Updated 04 March, 2006

Useful Tips and Downloads to help with Transcribing

 

 

Summary of the Basic Instructions  for using the

 SSCENS (Spreadsheet Method)  for FreeCEN

 

SSCENS  is an .EXE file.

When downloaded, you open the file and it self expands.

You will then have the following 5 files.

  1. CENSDEMO.CSV
  2. BLANK.CSV 
  3. README.HTM     
  4. FIELDS.HTM         (E-Internet file) 
  5. STRUCTUR.HTM   (E-Internet file) 
Their roles.
1.CENSDEMO.CSV  

This is an example of a Spreadsheet

2. BLANK.CSV     

This is a blank spreadsheet for you to use to start your transcription

The following  3  E-internet files, are your 'Bible'
Print them off and keep them handy, or alternatively have them as a short cut on your desktop.

3. README 

FreeCEN "Spreadsheet" Routines.

4 FIELDS 

SSCENS Field Descriptions.
This gives you a Column by Column instruction
It also gives you a guide to the following

Appendix: Relationships
Appendix: Abbreviations Policy
Appendix: Chapman County Codes

5.STRUCTUR 

The SSCENS Spreadsheet Structure
This explains the reasons for the first 3 rows and all subsequent rows.

Please pay particular attention to number 4 

"Field Descriptions"

This is your first port of call for any query  and informs you about what

Please also note the use of the hyphen  i.e. '-'  in some columns as  f no other information is on the fiche  for that column. 

If you do not understand  anything in number 4  or have a problem, get back to your Coordinator  or Assistant Coordinator

You can also post to the Helpers list if there is anything not
covered in the Field Descriptions or you just want some clarification.

If you are not Subscribed to the Helpers List please contact your Coordinator.
GENIE,,,,,CHAPMAN CODE place Locator

You will also need to download Genie from the FreeCEN Webpage.

If you are stuck on any County Code or Birth Place, Genie will help you.
You need only check the ones you are having a problem reading.
You do NOT to have to check them all. 

Once downloaded and installed open  Genie

For instructions on how to us and download  Genie as a Standalone please click here

In Genie,  you put the first 4 or 5 letters only in the little box at the top.
Type in Nott  (or whatever County you want) and press enter it takes you  to the list of all those that begin NOTT.
If you  then double click on the word Nottinghamshire, it will then bring up all the villages and towns in that County.
All in alphabetical order.
Then scroll down to see if any of the towns/villages look like the one from the fiche. If  it is not  there then make an educated guess. Put an 'X' in column  'V' so the Checker or Validator will pick it up and  sort it out
If through Local Knowledge you know the  birth place  but it is not in GENIE, either because it is spelt different or just missing then you type it in and put an 'X' in column  'V' so the checker or  Validator will pick it up and  sort it out.
 
Chapman Codes for FreeCEN

This is the list of County Codes you need to use for Column T....please do not use any other combination.
County
Use:
County
Use:
County
Use:
Aberdeenshire ABD Alderney ALD Anglesey AGY
Angus ANS Antrim ANT Argyllshire ARL
Armagh ARM Ayrshire AYR Banffshire BAN
Bedfordshire BDF Berkshire BRK Berwickshire BEW
Brecknockshire BRE Buckinghamshire BKM Bute BUT
Caernarvonshire CAE Caithness-shire CAI Cambridgeshire CAM
Cardiganshire CGN Carlow CAR Carmarthenshire CMN
Cavan CAV Channel Isles CHI Cheshire CHS
Clackmannanshire CLK Clare CLA Cork COR
Cornwall CON County Durham DUR Cumberland CUL
Denbighshire DEN Derbyshire DBY Devon DEV
Donegal DON Dorset DOR Down DOW
Dublin DUB Dumfriesshire DFS Dunbartonshire DNB
Durham DUR East Lothian ELN East Riding YKS ERY
England ENG Essex ESS Fermanagh FER
Fifeshire FIF Flintshire FLN Forfarshire (Angus) ANS
Galway GAL Glamorganshire GLA Gloucestershire GLS
Guernsey GSY Hampshire HAM Hants HAM
Herefordshire HEF Hertfordshire HRT Huntingdonshire HUN
Inverness-shire INV Ireland IRL Isle of Man IOM
Isle of Wight IOW Jersey JSY Kent KEN
Kerry KER Kildare KID Kilkenny KIK
Kincardineshire KIN Kinross-shire KRS Kircudbrightshire KKD
Lanarkshire LKS Lancashire LAN Leicestershire LEI
Leitrim LET Leix (Queens) LEX Limerick LIM
Lincolnshire LIN London (City) LND Londonderry LDY
Longford LOG Louth LOU Mayo MAY
Meath MEA Merionethshire MER Middlesex MDX
Midlothian MLN Monaghan MOG Monmouthshire MON
Montgomeryshire MGY Moray MOR Nairnshire NAI
Norfolk NFK North Riding YKS NRY Northamptonshire NTH
Northants NTH Northumberland NBL Nottinghamshire NTT
Offaly (Kings) OFF Orkney Isles OKI Oxfordshire OXF
Peebleshire EE Pembrokeshire PEM Perthshire PER
Radnorshire RAD Renfrewshire RFW Roscommon ROS
Ross & Cromarty ROC Roxburghshire ROX Rutland RUT
Salop SAL Sark SRK Scotland SCT
Selkirkshire SEL Shetland Isles SHI Shropshire SAL
Sligo SLI Somerset SOM Staffordshire STS
Stirlingshire STI Suffolk SFK Surrey SRY
Sussex SSX Sutherland SUT Tipperary TIP
Tyrone TYR Wales WLS Warwickshire WAR
Waterford WAT West Lothian WLN West Riding YKS WRY
Westmeath WEM Westmorland WES Wexford WEX
Wicklow WIC Wigtownshire WIG Wiltshire WIL
Worcestershire WOR Yorkshire YKS . .
Additional Codes accepted by FREECEN
Overseas: Brit. Subject OVB Overseas: Foreign OVF Unknown UNK

