I must register disappointment that the record for anyone deemed to possibly still be alive has been made inaccessible, including one of mine who would be 96 if he were still living. The onus is on US to pay for a death certificate and then a 25pound fee to get it all sorted out. And only the death cert will do, not an obit. No thanks. They have the death records for most of these people already.
What makes you think you have to pay a £25 fee to get it sorted out, FindMyPast will open the name on the register if you send them a scan of the death certificate
I am annoyed because this restriction was not included in all the advertising and hype that preceded the release. They made it sound like you would be able to see everything. They also made it look like you would get photos and newspaper reports included, but I doubt very much if that is the case. If anyone gets any, please post!
FindMyPast have to abide by the law, put in place by Tony Blair's labour government. If it was not for that laww every single name on the 1939 national Register would be open to view.
If you want to blame someone please blame the right person/people.
I wonder if they will update this annually so as to allow unrestricted access to those who would be 100 years old if alive.
No they are updating it weekly by all accounts.
The only one that I looked up so far, which would have included the person born in 1919, was very difficult to find as the surname of the next door neighbour (whose name is known to me)was used instead. I went through the address directory instead, in order to track them down.
So, two strikes, and so far not worth it to me. It's very expensive, especially if you won't get the entire family grouping as advertised, so I will wait until I have a few families that are really worth my while to look up.
With so many errors, I really have to wonder how did they ever manage conscription? I know that 2 people in this household where the surname is wrong were conscripted, so how did they identify them? Surely the children (whom I'm not allowed to see), whom I know were conscripted, were not given different surnames to the parents?
As with any record it is only as accurate as the information given.
Don't forget like most of the censuses the information was written on a schedule then transffered to the register later.
That gives at least two chances of errors to creep in.
Also by scanning in colour we can see later amedments to the information.
Cheers
Guy
Regarding the 25 pound fee: I followed the links they offered to get the info unlocked, and was directed to a National Archives site where it said there was this fee. I closed the window rather quickly, as I was dismayed, so if there is a way around it I didn't see it.
I don't have the death certificate, so that would be another cost, to give them info that they already have, as he died in England, the name is unmistakable, and it is properly recorded and easily accessible. They ought to be willing to accept obituaries. National Archives in Canada accepts obituaries. And then I have to pay findmypast for the record. A very expensive operation.
On the other hand, since they are convinced that his surname is not what it in fact is, I doubt I have a hope in Hades of convincing them that he has died. If I'm still alive in 2019, I'll look into it again.
If later amendments include the correct surnames, then we should be able to find them through the indexing, which I was unable to do.
I have never lived in Britain and do not have an intimate knowledge of who enacted what legislation when. I only know that findmypast is responsible for its own advertising, which I find misleading, and, thus, my comment is directed to them. I was actually surprised when this advertising appeared, as I didn't expect names to be released of people who might reasonably still be alive. So they raised my expectations and I do feel that it was misleading.
Glad to hear they are updating weekly.
loo
