Are these yours?

[Mutley]

Wil[L_][I_][A_]M [F_]L[Ae_][Hb_][E_]r Rowland

Rhod[A_] M[A_]Rg[A_]R[E_]t Row[B_]Ottom

Will[IL_]Am Fitzm[A_]Uric[E_] Gi[B_][S_]O[N_]

While recently looking for a birth in the FreeBMD Index 1837-1983 of a well known search program I came across pages that have been transcribed similar to those above.

There are even very simple names for example: George William Smith and Fred Knott that have the underlines and brackets around them. Seems like a whole batch of records that would be impossible to find in the index by entering a name as normal.

If you copy and paste one of the examples and insert it into the Name field it may bring you up all the pages for you to peruse. They seem to be dotted all around the country.

[Mutley]

Playing with various years and counties.
1888 in Lancashire/Manchester has loads......

[Mutley]

John Wil_{1,2}e Harrop in 1878 Cheshire
J
o[S_][E_]P[H_] Wil[S_][O_][N_] St[R_]Au[G_][H_]Ton in 1888 Cumbria

FL*e Black*O*Ugh in 1880 Poplar

J_[S_]_[E_] [H_]Ea[R_][S_]__ in 1861 Tendering Essex

E*A Harriett_ Ke[M_]_ in 1860 Maldon Essex

[E_]Liz_ A_N__-M_RI [H_]Ay_[E_]S in 1861 in Abingdon Berks

and we wonder why we cannot find them?

[Sunpat]

Goodness! - as you say, "we wonder why we cannot find them?"
With that type of information available it certainly makes searching more difficult, if not impossible.
Why does that happen, can it be sorted?
Sunpat

[Copper]

This happens because the transcriber is unable to read the letter with certainty. So for one letter we can't read we put _ and for a number of letters (we are not sure how many) that we can't read we put * When we think it is a 5 or a 6 we put [5, 6] meanng we think it is 5 but it might be 6.

Now on balance I think that the early typed transcriptions of the index are the hardest to read. Some of the typists used the ribbon until it had worn right out. One example is you can't tell if it should be s or z which is a pain in Elizabeth.

There is a small team whose job is to try and sort out these problems.

There is also an error reporting system. I have used this when I have been able to check the index in a record office. These are usually corrected in about two months.

More transcribers would mean things would get sorted a lot quicker. I really must get back to transcribing after yet another break due to family illness.

[Sunpat]

Thank you for the explanation, Copper.
I'm sure the transcribing done by yourself and other kind folk is greatly appreciated by everyone who has been able to benefit and will continue to be in the future.
Interest in family history is expanding at a phenomenal rate thanks to people who can, and do, help others with their research.:):)
Sunpat