FreeBMD (not FreeBDM- remember the sequence is birth-marriage-death) has
links alongside the search results indicated by an icon like a pair of
spectacles. Clicking on this icon allows you to view an image of the index
page containing the entry. You can then make up your own mind about what the
number actually is, and also send a correction request to FreeBMD so that
the correct number will be shown in future, if you disagree with the
transcription. Correction requests are checked and where they are accepted
as more accurate than the existing entries they normally appear in the
FreeBMD database within about two months.
The entry you refer to, in June 1891 on scan image
LDS-211-000-0951333/1891d2-403.tif, should actually be 579. In the typeface
used for that page, you can see that the number 6 always has a rounded top
and the number 5 has a flat top. In this case it looks as if the curve at
lower left of the 5 has 'closed up' to make it like a 6, but the flat top is
the give-away that the number is a 5.
I have submitted a correction request for this entry using the form which is
easily accessible from the word 'here' in the sentence 'If you have a
correction to this entry, please click here.' which appears just below the
entry details when you click on the 'spectacles' icon next to a search
result.
Lower down the Entry Info page you will see that under the heading
'Unreadable entry' there is a simple explanation referring to the * _ [ ]
{ } characters and a link leading to the FreeBMD help page
http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/Format.shtml#ucf which Robert quoted from in his
reply.
FreeBMD transcriptions are done by volunteers so that the data in Birth
Marriage and Death Indexes for England and Wales may be freely available
without the need to pay a subscription to a commercial organisation.
Should anyone wish to become a volunteer transcriber for FreeBMD ( as I am
sure some of the list members already are among over 11 thousand FreeBMD
transcribers) then follow the red link to 'Join FreeBMD' on the FreeBMD home
page
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/
Jeff
----- Original Message -----
From: "karen mabey" <kmabey(a)bigpond.net.au>
To: <GLAMORGAN(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 7:24 PM
Subject: [GLA] Thomas
Hi
Can anyone explain why there are 2 lots of numbers one in brackets when
looking at Free BDM's please.
eg: Death Theresa Thomas Swansea 11a [56] 79
Thanks in advance.
Karen