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Saturday, December 10, 2011

Who Is That Nine Year Old?

What is the first name of the 9 year old in this census image from 1860?

19 comments:

  1. Hamet Ditto I really don't think that is his last name. Ditto that is.

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  2. I know the 9 year old is shown as a male in the image but the name sure looks like "Harriet".
    If it is - and my memory serves me correctly - then I have read of this family before. I won't mention the surname as it has been carefully trimmed in the image !!

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  3. My first guess was Hamet. But after reading the other comments, and looking carefully at the handwriting (look at the "r" in Edward and George), it may very well be Harriet. It wouldn't be the first time a female was enumerated as a male, or vice versa!

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  4. I say Hamet, but without knowing more of the history and following the family it is hard to tell. I have had a few where my boy is listed as a girl, and also where my child is listed as the daughter of the head of house, when it is actually the daughter or the house maid.

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  5. I say Hamet. By looking at the other names and being a user ov the letter made as in george I say the third letter is an "M"

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  6. I don't think it is Harriet because 1) there aren't enough down-strokes (could just about be Hariet though) and b) there is no . for the i.

    So I would say Hamet, or possibly Harnet

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  7. This is an excellent example of "how it should be read/transcribed" versus "what it actually is."

    A case could be made that it is Hamet. I think that is what the census taker wrote, which is how I would transcribe it.

    What it actually is--which isn't clear from the enumeration admittedly, is Harriet. This is based upon other records which site users didn't have access to. My guess is that the census taker was unable to read his field notes, what he saw in his notes looked like "Hamet" and he went with it--not thinking anyone would care in 150 years.

    This example is a good reminder of how things can really get transcribed in interesting ways.

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  8. Hamel

    PamStephenson01@aol.com

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