK Report 6 Jun 2013 15:29

Sorry-I knew I was not explaining it very well !

The FreeBMD Index cannot be changed because that is what is on the GRO Index (I have checked the scan)

So the error ocurred between the parish and wherever in 1855.

The brides name is MAYS in the Indexes but now the /Surrey Registers are on line the scanned marriage certificate shows MAYO

I wondered if,having altered it on the tree and it still showing MAYS on searching I needed to do anything more

nameslessone

nameslessone Report 6 Jun 2013 16:41

I think the ancestry search only links to their original transcription and therefore, here, what was entered by the registrar.
Try adding your information as a 'comment' rather than a correction. It still won't help your searching but will possibly help someone else.

Kense

Kense Report 6 Jun 2013 16:41

There is a note about making your tree public or private that says the change happens immediately but can take up to a month to affect searches. I would imagine that the same delay exists if you change names on your tree.

InspectorGreenPen

InspectorGreenPen Report 6 Jun 2013 16:54

Yes, there is a delay when you make an amendment.

This is because the search engine refers to an index, not your actual tree, a bit like the index in a book. Amendments to your tree take effect immediately, but the index is not updated in real time, but rather as a background process, probably for system performance reasons.

ElizabethK

ElizabethK Report 6 Jun 2013 16:57

Many thanks for your replys, I will leave it a bit longer and see if it changes in the search,if not I will do as namelessone suggests and add a "comment"

patchem

patchem Report 6 Jun 2013 17:39

As it is on an Ancestry tree, why not ask them - they must have a support function, surely?

Tudor

Tudor Report 6 Jun 2013 23:57

Good Day, Peter. I trust that you are well.

Gwyn in Kent

Gwyn in Kent Report 7 Jun 2013 21:08

I looked for images of other marriages in the same church. Perhaps there is a family link to Ann who married in 1865.
One of her witnesses clearly signs Mayo.

Gwyn

ElizabethK

ElizabethK Report 9 Jun 2013 11:38

Thank you for that Gwyn-I had not picked it up :-)

RolloTheRed

RolloTheRed Report 10 Jun 2013 18:58

If FreeBMD have indexed a record incorrectly AND the error is based on a print/type transcription from the original handwritten GRO record AND you can furnish them with a copy of the handwritten index THEN they will make a correction notwithstanding their general policy of adhering to the GRO "original" index. It depends on how original is original.

I have had over 100 corrections accepted and entered into the FreeBMD index ( which is also used by Ancestry). Once accepted the old record disappears.

OTOH if the GRO index has an error of fact then it cannot be updated except in the special case of generating new birth records where the birth surname has changed. All you can do is add a postem.