The guide to researching your family history.
Catherine Meades BSc DipGen QG
Cameo Family History
A series to lead you through the process of discovering your family’s story in simple steps, with some tips and tricks to help you through, round or over brick walls.
Part 4 – The 1939 Register for England and Wales (Click here for Part 3)
The 1939 Register is an invaluable tool in bridging the gap between the 1911 census – the latest currently available – and the present day.
The Register was taken on the 29 September 1939, just before the start of World War II, and the information was used as the basis for things like identity cards, rationing and conscription. Information included in a 1939 register entry: name, address, gender, date of birth, marital status, and occupation.
Information not included in a 1939 register entry: relationships between household members.
People not included in the Register:
• People born less than 100 years ago and not known to have passed away. These entries are redacted – their details do not appear in the indexes or transcriptions and in the images they are covered with a thick black line.
• People already in the military.
One useful feature of the 1939 Register is that the entries could be updated, usually with a different coloured ink. For example, a women’s married surname could be added.
Websites for accessing the 1939 Register:
• www.Ancestry.co.uk – ££. Images and transcriptions
• www.FindMyPast.co.uk – ££. Images and transcriptions.
• www.MyHeritage.com – ££. Transcriptions only
For previous articles in this series and additional information on how to search the 1939 Register see the Cameo Family History Website: www.cameofamilyhistory.com
Next month: Parish Registers
Tel: 07855 556 384
Email: info@cameofamilyhistory.com
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