Trouble deciphering any words.

The rule is really, if you cannot decipher a word within 30 seconds of looking at it, make an educated guess as to what you think it says. 

Type it in and put an 'X' in the query column and in the notes column Y put a very brief note of what the problem is.

Remember, the rule for transcribing is always 'AS IS'

The Checker will then pick up that note and have a look at it and make a choice.
 
The FreeCEN Stages... that a single PIECE Number goes through
  1. We Transcribe using SSCENS (Spreadsheet method)
  2. When the transcribing is complete it is sent to the Coordinator who arranges for it to be Checked . (After converting the file to a FreeCEN Format)
  3. The Checker who checks it using a FreeCEN program called WINCC.
  4. When the Checker has finished checking all the PIECE Number the checked file is then sent to the Validator (This could be the  County Coordinator or nominated Helper)
  5. The Validator use uses the  VALDREV program to validate the whole         PIECE Number.
    Any Birth place typed in that does not match the correct County Chapman Code or is not spelt correctly brings up an ALERT in the Validating program. The Validator then has to check all these ALERTS.
  6. When Validated, it is then Post Validated
    This is to check  that the file to be Uploaded to the ON-Line Database. has no corruptions etc.
    This process checks that the file looks OK and also removes any unnecessary comments from the Notes field.
    It also checked to see if files that were deleted, actually were.
 

Abbreviations

The following is the list of abbreviations you will need to use to enter into  the appropriate Columns in your Spreadsheet

 L   =  Relationship      Q  =  Occupations

 
"Relationship to Head" - Standard Abbreviations
Relationship Use: Relationship Use: Relationship Use:
apprentice appren half-brother hlfbro Sister-in-law sislaw
assistant asstnt half-sister hlfsis son son
aunt aunt head head son-in-law sonlaw
boarder boardr husband husbnd step-brother stpbro
brother brothr inmate inmate step-daughter stpdau
brother-in-law brolaw lodger lodger stepfather stpdad
cousin cousin mistress mstres stepmother stpmum
daughter dau mother mother stepsister stpsis
dau-in-law daulaw mother-in-law ma-law stepson stpson
father father nephew nephew stranger strngr
father-in-law fa-law niece niece traveller trvelr
granddaughter grndau patient ptient uncle uncle
grandfather granpa prisoner prisnr visitor vistor
grandmother granma pupil/scholar pupil wife wife
grandson grnson relative reltiv wife's mother wif-ma
great aunt gtaunt servant servnt wife's dau wifdau
great uncle gtuncl sister sister wif'e son wifson
governess gvrnss nurse child nrs-ch  

 

1891 CENSUS

In the 1891 Census you also have to  also use COLUMN R

If you have to put any occupation STATUS  in this column, then the
occupation column  must be restricted to ONLY 24 Characters.

You must therefore abbreviate the Occupation as best you can.

This applies to INCENS  and SSCENS.

 

SPREADSHEET WARNINGS :  SSCENS

It has been found that where HOUSEHOLDS go over to the next page some transcribers are repeating the schedule number again.

PLEASE DO NOT.  This is causing enormous problems for the Checker.

When  the Household goes over the page, all you have to put is the NEW PAGE NUMBER  (and maybe the Folio number if that has changed)..
Please do not repeat the Schedule number 
unless it is a NEW HOUSEHOLD.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Column R ...OCCUPATION STATUS
1891Census Only NOT the 1861 census

The Census the form includes three columns to be marked if the person
was            "Employer"     "Employee"     or     "Neither" 
FreeCEN Transcribes this information into a single column.

Do not make assumptions! 
If these columns are all empty, then leave Column R empty.
Otherwise enter either  a     R   E or N  as follows:-

R       for "employeR"                         (If there is a 'X' in column 12)

E       for "employeE"                         (If there is a 'X' in column 13)

N       for "Not employer/employee"   (If there is a 'X' in column 14)

If a person is marked for both "employeR" and "employeE": enter  R

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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