The 1939 Register

Another endearing thing about FMP:-
Before the 1939 Register was published, if you bought £24.95 worth of units they lasted for one year.
Now all unit purchases only last for 90 days.

The Fireworks are going mad round here at the moment

 

I've only just come across this FMP blog item about the transcription of the 1939 Register. It's dated 3 Nov so I missed it previously. There are interesting explanations of some of the quirks in the Register as we see it.

 

I disagree, there is absolutely nothing unscrupulous about gleaning information before deciding to pay out good money. As an old rhyming couplet puts it: "use your skills and nous before paying a sou" ('Caveat Emptor' in another guise).

Who on earth pays for something they do not want? I've lost count of the times I've foraged the free search information available in Data Bases such as 'Scotlands People' and 'Roots Ireland' (and others who insist on you buying credits to view real content) before finally hitting on something for which I will willingly pay. In my eyes and I suspect others it is a 'Catch 22' situation for FMP; close a loophole and you risk losing, and not to say alienating, a good many researchers who might have been induced to buy and use their valuable credits; or leave things be and by so doing stimulate more interest allowing people to finally discover what they seek, and use their credits wisely.

 

Not sure it is what you said Peter, but possibly what you meant. Anyway nice to know we are of one accord.

 

I agree, it would surely be due to poor research.

 

I cannot find any of the 1939 data that I've entered onto any of my trees (Roots Magic 6)worse still,one entire tree has gone Surely this is a software problem rather than a more sinister reason (FMP is watching you!) I must say several times over the years I've opened a rmg tree and been surprised to find a lack of data information that I was convinced I'd previously entered. I've managed to find a gedcom file of the 'missing tree' but it was saved in January, therefore lacking lots of data entered since January.

 

I couldn't help smiling at the introduction to the 1939 Register by Findmypast. At "What is the 1939 Register?" we learn that "... the enumerators were charged with the task of visiting every household in Great Britain and Northern Ireland to collect the names, addresses, martial statuses and other key details of every civilian in the country...". Surely very useful on the outbreak of war!!

 

Can you imagine the opposite dilemma; enrolling in a class given over to study (as you thought) "Martial Arts" to find you had misread the title? Come to think of it, it's probably been the subject of a comedy sketch already.

 

I note that Fmp are showing the name of an additional household member which will help identify it as the correct household.

 

That is what I am finding. The surname from a marriage after 1939 is written first with the surname used in 1939 in brackets.

 

I've just come across an interesting household member....Albert H All.... so entering 'All' in the surname on the advanced search form brings up a few Alls followed by a lot of ?Alls. (Please sound yer aitches).

Do ave a look for yourselves

 

Couldn't resist that could you Mr Hemjay

 

Perhaps he was fed up with people confusing him with a big building in London