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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: fiddlerslass on Monday 10 January 22 09:39 GMT (UK)
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Hi,
I have noticed that quite a few people on my family tree stated they were a year younger when it came to the 1939 register. Usually the month and date remain correct. This is with having cross checked with the GRO or baptism details. Has anyone else come across such discrepancies?
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Yes, my great aunt decreased her birth year by six years on the 1939 National Register for Northern Ireland. Her husband was seven years younger than her. Her husband filled in and signed the form.
KG
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That is a large discrepancy. Did it cause any problems as the records were used by the NHS?
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Hi,
I have noticed that quite a few people on my family tree stated they were a year younger when it came to the 1939 register. Usually the month and date remain correct. This is with having cross checked with the GRO or baptism details. Has anyone else come across such discrepancies?
Yes, I have seen the same with something like 5-10, maybe more. Always exactly one year out.
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That is a large discrepancy. Did it cause any problems as the records were used by the NHS?
I have one that is 7 years out. It has been amended with the correct year in green ink, presumably by the NHS, National Registration or similar. I also have copies of several where the days and/or months of birth are inaccurate when compared with birth certificates. As with all such records, the individual's memory must play a part, as well as other reasons.
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Yes I have had problems with both of my Great Grandparents. Mary Ann Smith on her birth certificate was born 6/5/1877 on the 1921 Census it states 7/12/1876 & the 1939 Register 1876 no months mentioned. My Great Grandfather Thomas Smith on the 1921 Census it states birth year 1875 but no months mentioned, the 1939 Register 16/6/1877 & on his death Cert it stated born 1877. I can't find anything on Thomas & have been looking for his family for over 15 years & had hoped at last when the 1921 Census came out I would at least know the year & month he was born, but no one showing on the GRO so just don't know were to go next with this.
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Because of data protection, the 1939 Register was transcribed in vertical columns, this has resulted in some columns being misaligned throwing some years out of line.
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Because of data protection, the 1939 Register was transcribed in vertical columns, this has resulted in some columns being misaligned throwing some years out of line.
But discrepancies between the actual birth dates entered on the original register forms and visible on the digitised images, and other documents relating to the same individuals, have nothing to do with the method of subsequent transcription.
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Yes, seen several times. If entering a known DOB and does not come up will then do ±1 or ±2 year window. 1939 Reg is a summary sheet of the householders returns, like the 1901 and previous census. The original form asked for birth day and month in one column and year in another. Whether it was intentional, they had problems with the maths, or did not know/care as they had never seen or needed to own their birth cert hard to know.
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/articles/world-records/full-list-of-united-kingdom-records/census-land-and-surveys/1939-register-original-forms
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I have found that they have the wrong year and also the date can b out.
I lso found that they mixed the DOBs, giving the wife the husbands DOB and the giving the husband the wife's DOB.
John
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In my Experience in Research I have found the Dates of Birth shown on the 1939 Register only about 60 % accurate.
I always advise others to be aware of that.
And to be aware that when downloading it into their Ancestry Tree for that person it updates that date into the Fact Record with that incorrect date which is usually then contrary to the Date of Birth that they had already had downloaded for the Baptism.
Dates are not just the year wrong but also the month and day.
Only explanation is Transcription as previously suggested.
Plus not completed by the Householder but rather a visiting Enumerator probably during the day when most of the Residents were out at work or at school or had been Evacuated to the Country.
The remaining Wife at home would have to verbally state the exact Date of Birth for everyone.
Something my Wife and I still find hard to do now, when it comes to Family Birthdays.
How about you ?
Something else I pass on to new Researchers
Never view the past with 21st Century eyes be Flexible
Remember History is not a Record of the Truth or what happened
It's a Record of what people "Said" happened
Which isn't necessarily the Truth.
I have Birth Certificates for 4 Relatives where their Date of Birth born on the Certificate,
is months after the Priest recorded their Baptism in his Consecutive Baptism Register months before they were officially born.
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My grandpa got his completely wrong.....day, month and year.
No wonder he was surprised to get his Old Age Pension.....he was older than he thought he was. ::)
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Plus not completed by the Householder but rather a visiting Enumerator probably during the day when most of the Residents were out at work or at school or had been Evacuated to the Country.
The remaining Wife at home would have to verbally state the exact Date of Birth for everyone.
That is incorrect, a form was delivered by an Enumerator for completion by the Head of House and collected subsequently, then transcribed into his ledger, just like the 1901 census. Refer to the link with the forms above including instructions to the enumerator. It has Form E the Household Instructions but not the other side the form where the details were to be entered, but does have similar Institution and Welsh forms. I found a copy of the Household as attached from https://www.1911census.org.uk/regform1939a.jpg
The Householder's Instructions say it was the duty of the Head to complete the form.
1. The Head or Acting Head of a private household or the Manager or other person in charge of an Hotel, Club, Boarding House ...is required by law to make a return on this form respecting all persons ...
3. This schedule will be collected by the Enumerator, who will thereupon write and issue to the Head or Manager an identity card for every member of the household or establishment.
I'm sure the enumerator struggled to read some handwriting 6 & 5, 8 & 3, 7 & 1 and errors occurred. Names are generally more a problem than numbers but may have been checked as the card was issued, guess one wouldn't want a card with incorrect surname.
"But the next stage of their duties was quite different from that of a census enumerator. Instead of casting a cursory glance at the form to look for obvious mistakes or omissions, he or she had to verify all the details with the householder, on the spot. Next, the enumerator would write out a National Registration Identity Card for every person, issuing unique numbers as they went."
https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/national-registration-day-29-september-1939/
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Ooops
Thanks Jon
That's something I've now learnt.
Cheers