Avoiding Transcription Errors

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Avoiding Transcription Errors



Editorial history

Created 25/05/14, by CSG



Purpose

This Avoiding Transcription Errors page is being developed by Colin Greenstreet for use as a training tool during the MarineLives Summer Programme 2014






Suggested links


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Words



A


aforesaid or aforesayd
- probably 60% of the time "sayd"
- where there is the abbreviation "aforesd" on a page, look for an example of the expanded version on the same page and use that to expand the contracted "aforesd" to that version

amendment
- Often wrongly transcribed as "mend"
- To amend a ship is to have a ship repaired

apparell
- MEANING: ship's sails



B


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C


Cilley or Scilley
- As in what we now call the Scilly islands
- Transcribe with a "C" of "S" according to what you see

currans or currants?
- usually "currans", but occasionally "currants"
- currants were imported from Zant and the Morea



D


dischardge or discharge
- usually has the extra "d"
- EXAMPLE: "dischardge goods at the Port of London"

dunkerkers alt. dunkirkers
- MEANING: Dunkirk men of war
- Transcribe what you see, but "e" and "i" is very easily mistaken



E


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F


ff
- we are NOT transcribing the dounle "f" as "F"
- so "ffebruary" and NOT "February" (unless of course it is written "February"

foregoeing
- usually spelled with an "e", so "goeing" not "going"

furniture
- MEANING: XXX



G


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H


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I


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J


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K


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L


ladeing or lading
- the variants are distributed roughly 50/50, so be careful



M


mett or met
- almost always with a double "t"
- EXAMPLE: "the ship was mett with a seized by a Brest man of warr"



N


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0


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P


Port of London
- the "p" in the phrase "Port of London" is often written in the Court manuscripts as a captial "P". Please transcribe as "Port of London"

premisses
- yes, it says "premisses"!
- MEANING: the facts as stated
- as in "the premisses he knoweth because"

proceeds or proceed or proceede
- usually "proceeds"
- EXAMPLE: the "proceeds of certaine goods"



Q


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R


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S


said or sayd
- probably 60% of the time "sayd"
- where there is the abbreviation "sd" on a page, look for an example of the expanded version on the same page and use that to exapand the contracted "sd" to that version

she or shee
- the variants are distributed roughly 50/50, so be careful
- ships are referred to as "she/shee" and "her"


shipp or shipps?
- look carefully to see if there is an "s" after the second "p"
- does the sense of the phrase suggest this is a plural?
- EXAMPLE: "one of the shipps company"

subiects or subjects
- you will see both variants; transcribe it as you see it

surprized
- EXAMPLE: The ship was met with, surprized and seized"
- Usually with a "z"



T


tackle
- MEANING: ship's equipment

togeather or together
- usually it is "togeather"

twentith or twentieth
- don't correct "twentith" by adding an "e" if it is written without one
- it is esy to SEE letters which are not there



U


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V


voyage or voiage
- you will see both variants



W


Wittnes or Wittnesse
- You will find the variants "wittnes" and "wittnesse"
- You will never find "wittness" with two "s" but without an "e"



X


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Y


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Z


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Capitalisation

C or G
- Captal "C's" and capital "G's" are easily confused

d or D
- only capitalise IF it is a clear "D", even if it is the first letter of a person's name
- EXAMPLE: "david" not "David", UNLESS a clear "D"
- EXAMPLE: "december", UNLESS a clear "D"
- EXAMPLE: "doctor of Lawes"

h or H
- only capitalise IF it is a clear "H", even if it is the first letter of a person's name
- so "henry" not "Henry", UNLESS a clear "H"

m or M
- pay attention to the capitalisation of "m/N", especially in "master" or "Master"
- transcribe what you see



Grammar

  • Grammar is pretty close to modern grammar, and is rigorously adhered to (as opposed to orthography, which is very variable)


  • Some oddities you may come across:


was instead of were
- EXAMPLE: "there was Currans and wine and oyle to about the quantitie of sixty tonnes put aboard"



Common Sense


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