I would also like to add one other confusing handwritten problem. I have
found my Gr. Gr. Grandfather Friedrich Dranse's last name spelled as Drause.
When you look at the recorded name, the lower case "n" looks like a "u". Most of
the mistakes occur in the index files of the census and burial records that
were transcribed during the depression of the 1930's. I'm still searching for
his immigration records. In light of all the illegal immigration news we are
hearing about, I wonder???
Hi:
The one thing you have to remember is that the writing is influenced by the period when it took place and who did the writing.
Your two spellings Dranse and Drause are different only by the n and u. In the old script, the "n"'s left leg and the upward motion for the "hump" are usually separated and the letter tends to look like a "v" leaning to the right. Thus, it could very well be considered an "u" by today's standards. Is the bottom of the letter pointed (like a w) or rounded like our current day "u"? If it was pointed it was more than likely an "n". Also, almost all of the old "u"'s had an accent mark over them.
Once again, you have to consider the when and who factors.
Illegal immigration???
The more genealogy work I do, I find that many more people followed immigration rules than I originally thought. I think that they worried about the consequences of being caught undocumented. Also is someone in a community accused you of being illegal, you had to be ready to prove you were documented.
YES YES, there were many ways around it and there were a lots of undocumented people wandering around. But, if they wanted to settle down and raise a family, most of them did not want to worry and followed through with requirements.
The problem is finding those records. There was a lot of "Blood Sweat and Tears" in immigration and the same is true in finding those records.
The following URL: has a lot of links, but I still have not found what I am looking for.
Gale