Those of us researching in England, Wales or Scotland will be interested in the recent release of the 1939 National Identity Card Database.

The 1939 National Identity Card Survey was undertaken at the outbreak of the Second World War and took place on National Registration Day Friday September 29th, 1939.  The details collected for each person included:

• sex
• date of birth
• marital status
• occupation
• whether member of armed forces or reserves

The 1939 Identity Card database formed the basis of the NHS Central Register when the NHS was set up in 1948.  The data remained secret until challenges to the Freedom of Information Act at the end of 2009 and early into 2010.  It has now been announced the release of data for individuals who have died and are recorded as deceased.

Where to find it

The records can be accessed at the following links:

• For England and Wales – National Health Service information centre – download a form to request information for a fee
• For Scotland – administered by General Register Office for Scotland – fee based
• For more information about the 1939 National Identity Card Database

The 1939 National Identity Card database can complement genealogy research using the 1911 Census, most of which will be released up to and including 2012.  The 1921 Census is due to be released 2022.  The 1931 Census was lost in a fire in 1942.  There were no census in 1941 due to the second world war.

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Related:

Early British Census – 1086 to 1841

Examples of Listings in the British Isles

For the Manorial Lords – the lists were compiled by Honours and Manors.

EXAMPLES of Listings:
BDF Domesday 1086 – Phillimore Publishers (indexed work)

Saladin Tithe (1181); lay Subsidy Rolls (village taxpayer roles) – which weren’t annual

Poll Taxes – 1377, 1379, 1381.  Most comprehensive was the first one in 1377.  After that people got wise and tried to avoid being on the Poll tax list!

Easter Tax – 15th to 19th Century – vicker allowed to keep the collection at Easter. Kept lists of who actually contributed.

Military Lists – 1285 Statue of Winchester; 1522 Muster Rolls

First Real Census – 1523; also 1524-1525

1570 Sandwich Strangers.  Strangers = “Immigrants”.

1570 Pool – includes ships in Harbour

1592 – 1691 Recusants Rolls.  These were non-conformists – people not going to church; not necessarily all Catholic

School Records are great sources of information.

From c. 1600 manorial surveys more numerous

1603 – Communicants lists – people taking Communion (“Liber Cleri AD 1603″ one example we were shown

Protests – lists that showed loyality, what side they were on.  Nation wide; not all available.

1665 – London Mortality Bill. Over 68,000 people died from the plague.

1668 London Survey

1660-1700 Poll Tax

1662-1788 Hearth Tax (number of fireplaces in a residence)

1676 – Compton (Sheldon) Census

From 1677 – Directories – trade, street, occupation; example Pigot’s Directory

1694 Aspley Guise; War Tax

1694 Marriage Duty Tax

From 1676 Poll Books (vote records) – even showed how they voted.  Apparently the secret ballot is a new invention.

1699 King’s Certainity Roll – yet another tax

1705 Papists Return – found in House of Lords

1723 CHS Oath of Allegiance

1696-1851 Tax on Windowed Rooms. Exempt were dairies and cheese rooms. That caused people to block up windows or add more dairy and cheese rooms!

1692-1831 Land Tax

1551 Provision and Relief of Poor

1753 Population Bill (lots of objections by the people on this one thus an Anti Population Bill appeared.)

From 1770 – many local census

1692-1831 Land tax

1780 and 1798 – very comprehensive Land Tax records.  Good source.

These are all resources containing names where you might find your ancestors.  My apologies if I typo’d a name or date.

Dr. Chapman said to start with the County Archives.  He also has written several books about British genealogy which can be found here: http://www.lochinpublishing.org.uk/books.htm

If you ever get a chance to hear Dr. Chapman speak I’d certainly recommend it.  His genealogy knowledge of the British Isles is extensive and he is a humorous and articulate speaker.

-Joan Miller

It is generally thought that census records started in 1841 but there were literally dozens of censuses prior to that time dating back to the Domesday Survey of 1086. I’ll share here some of my notes from this seminar.
Listings of Censuses sources include (and why collected):
- monarch or government :  Why – to raise money, identifying loyaties, military availability, planning infrastructure

-established church:  Why – money, check attendance, pastoral activities, extending influence

-Manorial Lords: why – to confirm tenancies, recording fines (=fees, rents), until 1920s

-Associations: why – membership records, subscription receipts

- Individuals: why – academic exchange, personal interest, financial award, directories such as Pigot’s etc.

From the thirteenth to the nineteenth century, taxes were levied on land, property, fireplaces and windows, even hairpowder.  The first real census in the British Isles was 1523.

There were loyalty lists, militia lists, muster rolls, lists of voters, church rate payers, communicants and papists, commerical and private directories.  A number of census returns for 1801, 1811, 1821 and 1831 show names and other details of individuals.