Author Topic: Preview search tips for the 1939 Register before you buy  (Read 42353 times)

Offline ReadyDale

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Re: Preview search tips for the 1939 Register before you buy
« Reply #81 on: Wednesday 18 November 15 12:42 GMT (UK) »
I think they have shot themselves in the foot by removing the references for the URL.
I have purchased the batch of five households using the 25% discount for use on the most important households, and was debating whether to get another five for the next tranche of households. However, now with even less information available to confirm the correct households and avoid wasting money, I will pass for however long it takes to become part of the sub (whether that be a year or two, they aren't going anywhere). I simply cannot justify any more money on a vague punt on maybe getting the correct household just to get very little new information - over the five I have unlocked, I have one unexpected address and three "new" DoBs, two of which are false!! Even things  I was expecting to see (known changes of address during the war) are not featured, so all-in-all not a good return for my almost £19, and that is when I KNOW I have the correct record.

Offline chris_49

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Re: Preview search tips for the 1939 Register before you buy
« Reply #82 on: Wednesday 18 November 15 12:45 GMT (UK) »
I didn't mention the word free. These refs were the only way I could find anyone. I intend to buy credits as soon as they find my mother (email sent, no proper reply) whose entire hamlet is missing - gap in the item numbers was my only real proof of this, since all address search attempts failed. I'm reluctant to waste credits on families I'm not sure of (the common surnames in Wales are a bugbear).

If they offered to unlock another record if you got the wrong one, that would help - but I suppose people would abuse that, too.

Any thoughts on my original question?
Skelcey (Skelsey Skelcy Skeley Shelsey Kelcy Skelcher) - Warks, Yorks, Lancs <br />Hancox - Warks<br />Green - Warks<br />Draper - Warks<br />Lynes - Warks<br />Hudson - Warks<br />Morris - Denbs Mont Salop <br />Davies - Cheshire, North Wales<br />Fellowes - Cheshire, Denbighshire<br />Owens - Cheshire/North Wales<br />Hicks - Cornwall<br />Lloyd and Jones (Mont)<br />Rhys/Rees (Mont)

Offline clairec666

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Re: Preview search tips for the 1939 Register before you buy
« Reply #83 on: Wednesday 18 November 15 12:59 GMT (UK) »
suey - another way of using the free search is to use the "other household member" fields, then you'll know exactly who's in the same house. Doesn't work so well with common surnames, obviously. This might help you with your unknown wives.

Sounds like I'm going against my own morals here... ;)

chris_49 - sorry I didn't mean to make accusations. I think FindMyPast are altering the free search to cut down on abuse, but this makes it less likely for honest users to find who they're looking for. Maybe they could offer a simpler search for users who haven't bought credits, and a more extensive search for those who have, so that they don't spend credits on the wrong household. Just a thought...
Transcribing Essex records for FreeREG.
Current parishes - Burnham, Purleigh, Steeple.
Get in touch if you have any interest in these places!

Offline LizzieL

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Re: Preview search tips for the 1939 Register before you buy
« Reply #84 on: Wednesday 18 November 15 13:31 GMT (UK) »
I agree, this change is going to make it less likely for people to buy more credits if they can't be sure they have the right person.
I have been searching for a William Baker born 28 July 1894. None have the right exact birth date, but searching just on 1894 comes up with a couple of pages of Williams in 1894 and a lot more who have no birth year listed. His middle name was Arthur, but there is only one William A Baker born in 1894 but he has the wrong wife. It is now going to be impossible to try and find the right William, so not going to waste any more time or money on it.
Berks / Oxon: Eltham, Annetts, Wiltshire (surname not county), Hawkins, Pembroke, Partridge
Dorset / Hants: Derham, Stride, Purkiss, Sibley
Yorkshire: Pottage, Carr, Blackburn, Depledge
Sussex: Goodyer, Christopher, Trevatt
Lanark: Scott (soldier went to Jersey CI)
Jersey: Fowler, Huelin, Scott


Offline chris_49

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Re: Preview search tips for the 1939 Register before you buy
« Reply #85 on: Wednesday 18 November 15 13:59 GMT (UK) »
Yes I've tried "other household member" with little success unless the surnames were rarer. In fact I've tried every field. In urban areas, street usually means street, but in rural areas the settlement name can come up there instead, and street names ignored. You might get addresses like 33 Little Walsingham. (My favourite is 1 Stank, near Barrow. Well, I know bathrooms were rare then!)

