RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: MacGrigor on Friday 01 November 19 12:30 GMT (UK)
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Hello,
I happened to be using the map search feature for the 1939 Register on FindMyPast today, and just found it interesting to see the families listed etc. I was surprised to see that the profiles for my deceased grandad (b. 1928) and my living great-uncle (b. 1925) were listed, and indeed viewable. When I saved the scan last year I think it was, neither were available. What could have happened that has led to the two being available now, especially considering one is still alive? I looked for two other grandparents born in and before 1939, and they weren’t viewable.
I’d appreciate any information!
Adam
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Looks like deaths have been found but obviously one of those deaths is wrong i.e. possibly a match or close match to your great uncle's birth?
Annie
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They’d certainly be right with one death - but still he wasn’t born in the last 100 years, so I thought that was illegal? But they certainly have mistaken the death for my great-uncle, who was still alive as of about 2 months ago.
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If a death has been confirmed, even if the person was born less than 100 years ago, the record is opened. Both of my parents now appear on there - one born 1920 died 2010 and the other 1923 died 1999. I don't know how they found the deaths, I didn't tell them.
Mistakes do happen, and if your great uncle objects to his record being open, if he contacts FindMyPast they will close it again. I found two aunts on there who were still alive, but that was understandable as they were both 100 years old! I asked them if they wanted it closed, but one said, "What's the point, they will only have to open it again in a year or so." :D
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I’ll have to contact him about it. I don’t expect he’ll mind but you never know. Thanks for the reply :)
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I'd understood that it was possible to get the details revealed if one could prove that the person had died. It's certainly not 100 years - both my parents were there as youngsters when I looked, and they died in their 70s and 80s, before the registers were first opened. It seems sensible that details of living people would be redacted, no matter how inconvenient it may appear when trying to trace relatives and siblings.
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I've found quite a few opened records for living relatives.
(Also, vice-versa: Many deceased that are still closed.)
You can inform them of the mistake and they will quickly redact any that are still living.
Glen :)
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Thanks Glen. I think I'll inform them. It'd probably a bit much for a 94 year-old man to do himself.
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Turns out you need a valid ID e.g. current passport or driving license ;D
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Yes, I know when I queried it, they said it had to come from the person themselves and they needed to prove they were alive!
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Turns out you need a valid ID e.g. current passport or driving license ;D
Probably things that a 94 year old may not still have. ;D
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Very true :)
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They’d certainly be right with one death - but still he wasn’t born in the last 100 years, so I thought that was illegal? But they certainly have mistaken the death for my great-uncle, who was still alive as of about 2 months ago.
No, if they have died no matter when the details can be unredacted, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law does not applied to the deceased.
Cheers
Guy
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Yes, I know when I queried it, they said it had to come from the person themselves and they needed to prove they were alive!
Strange! I contacted them three years ago when I discovered my mother's record was uncovered and told them that she was very much alive and distressed to find her record open. I pointed out that they would find it impossible to prove she had died and so I did not think I should be expected to prove she was alive - I received a reply very quickly apologising and saying they had now covered up her entry - which they had.
It was quite simple - but perhaps things have changed?
Liz
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Yes, I know when I queried it, they said it had to come from the person themselves and they needed to prove they were alive!
Strange! I contacted them three years ago when I discovered my mother's record was uncovered and told them that she was very much alive and distressed to find her record open. I pointed out that they would find it impossible to prove she had died and so I did not think I should be expected to prove she was alive - I received a reply very quickly apologising and saying they had now covered up her entry - which they had.
It was quite simple - but perhaps things have changed?
Liz
I did exactly the same when I discovered my aunts entry uncovered two years ago.
I simply asked them to inform me what proof they had that my aunt, who I had been with only a few days earlier, was now dead.
The entry was redacted pretty quickly.
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I must admit, I didn't press it as I just asked them why my aunts' records were open when they were alive. They did say, quite rightly, that they opened records after 100 years and a day. Both my aunts had passed their 100 birthday, so were presumed to have died. I pointed out they hadn't and they said they would close them if my aunts requested it themselves. As I said, they weren't bothered, so I didn't pursue it. I suppose if necessary I could have sent them copies of their telegrams from the Queen.
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I know they have unredacted the wrong person in at least one case
My grandmother is redacted - she passed away several years ago, her younger sister (who is the line below her) is unredacted - and still alive.
I suspect they uncovered the wrong person
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...probably all blamed on a computer program!
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I know they have unredacted the wrong person in at least one case
My grandmother is redacted - she passed away several years ago, her younger sister (who is the line below her) is unredacted - and still alive.
I suspect they uncovered the wrong person
It is not surprising due to the way they were 'forced' to transcribe the 1939 National Register. Due to stupid privacy restrictions the transcriptions were done a column at a time with all the other columns redacted. This mean errors were easily made and difficult to see.
We are lucky the transcription are as accurate as the are under the circumstances.
Cheers
Guy
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A couple of years ago I found that my mum's record had been revealed. She is still very much alive, now 91.
I couldn't work out how, as there was no matching death record under either her maiden name or married name (which had NOT been added to the line). The nearest match I found showed a date of birth about 18 months away from her proper one.
I emailed FindMyPast and informed them that although she was quite happy to have her details on view, they might be able to use that record to improve whatever algorithm they used to remove the redactions.
The record was hidden again a couple of days later.
Yes I did save the image!
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They’d certainly be right with one death - but still he wasn’t born in the last 100 years, so I thought that was illegal? But they certainly have mistaken the death for my great-uncle, who was still alive as of about 2 months ago.
No it is not illegal, the 100 year rule was abolished in 2000 under the Freedom of Information Act. The redaction of information on the 1939 National Registration is simply office policy. The legal requirement is every 'case' should be considered individually and decided on its own merits.
Do not forget there is no privacy law in the UK.
Cheers
Guy
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I guess the 100 rule is far from infallible - Mr Google suggests that there were 13,330 centenarians living in the UK in 2019. That number is probably even higher now, Covid notwithstanding.