1939 Register on Ancestry

[andrewalston]

I can read mirror writing or upside down better.

Always a useful skill, being able to scan the contents of a document on a high-up's desk when there on other business. 

[Mart 'n' Al]

Andrew, reading upside down mirror writing in a train window saves on newspapers.

Martin

[coombs]

As said I found one lady instantly on the Ancestry 1939 register whereas I had a lot of trouble locating her on the FindMyPast 1939 version. She was in Chichester, Sussex.

[chris_49]

I've found over a dozen families on the Ancestry version who I couldn't find on FindMyPast despite trying repeatedly. They were in various places. Three of them were Publicans - I don't know if there's any significance to that.

What I like about the treatment of future married women is that instead of getting the new surname with the 1939 one in brackets, both (or all) her names seem to be indexed separately.

[Guy Etchells]

Hugh, at one time I heard that prisoners were to be used for transcribing, but I never heard any more about that project.  After years in IT I am still amazed at how badly computers cope with recognising scanned printed text, even recent documents.  I can read mirror writing or upside down better.

Martin

You must be thinking of the ill fated Kinky Co's (QinetiQ’s) attempts to transcribe and host the 1901 Census.

Initially the 1901 was transcribed by QinetiQ’s contractors the first being prisoners of Her Majesty, the contract was then outsourced to Sri Lanka, it was estimated that the failure rate was about 85%.
QinetiQ is/was a part of D.E.R.A., the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency a wholly government-owned corporation, all in all the whole scheme was a fiasco from beginning to end with the website frequently failing and eventually being taken offline within 4 days, the second launch was kept “secret” to prevent a repeat of the first failures a tactic likened to a bus driver not stopping for passengers in case it disrupts the timetable.

Eventually Findmypast came to the rescue and showed the National Archives just how to host such a database.

Cheers
Guy

[Green Dragon]

I've just had my first hints  for the 1939  register today  . Thought there was no point clicking on it  as it would just  give me  the upgrade  page   but  surprised to see  it opened   the register  . I didn't expect to find  a living  relative though and  he's   well under  100.

[Nats185]

Can someone please tell me how the register looks when you view it on Ancestry? It is a photo of the original, is it handwritten and what information does it provide?
Many thanks

[nanny jan]

Same as FindMyPast; photo of the handwritten sheet plus a transcription of the household.

Name, address, age, status (single/married etc.), occupation plus stated date of birth.....not always accurate; my grandpa got his wrong....no wonder he was surprised to get his pension....he was older than he thought!

When women married their new surname was shown; my mother is shown with her maiden name, then her first married name (husband died) so a second married name. The entry is a bit messy!

[Nats185]

Thank you that is really useful!

Same as FindMyPast; photo of the handwritten sheet plus a transcription of the household.

Name, address, age, status (single/married etc.), occupation plus stated date of birth.....not always accurate; my grandpa got his wrong....no wonder he was surprised to get his pension....he was older than he thought!

When women married their new surname was shown; my mother is shown with her maiden name, then her first married name (husband died) so a second married name. The entry is a bit messy!