I think there needs to be some compromise here. I balk at the £25 fee to unredact someone - surely the army of family historians are doing FindMyPast a favour by enlarging the database, correcting mistranscriptions, all for free. (I accept transcribers can only record what they see). 

For the 1911 I bought credits for near relatives, then a subscription when it was available. But my impression, so far, was that this census was much better transcribed - probably because they were reading householders careful neat handwriting rather than some overworked clerk's efforts.
Skelcey (Skelsey Skelcy Skeley Shelsey Kelcy Skelcher) - Warks, Yorks, Lancs <br />Hancox - Warks<br />Green - Warks<br />Draper - Warks<br />Lynes - Warks<br />Hudson - Warks<br />Morris - Denbs Mont Salop <br />Davies - Cheshire, North Wales<br />Fellowes - Cheshire, Denbighshire<br />Owens - Cheshire/North Wales<br />Hicks - Cornwall<br />Lloyd and Jones (Mont)<br />Rhys/Rees (Mont)

Offline CarolA3

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Re: Preview search tips for the 1939 Register before you buy
« Reply #86 on: Wednesday 18 November 15 15:00 GMT (UK) »
Does the 'occupation' field help?

Example: my grandad was a bricklayer.  If I enter that as his occupation, he's there.  If I enter 'plumber', he's not there.

Carol
OXFORDSHIRE / BERKSHIRE
Bullock, Cooper, Boler/Bowler, Wright, Robinson, Lee, Prior, Trinder, Newman, Walklin, Louch

Offline suey

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Re: Preview search tips for the 1939 Register before you buy
« Reply #87 on: Wednesday 18 November 15 15:18 GMT (UK) »
Quote
suey - another way of using the free search is to use the "other household member" fields, then you'll know exactly who's in the same house. Doesn't work so well with common surnames, obviously. This might help you with your unknown wives.

Useful tip, thank you  :D  It's long work though with common names, never mind, it'll keep me out of mischief for a while  ;D

I too appear to have a street missing.  :-\ 
All census lookups are Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Sussex - Knapp. Nailard. Potten. Coleman. Pomfrey. Carter. Picknell
Greenwich/Woolwich. - Clowting. Davis. Kitts. Ferguson. Lowther. Carvalho. Pressman. Redknap. Argent.
Hertfordshire - Sturgeon. Bird. Rule. Claxton. Taylor. Braggins

Offline DudleyWinchurch

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Re: Preview search tips for the 1939 Register before you buy
« Reply #88 on: Wednesday 18 November 15 15:21 GMT (UK) »
I'm really struggling, so don't think I will find enough households to benefit from their members discounts.

For instance, I can't even find my Mum at all.

Is it possible that she could have already have been away in the ATS by the time of the register?
May have found some of her family but can't be sure.

Currently more likely to give up my membership than add to it.

Similar problem's with Dad's family. Nowhere with enough of them together to have any confidence that I have found a record of actual family,
McDonough, Oliver, McLoughlin, O'Brien, Cuthbert, Keegan, Quirk(e), O'Malley, McGuirk (Ireland)
Dudley, Winchurch, Wolverson, Brookes (Black Country)
Concannon, Moore, Markowski (Markesky), Mottram, Lawton (Black Country)

Offline Mean_genie

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Re: Preview search tips for the 1939 Register before you buy
« Reply #89 on: Wednesday 18 November 15 15:31 GMT (UK) »
Apart from the advanced search options, such as occupation which CarolA3 mentioned, and the free preview now gives the name of another person in the household (assuming that there is one), which wasn't included before.