Update on the Jonathan/John saga with Documents online

[Katie]

These are all the corrections I have sent in to the National Archives regarding Johns being recorded as Jonathan can anyone notice something which I have sussed out.

Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment Private John G/5986 Billington Jonathan
King's Royal Rifle Corps Corporal John 33137 Badrock Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 12112 Austin Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 242044 Airey Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Company-Sergeant-Major John 330749 Bray Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John J 18762 Conley Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John E 3901 Cookson Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 2822 Aindow Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John E 1312 Braithwaite Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 3594 Bowes Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 2019 Cooper Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 204155 Aindow Jonathan
South Lancashire Regiment Private John 242146 Aindow Jonathan
Worcester Regiment Private John A 11708 Airey Jonathan
Royal Irish Regiment Private John 16007 Aughton Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 5848 Bimson Jonathan
Cheshire Regiment Private John J 11101 Birch Jonathan
Royal Warwickshire Regiment Private John 5488 Birchall Jonathan
Irish Guards Private John H 9563 Condell Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 44893 Cooper Jonathan
Gordon Highlanders Private John 5060 Cowley Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 267680 Cookson Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 269788 Beaumont Jonathan
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 5445 Cranston Jonathan
Army Service Corps Driver John A M2/049395 Bowen Jonathan A Bowen
King's Liverpool Regiment Corpl John 305636 Birch Jonathan Birch
Royal Field Artillery Gunner John 74787 Birchall Jonathan Birchall
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 308130 Bowers Jonathan Bowers
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 22024 Brash Jonathan Brash
Lancashire Fusiliers Private John 23880 Bray Jonathan Bray
Royal Field Artillery Gunner John C 43948 Birch Jonathan C Birch
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 18432 Cooper Jonathan Cooper
King's Liverpool Regiment Private John 13338 Cooper Jonathan Cooper
Lancashire Fusiliers Private John 28936 Courtney Jonathan Courtney
King's Liverpool Regiment Sergeant John 7919 Crane Jonathan Crane
King's Royal Rifle Corps Lance-Corporal John J 4643 Bebb Jonathan G Bebb
Loyal North Lancashire Regiment Private John W 263004 Cowin Jonathan W

[Bertieone]

Surnames begin with A, B, or C.

[Katie]

A plus Bertie Think I will give them a little call and see if they can appoint some nice worker to check from A to C (don't think so)

[dickiesam]

Well spotted Bert... beat me to it! Looks like the A to Cs were given to one person/company to scan/transcribe. If it was done using OCR it is possible someone decided to click the 'Change all' button when the OCR program threw up a doubtful recognition of John as Jonathan.

[Bertieone]

A fair assumption I think DS, how the error was made.
Thankfully we have Katie to keep pestering them until the errors are corrected, grateful to her.
Its not much to ask to have brave men's names recorded correctly.

[Fledge]

Its not much to ask to have brave men's names recorded correctly.

The very least we can do.

[Katie]

Whilst on my Annual Jaunt down to represent our Society with the North West Group FHS. I managed to fit in a whistle stop visit to the National Archives. i spent about 30 minutes with a lovely young lady explaining to her about the Johns being recorded as Jonathan and this error has only occurred with solders called John whose Surname Starts with A to C. I said to her "Tell your Boss" and I said "Do you know John Wood" and she said yes his my Boss and I said to her "Tell John Wood your boss (He is a Friend of mine) some mad Scouse woman called Kathy Donaldson has come in about these Soldiers called John recorded as Jonathan and I said " He knows me? he will kick the Documents online Crew into touch and get this error sorted" And I had a reply from Documents online 2 days after my visit.

Hi Kathy,



Just wanted to let you know that, in response to your query regarding the mis-transcriptions of Johns as Jonathans in the series WO 372, I have passed this onto the relevant members of staff and we are looking into it. I will keep you updated on this.

I my self personally think in the year of the Centenary of the start of WW1 and all the information that is being made available online for those who enlisted and fought in this war should be as accurate as possible.

I will keep everyone updated on My Soldiers called John who are mistranscribed as Jonathan in this Jonathan Saga.

[dickiesam]

Well done Kathy!

[MaryA]

Good on ya Kath! If you don't hear soon, pass us on the email address and we can all send in a barrage of complaints and see if they take notice of that.