Daily Genealogy Transcriber Blog for Follow Friday is about my latest online addiction. The Daily Genealogy Transcriber blog (“One Quick Handwriting Transcription Challenge Every Day For the Genealogist in You”) is the brainchild of Michael John Neill, whom most of us know through Case File Clues and Genealogy Tip of the Day.
On days when I don’t have two or three hours in a row to sob quietly work diligently on my German translations, the Daily Genealogy Transcriber is perfect.
As for the example above, I could see Reichmann pretty quickly as the surname, but all I’ve got for the first name is Nicolaus – I think.
For more posts about transcription and translation, click here.
Thanks for the suggestion, that would be fun to put together. I wonder if I saved the characters in Acrobat and then used them as search terms if it would “translate” for me…..
Hey Bonnie,
These threw me for a bit, but – particularly if you are in these records often – this is a great opportunity to create your own alphabet of her handwriting. Matter of fact, you might enlarge the records, take screen shots of the capitals and lower case letters – as you identify them – and make an A-B-C-a-b-c chart! This scribe seems to be pretty consistent in her writing, though she uses both cardinal and ordinal numbers (1-2-3-1st-2nd-3rd) in the records.
Must admit I’d take her handwriting (all in Latin characters) over some of the records that we come across in old German schrift, wouldn’t you agree, Nancy? Bonnie, it just takes PRACTICE, believe me! Good luck.
By the way, I think the first name is McGINTY.
Cari’s suggestion of a sample book of characters is great if you are working in those records a lot. I’ve started one of German words and it’s helped too.
Cari, as usual you figured it out in a heartbeat. Bonnie, that’s pretty loopy. The first one looks like McFruity or McGuilty and we know those aren’t right!
I’m an amateur and transcribing handwriting is a huge challenge! The clerk completing marriage license applications in Luzerne PA in the 30’s and 40’s drives me nuts with his/her loopy handwriting! https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-21943-197108-14?cc=1589502&wc=MMY5-ST6:1982596814
Hi Nancy,
I also initially came up with Nichaus Reichmann. Then after reading your comments, tried again, after enlarging the page (Mac: command and +) Thanks, Nancy for the high res image!
I wonder if the scribe began to write Nich[olas], realized the name was (probably) Nicklaus, indicated a k over the h (see the distinct flag?) and simply forgot to include an l.