1939 Register

pinkypinky · 02-11-2015 1:32pm #1

So the 1939 Register went online this morning on FMP. This is a UK/Wales census substitute, so limited value for Irish ancestors.

Disappointingly, it's not included in existing subscriber packages (I have the most expensive one too). They've been pimping it heavily for the last month but I never saw any advance warning of it costing extra. Their twitter is inundated with negative comments too. From there, I've gleaned that there is a 25% discount for existing users but you have to email customer service for a code, or something.

L1011 · 02-11-2015 1:40pm

Its so dear per family that I think the few records it could be useful for for me are going to remain unexamined any time soon.

pinkypinky · 02-11-2015 1:47pm

People born under 100 years ago are blanked out anyway.

Chris Paton's got a good initial summary on his blog.
http://britishgenes.blogspot.ie/2015/11/english-and-welsh-1939-register-now.html

Intriguing - looks like someone in that particular household had taken in a refugee child from Germany (going by the name).

Chris has updated now with a larger review: http://britishgenes.blogspot.ie/2015/11/review-of-1939-english-and-welsh.html

pinkypinky · 03-11-2015 12:07am

This is turning into a PR disaster for FMP.
Check out the comments:

https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/announcing-the-release-of-the-1939-register-1424355718.html

Hermy · 03-11-2015 12:41am

A lot of unhappy campers.
What were they thinking of when they decided upon this pricing scheme?

pinkypinky · 03-11-2015 10:31am

I gather it was a lot of extra work done by extra paid staff. I think if they'd been upfront with the fact that there would be a cost, then this fallout wouldn't be so bad. Lots of people are saying they've contravened the UK Trade act and apparently the T&Cs were updated in September without any notification to users. Some people who renewed were quoting their renewal email which guaranteed access to all records on the site for 12 months, so they might actually have a case.

I'm a world subscriber and I've yet to get an email offering the one time only 25% discounted bundle. I'm sure glad I don't have a lot of recent UK ancestors right now.

Hermy · 03-11-2015 11:27am

Requiring existing subscribers to pay an additional fee one would expect the records to be of high quality and worth the additional fee but from the comments I've read so far that appears not to be the case.

OU812 · 03-11-2015 11:36am

Did Ireland have anything similar? One thing that jumped out at me from the review posted above was the fact they were able to release it early as it was not classed a census. We must have done something along the same lines...

L1011 · 03-11-2015 12:03pm

OU812 wrote: »

Did Ireland have anything similar? One thing that jumped out at me from the review posted above was the fact they were able to release it early as it was not classed a census. We must have done something along the same lines...

We had a 1936 census, they didn't - 1931 for England/Scotland/Wales and a 1937 part census for NI, 1926 for the last full one. So I don't think an equivalent was taken.

The GB 1931 and NI 1926 censuses have since been destroyed meaning the next full available after 1921 is 1951 so this being made available was going to be essential at some point - when NI and Scotland will release theirs is anyones guess though.

OU812 · 03-11-2015 12:09pm

They really should release the 1936 one next year. They could redact the "not dead" as was done in this. It's really only the ones that are dead we need to know about, we can ask the living (mostly)

L1011 · 03-11-2015 12:15pm

OU812 wrote: »

They really should release the 1936 one next year. They could redact the "not dead" as was done in this. It's really only the ones that are dead we need to know about, we can ask the living (mostly)

We've a 1926 one that's still being argued over...

Anyway - they've no way of knowing the not dead with a census, but with the UK 1939 register they've some knowledge of who died prior to the 1990s when it was computerised which means they can leave those who would be under 100 but are definitely dead in.

OU812 · 03-11-2015 12:25pm

I'm so frustrated. Have gone as far as I can with what I have

L1011 · 03-11-2015 12:33pm

OU812 wrote: »

I'm so frustrated. Have gone as far as I can with what I have

How far back have you made it?

The '26 census is going to be of most use for those working *forward*, looking for living relatives, matching marriages and so on rather than working backwards. I'm hoping it'll figure out a few family mysteries but they're all on branches off, not my own tree going back.

OU812 · 03-11-2015 12:56pm

L1011 wrote: »

How far back have you made it?

1824 on one side, 1787 on the other. THere's some questions about members of my grandparents generation & the one above that who are present in the 1911 (just) or who came in just after it - I've one unconfirmed person who was born three weeks after the census that I'd like to find out about. Also my Paternal Grandmother who was born in 1913 & died about ten years ago.

But I've also got a very interesting possible affair (& child of that affair) from a grandparent who would have been around then also.

I do want to work forward as well.

tabbey · 07-11-2015 12:22am

Like most people, I was shocked by the price, when I saw it first. However, with the five pack discount and subscriber's discount, it is not quite so bad.
Secondly, I was disappointed that three children of a relative, were redacted, a surprise given that the relative had married 107 years ago. However I learned something intriguing regarding this relative's domestic arrangements, which has led me onto more research.

One feature that is superior to the census, is the date of birth, rather than age. This should mean a greater degree of honesty / accuracy, but we will never have completely truthful records.

Another bonus I found, was the household of a person working in an institution, included hundreds of inmates. It would be handy if I was connected to some of them.

shanew · 20-01-2016 7:10pm

From the 16th February 2016, FMP will be providing "unlimited access" of the 1939 Register to members - presumably with UK or World access.

Hermy · 20-01-2016 7:37pm

Quite an about turn but very welcome nonetheless.

Hermy · 20-01-2016 7:44pm

In the meantime Claire Santry reports a 20% price increase on all FMP subscriptions from February 16th.

pinkypinky · 20-01-2016 11:59pm

The 1939 register is free to annual subscribers only, and I've also had an email to say my renewal price is frozen. I actually have 2 subs at the moment because their Thanksgiving deal was so amazing, it was worth burning 2 months of my current sub.

L1011 · 25-08-2018 8:50pm

I've found a relation on this and I've got a question about how corrections were done, if they were at all; should someone here know

She's listed with her maiden name and martial status S; however her surname is crossed out and her married name written in in a different script/different pen. Did they update the original registers for some time period after?

She's actually still alive - well over 100 or else she'd be excised on the records - so I could just ask her when she got married admittedly!

pinkypinky · 25-08-2018 11:18pm

Records were updated with married names for women. I've seen many many examples of this. Not sure how long after or if it was done in batches periodically.

How wonderful that her record is open and she's still alive. You should show her it!
One of my life's ambitions is to see myself on an unsealed census. I've a long wait, so should probably look after myself better!

BowWow · 26-08-2018 9:41am

"The Register was continually updated while National Registration was in force, when it was a legal requirement to notify the registration authorities of any change of name or address. This ended in 1952, but since 1948 the Register had also been used by the National Health Service, who continued updating the records until 1991, when paper-based record keeping was discontinued.

Changes of name for any reason were recorded; in practice this was mostly when women changed their surnames on marriage or re-marriage, but also includes changes of name for any other reason, such as by deed poll.

The majority of these name changes appear in the indexes so you can search for a person using either their name in 1939 or any subsequent name."

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/1939-register/

1939 Register

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