Last March findmypast announced plans to release the 1939 Register…

And after a L O N G build up (the teases) the project is finally complete.

Over 40 million records held at The National Archives have been restored, scanned and transcribed to produce a fully searchable database for your sleuthing delight.

Get cracking here…

Search the 1939 Register on findmypast

What Is The 1939 Register?

At the outbreak of the Second World War the government undertook an assessment of the population in order to issue identity cards, ration books and aid other planning (e.g. conscription).

On 29^th September 1939 each household completed a form to provide the government with the following information about each household member:

• Address
• Name
• Sex
• Date of Birth
• Marital Status
• Occupation
• Membership of the armed forces or reserves

Unlike the census records the exact date of birth is recorded which will make it much easier to track down other records, such as birth certificates.

Citizens were also asked to record any other names they had previously been known by, such as maiden names. This extra information should help you to track down the correct birth and marriage certificate much quicker.

Plus, the details of any name changes by deed poll could help you solve some mysteries!

What’s also great about this record set is that it was maintained right up until 1996, so any future name changes are also recorded.

The records for anyone born less than 100 years ago will be closed to protect the privacy of the living. As time passes more records will be released as individuals pass the 100 year old threshold.

However, you will be able to request that a record for someone born less than 100 years ago is opened if you can provide proof of death.

How Do I Access The 1939 Register?

The 1939 Register records are available to search on the findmypast website from today.

The database is free to search and you can see a preview of the record transcription before you commit to purchasing the full record.

The preview will show name, year born and place of residence. The number of other people in the household is also shown with a breakdown of how many are available to view now, and how many are closed due to the 100 year rule.

With the 1931 census destroyed by fire, no 1941 census due to the war and the 1921 census not due for release until at least 2021, the 1939 Register really is a crucial resource.

It enables you to connect the dots from the Victorian generation recorded on the 1911 census to the present day…

…and provides a fascinating insight into your ancestors lives as they prepare for 6 years of war.

Start discovering your family’s wartime story with the 1939 Register here.

This is the most exciting record release since the 1911 census and could provide major new breakthroughs in our family history research!

02/11/15 UPDATE: The 1939 Register is now available to search here.

Here’s a quick overview of the 1939 National Register and what it can offer family historians…

At the outbreak of World War II the government acted quickly to carry out an emergency enumeration of the nation to help with their planning decisions.

Each household was issued with a form to record the details of all those living at the address on 29^th September 1939. The information collected included:

• Address
• Name
• Sex
• Date of Birth
• Marital Status
• Occupation
• Membership of the armed forces or reserves

The details were then used to issue identity cards that all citizens had to carry with them for the duration of the war. And in anticipation of the need for rationing, the data was also used to issue ration books.

With the 1931 census records destroyed in a fire and no census taken in 1941 due to the war, the 1939 Register is the only surviving record of the entire nation in a 30 year period.

Working in partnership with The National Archives, findmypast are aiming to have published the records within the next two years. So we should have access to them before the 1921 census, which is not due for release until 2022.

The record set contains over 40 million records…

However, in order to protect the privacy of the living only records for those with a birth date of over 100 years ago or who are proved to be deceased will be available.

02/11/15 UPDATE: The 1939 Register is now available to search here.

Plus scroll down to find out how you can reduce the risk of a “Grrr, I’ve just wasted £9.25 on the wrong birth certificate” moment.

What is the census?

The census is a survey of the nation taken by the government every ten years. The data collected is used to provide a total population count and find out who we are and how we live. Its purpose is to help the government plan for public services such as schools and hospitals.

The head of each household or institution is asked to fill in a form to answer questions about the members of their household and the dwelling they occupy. A census has been taken in the UK every ten years since 1801, and from 1841 onwards we can search these records to see where our ancestors were living and who with. To find out more read my beginners guide to the census records.

Why are the census records from 1801 to 1831 not available?

The aim of the first four censuses was just to learn basic population figures. The enumerators were therefore only expected to report a total head count for their area. In order to achieve this they did collect records of individuals in the same way later censuses were taken, but unfortunately for us they were not expected to pass these records on to be kept. Sadly the majority of records listing individuals for these censuses were destroyed. However in some areas some of these records may have been kept and still survive in local record offices.

Why are all the censuses after 1911 protected?

The census returns are closed to the public for 100 years after they were taken to protect the privacy of those recorded. So the last census to be released to the public was the 1911 census, and in 2022 we should be able to get access to the 1921 census.

Why is it useful to know what date the census was taken?

You can get a rough idea of when someone was born simply by subtracting their age recorded in the census from the year the census was taken.

But if we know the exact census date then we can be a lot more accurate in narrowing down a potential birth date.

So if the 1911 census was taken on the 2nd April 1911 and your ancestor is recorded as being 30 years old, then they must have been born between 3rd April 1880 and 2nd April 1881.

If you are looking to order a copy of your ancestor’s birth certificate and you are faced with lots of people with the same name born around the same time, this extra detail could help to narrow down the search.

We could congratulate our three times Great Grandfather on his ever expanding business… We could share in the joy of the birth of our Great Great Aunt Mabel… We could tell that fool Great Uncle Colin just what we think of him for squandering the family fortune.

