This document provides information about the 1939 Register, which recorded the civilian population of England and Wales before World War 2. It details who was included in the register, such as all civilians in the country on September 29, 1939, regardless of age or nationality. It also describes who was not included, such as anyone outside the country on that date or members of the armed forces. The document explains area codes used to identify locations and that records from the register may be open or closed depending on age and death status of the individuals.

2. Audrey Collins
8 December 2015
Using the 1939 Register:
recording the UK population
before the war

3. Looks like a census…
RG 28/257

4. GRO Circular NR 1 (1938)
RG 28/210

5. 5
Area codes – England and Wales
RG 26/6

6. 6
Household schedule
RG 28/227

7. 6
Household schedule
RG 28/227

8. 6
Household schedule
CRIM 1/1695

9. www.histpop.org

10. Smedley Hydro, Southport

11. Basement and air-raid shelter

12. • All civilians who were in England and Wales on 29
September 1939
• …regardless of age or nationality
• Foreign visitors, embassy and consular staff
• Inmates of institutions
• Civilians on military bases
• People who were away from their normal home
addresses
• Evacuees
• Seasonal workers and travellers
Who is in the 1939 Register?

13. 6
Nottingham
Evening Post
29 September 1939
British Newspaper Archive
Image © Local World Ltd.
Courtesy of the British Library
Board

14. Who is NOT in the 1939 Register?
• Anyone who was outside England and Wales on 29
September 1939, even temporarily
• Members of the armed forces
• …unless they were home on leave
• Merchant navy personnel
• Anyone born after 29 September 1939
• Anyone who was registered late, for any reason
• People who actively evaded registration, or refused
to register

15. Closed records
•Anyone born less than 100 years ago
•…and who is still alive
Open records
•Anyone born over 100 years ago
•Anyone born less than 100 years ago who has
died, and whose death was recorded in the
Register (up to 1991)
…BUT not all deaths were notified during that time
Deaths which occurred outside the United Kingdom
are unlikely to have been notified
Closed and open records

22. Area Codes
• 3-letter codes represent:
•County Borough
•Municipal Borough
•Urban District
•Rural District
• Except London, which has:
•Metropolitan Boroughs
•Cities of London and Westminster
• Arranged by county – with some exceptions

24. Enumeration Districts
• Area code + another letter
• in a very few cases, 2 extra letters
• RG 101 in Discovery. Each enumeration district is
one or two pieces
• Descriptions of enumeration districts do not
survive

26. Area Codes
• No area codes start with I, M, P, S, U, V or Y
• M for Merchant Navy
• P for new arrivals
• S for Scotland
• U for Northern Ireland
• V for vagrants
• Y for replacement cards
• CIG and CIJ for the Channel Islands
• FOA for overseas diplomats
• HZ for Isle of Man

27. Identity cards