Help for an amateur please! Ref: 1939 Census

[Horsley2016]

Hi there,

Why can't I find my Grandmother on the 1939 Census lists? I know 'around the time' she was living with her sister Annie in Birmingham somewhere but also went to work in Pwhelii (hotels / casual work) before returning to Liverpool to do war work. That bit's a little sketchy but her name is Primrose so I assumed (foolishly) I'd be able to find her! DOB 19.04.1923 Surname officially Owens but sometimes an Owen and she sometimes liked being called Rose.
I've looked at all the reasons why I can't find somebody on the official pages but I still don't understand why I can't find her!
Any experts out there? I've given myself a headache going through seemingly hundreds of listings on Ancestry! 
M

[PaulineJ]

what were her sister's details?

[rosie99]

Maybe her record has not be 'opened'  - when did she die. 

Is Owen(s) her maiden name as she would probably be showing under her married name

[Milliepede]

If she was born 1923 that's less than 100 years so she may be "blacked out" - is she deceased?

[nanny jan]

Hi,

It's actually the 1939 Register, not a census. It could be that her details are still redacted as she was born in 1924. I had to send proof to FindMyPast of my uncle's death (1953) as he was born 1920 and anyone born after 1917 is still hidden.....or should be. I guessed he was still living with his mother....and there he was. I think it took about a week from sending a scan of his death certificate until his details were opened.

Have you looked for older members of her family to see if she was with them?

[avm228]

So was she Primrose Owens, mmn Brown, birth reg Jun qtr 1923 West Derby, and married in 1965 Liverpool to Arthur Riley?

Have you looked for her parents in 1939?

[rosie99]

Possible sister Annie born 1914  1917 

[Horsley2016]

Dear all,

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all your thoughts and advice on this. My Nan meant and means so much to me.

Rosie / Pauline  - her sister Annie was born 24.01.1914 She married a Lawrence Pooley. I don't know how long they stayed in and around Birmingham for.

avm228 - She was 'that' Primrose Owens. Her parents were Alice Brown who married Samuel Arthur Owen who died in 1926. She then remarried to a John Thomas (known as Jack) Riley around 1928...(Alice is herself an enigma!)

I can track other members of the family to 7 Gregson Street in 1939...

nanny jan - interesting about the possibility her details are redacted. She died 13/02/2016. Annoyingly I can find very little 'official' about her despite her fairly unusual name except electoral registers.

Thank you!
M

[avm228]

If she died as recently as 2016 then her 1939 entry is probably redacted.