PRIESTNALL - PREISTNAL - PRISTNAL etc.

1939 REGISTER OVERVIEW

On 29 September 1939 the National Register was taken throughout the UK, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Meticulously detailed plans were rolled into action, and the civilian population was enumerated in a single sweep. On the 29th September, mass evacuation had already taken place therefore records of individuals may be separated from family groups and could have been located anywhere in England & Wales.

The 1939 Register was compiled on the outbreak of World War 2 as the government needed to urgently know everything about the population of England and Wales so that the information would help in the issue of identity and ration cards. The information was used for conscription and the founding data for the forthcoming National Health Service.

The 1939 Registers are the only surviving records of England and Wales for the period. The 1921 census has been transcribed by Find My Past and Priestnall etc. transcriptions were published here in January 2022, the 1931 census was destroyed during WW2, the 1941 census was never taken and the next census following 1921 was 1951 therefore the 1939 Register is an important document for genealogists.

After the register was taken it became an active document that was maintained and updated by the National Health Service until 1991. Different names for people at different points in their lives may be added. The change of name was usually annotated when people where married, divorced, married again, were adopted, or just changed their surname. A number of the records for individuals are classed as closed under the 100 year rule. Matching of the closed records within the 1939 Register to death registers is an ongoing process and many closed records are opened year by year.

The register was compiled using a person’s most recent surname, but for the purpose of these transcripts, the original name on the register is shown with each successive surname of a person alongside (in brackets) along with the date of the event where known. The accuracy of these successive names and dates does need to be checked against the marriage and death registers as the data may have been added many years later.

The index and all transcripts of the 1939 Register may be viewed along with original scanned images of the registers is at Find My Past where closed records will be first opened.

Because of the number of transcripts recorded they have been split into the following two groups of counties and are recorded in county order followed by registration number order.

The registration numbers for each address are in the order of (RG101 - Registration District - Sub District - Scedule Number)

Group 1 is the 1939 Register transcripts for Buckinghamshire to Leicestershire and contains information from the following counties.
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cheshire, Cumberland, Derbyshire, Durham, Flintshire (Wales), Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire & Leicestershire.

Group 2 is the 1939 Register transcripts for London to Yorkshire - West Riding and contains information from the following counties.
London, Middlesex, Monmouthshire (Wales), Northumberland, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Sussex – West, Warwickshire, Yorkshire-North Riding & Yorkshire-West Riding.

The districts outside of London in the address line include the abbreviations for the district after them:
R.D.C = Rural District Council, U.D.C. = Urban District Council , M.B.C = Municipal Borough Council, C.B.C. = County Borough Council.

The 1939 Register lists individuals as they were transcribed, but are by no means comprehensive, and will be updated as further information becomes available. Full 1939 Register details remain the property of The National Archives, formerly the Public Record Office, and transcripts / scanned images are currently available from Find My Past