1939 Register - Annotations and What They Mean?

[KGarrad]

Presumably "RG's Letter" refers to a letter from the Registrar General?

[patchwitch]

Presumably "RG's Letter" refers to a letter from the Registrar General?

That would be my assumption (but we all know assume puts an ass before u and me ....)

I wondered if there had been some form of "marriage" that was then deemed to be invalid but I have drawn a blank in searching for such a thing. There is no likely candidate for a McDonald - Wilkinson marriage in the GRO index but an invalid marriage may have been removed from the index anyway.

I have written to the people named in Bessie's will but had no response, perhaps they have moved or don't want to know or have another reason for not responding.

I usually get a 50% response rate to letters of enquiry which isn't too bad One of the people named in the will married at least twice although I can't find a birth certificate for her. Perhaps a copy of one of her marriage certificates would provide more information. I just love doing jigsaw puzzles with missing pieces!!!!!

[Gadget]

The National Archives has a search facility for RG letter codes but I can't find that one so far. I might have put in the wrong letters/numbers. Have you got a clearer image or maybe someone might be able to read it.

Add - if it's CS/xxx , it could be Change of Surname

[patchwitch]

The National Archives has a search facility for RG letter codes but I can't find that one so far. I might have put in the wrong letters/numbers. Have you got a clearer image or maybe someone might be able to read it.

Add - if it's CS/xxx , it could be Change of Surname

Thanks, the image is the clearest one I have I read the code as CS/3748 (change of surname 3 July 1948???) but it could also be C3 or C5. The first change to Wilkinson I would have thought would normally be a marriage but so far I have not found a marriage in England and Wales or Scotland.

Bessie was born 10 July 1913 and died 31 July 2004. She was the daughter of Alick Bates McDonald and Lilian Deacon. She had a sister named Margaret, born 1912 and died 1944.

Bessie's estate was administered by Elizabeth Anderson Haughey (previously Emerton and before that McDonald) but I don't know the relationship between Bessie and Elizabeth and I have not found a birth record for Elizabeth so perhaps one of Elizabeth's marriage certificates might give a clue as to her age and possibly her father.

The closed entry on the register would also possibly help of course but I don't know who that could be or if that person is connected to the family - I would guess at a child of Bessie or her sister Margaret but it is only a guess.

[Gadget]

I've just looked at the original again and see that there is a closed record below Bessie's entry. I wonder if the correction might have referred to that entry originally and was then crossed out. Could it have been Margaret? Although, if she died in 1944, the record would have been revealed.

Just a thought.

Gadget

[patchwitch]

I've just looked at the original again and see that there is a closed record below Bessie's entry. I wonder if the correction might have referred to that entry originally and was then crossed out. Could it have been Margaret? Although, if she died in 1944, the record would have been revealed.

Just a thought.

Gadget

It's a real puzzle. As Margaret was the elder I would have expected her to be listed before Bessie. Also Margaret's probate states she is a spinster. Her mother, Lilian was appointed the Grant of Letters of Administration and the estate was valued at £277-0-1 on 7 May 1945.

I haven't found Margaret on the 1939 Register but she could have been almost anywhere in the world at that time and Margaret McDonald is not an uncommon name. I also wonder if the redacted entry would be for a child of Bessie or Margaret.

I think I will get one of the marriage certificates of the person named in Bessie's will so I have any information contained there - what's the betting the age is given as "full" or "over 21" and the father's name is left blank?? However I think the named person is probably a grand-daughter given the dates of marriage. 

[Pendlewitch67]

I have found in two instances where a woman later re married the new surname is written in green above her name. One of these was in the 1980s! The other was in 1965 and it has 1/2 M/C written then the date 28.11.66, followed by NR no idea what that means as I looked up the marriage and it was 1965. Its a great help though.

Hi

I've read through this post but can't find the explanation for 1/2 m/c. I've read on one site that m/c was medical card. Was the answer to this ever found, please?

Thanks.

[Gadget]

Just found an old thread

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=749867.msg5977684#msg5977684

1/2MC has been suggested as half married couples' ration allowance 

add - but questionable 

[Gadget]

Also - by Goggling:

Deciphering the annotations and notes in the Register
The 1939 Register is littered with annotations and notes.  There has been no master index made of the abbreviations and code letters used and as the books were annotated by a lot of different people for about 60 years, for a variety of purposes we may never know the meaning of all the scribbles.  However many we have been able to decipher.
•   NR = National Register
•   CR = Central Register
•   I/D = Identity Card
•   M/C = Medical Card

From a piece in FamilySearch - link only opens in word so can't give the link