Unfortunately, in the absence of a genie or a major breakthrough in physics we are unlikely to get the chance to do this.

You’re off the hook Colin.

But there is something we can use to drop in on our ancestors. No tardis required.

I’m talking about the census records…

What Is The Census?

A census is a survey of the population taken every 10 years. On census night the head of every household and institution (e.g. hospitals and prisons) must fill in a questionnaire listing everyone present at the address. In addition to their names occupants are also asked for their age, occupation and place of birth.

The records are collected by the Office for National Statistics who use them to count the population and compile statistics about the way we live. Its main purpose is to help the government plan for public services, such as hospitals and schools.

For us it’s a chance to peer through the window of our ancestor’s home every ten years and see how the last decade has treated them.

So how far back can we go?

The History Of The Census

The first census for England and Wales was taken back in 1801. At the time there were concerns about privacy and so names and ages were not recorded. This census simply provided a head count of the nation and revealed a population of 9 million.

The next three censuses of 1811, 1821 and 1831 were carried out in a similar way and therefore aren’t much use to us family historians. Fortunately, it was decided that the 1841 census should record more details.

In 1841 the heads of each household submitted the names, gender, ages (rounded down to the nearest 5 for anyone over 15) and occupations of all persons present at the address.

Occupants were also asked if they were born in their current county of residence or in “Scotland, Ireland or Foreign Parts”.

From 1851 onwards the information provided gets even more useful to us. The relationship of each member of the household to the head (e.g. wife, daughter, son etc) is recorded. So we’ve potentially got evidence confirming the names of our ancestors’ parents and siblings if we find them.

Ages of adults were no longer rounded down to the nearest five. And instead of a yes or no answer about whether someone was born in their current county of residence or not, their place of birth was simply requested instead.

This means we can now more accurately pinpoint an ancestor’s likely time and place of birth, allowing us to try and locate a birth certificate or baptism record.

Also included is marital status and whether blind, deaf of dumb.

From 1871 onwards questions were added relating to the mental health of citizens, asking if anyone in the household was a lunatic, imbecile or idiot (later changed to feeble-minded).

Living Conditions

The 1891 census provides more information about our forebear’s abode, requesting them to state how many rooms of a house they occupied if less than five. The 1901 census went one step further and simply asked how many rooms there were in a dwelling.

Overcrowding was a major problem in the poorest inner city areas during the Victorian era. You can often find examples of large families occupying just 2 or 3 rooms. Were your ancestors living in these conditions? Or were they one of the lucky ones, whose census returns reveal the presence of domestic servants, cooks and maids working in the household?

Why not be a nosy neighbour on your ancestor’s behalf and look at the records of other families living in the same street. It all helps to build up a better picture of their surroundings, class and economic status.

Working Life

As well as occupation residents had to state whether they were an employer, employed or neither from 1891 onwards. In 1901 a question was added to ask if anyone worked from home. And in 1911 the “industry or service with which worker is connected” was requested.

Occupations provide a fascinating glimpse into your ancestor’s everyday life, class and wealth. Were your ancestors among the thousands that gave up agricultural labour jobs in the country to go to the city factories during the industrial revolution? Were they well paid professionals, highly skilled craftsmen or general labourers? Did they go from rags to riches? Or riches to rags? Following the census returns for a family every 10 years can hold the answers.

Occupations also serve as a great clue when cross referencing census records with birth, marriage and death certificates to make sure you have found the correct person.

The Fertility Census

Prior to the 1911 census the government had concerns about a potential fall in the population. Birth rates had declined and emigration was up. To find out whether the British workforce could be sustained they decided to add additional questions to the 1911 census about the nation’s fertility.

Married women were asked how many years their marriage had lasted. With this information we can now calculate what year the marriage took place and try to find a marriage certificate or parish record.

Also asked was how many children had been born alive, how many had since died and how many were still alive. If the number of children in the household doesn’t match the number recorded to be still alive we know there are others out there to find. Often they are older children who have now married and flown the nest.

Sadly, the infant mortality rate was high back then. It was quite common for families to lose several children. There may have been children born alive who had died before they could be recorded on a census. With this new question we can make sure their names are still found and added to the tree.

The 1911 census is the only one available to us where the original forms filled out by our ancestors were kept. The records you can access online are scanned copies of these forms. So you can actually see the handwriting and signature of whoever was tasked with filling out the form, usually the head of the household.

Where Can I Find The Census Records?

The census returns are protected by the 100 years rule to safeguard the privacy of living people. The 1911 census is therefore the last census to be released and available for public viewing.

In the past the only way to view the census was to visit a library and spend hours scrolling through microfilm to find the right record. When the 1901 census was released in 2001 all the records were scanned, transcribed and put online for the first time. Now a record could be found simply by searching the database for a name. Demand for this new resource was so high the website holding the records crashed almost as soon as it was released.

With the phenomenal success of the 1901 census online the race was on for family history websites to transcribe and scan the previous census records. We are now lucky enough to have several websites offering searchable databases of all the available censuses on a subscription or pay per view basis.

1841 – 1911 Census Records

Ancestry – UK Census Collection
findmypast – Census Records
Genes Reunited – Census Records
The Genealogist – www.thegenealogist.co.uk