Family historians may know that, following applications under the Freedom of Information Acts, it is now possible to request information from the UK 1939 National Identity Register.
The National Register was taken on 29th September 1939 (shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War) and was used for the issuing of identity cards and rationing books. Information from the register later formed the basis of the National Health Service Central Register. For genealogists, much of the importance of the 1939 National Identity Register lies in the fact that no census was taken in 1941 and so, although not strictly a census, the register serves as a replacement.
As with many records, the process for obtaining information is slightly different in Scotland than it is in England & Wales. Although in all cases it is only possible to request information on deceased persons.
The situation in England & Wales is far from clear, although Guy Etchells has successfully requested information on the deceased residents of an address in Leamington Spa and the results can be seen at http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~framland/census/1939NatReg.htm.
However, a news release from the Scottish Government at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/01/12103321 clearly sets out how to obtain information from the Scottish register, providing an address to write to and detailing the necessary fee. What isn't clear from the news release is whether it is necessary to know the address where a person was resident in 1939 in order to request their details.
Further information can be found on Chris Paton's blog Scottish Genealogy News and Events. Chris has successfully requested details of two ancestors, in one case without knowing an address, and received a response in just three days – quite impressive!
For me, the ability to request information on an individual without knowing their address greatly increases the usefulness of the 1939 National Identity Register. In effect, you supply a name and date of death and in return are given that person's date of birth, with their occupation, marital status and address on a given date – if only all genealogical research was that simple!
I wonder if the fast turnaround was in part due to the fact that the availability of this information has not been well publicised. In fact, aside from the news release and Chris' blog mentioned above I could find very little online about it.
I was particularly surprised to find no mention of how to request information from the 1939 National Identity Register on the website of the General Register Office for Scotland (although there is a little history given in the section on the NHS Central Register and elsewhere).
However, I was intrigued to find, hidden away on the site, the information that the 1939 National Register has been digitised (apparently in the last few years). It seems likely that the existence of this digitised version of the register is the reason why requesting information from Scotland is apparently so straightforward.
Presumably the digitisation of the register was not done with any intention of making the information public. However, surely a strong argument can be made that the information held in the register is no more personal than that provided in modern records of births, marriages and deaths. Records which, although not available as digital images online, can be viewed in full by anyone who visits the ScotlandsPeople Centre in Edinburgh.
If the Scottish 1939 National Identity Register is already digitised why not make it fully accessible to the public at the ScotlandsPeople Centre?
UPDATE: 14 September 2011
I've recently become aware that people searching online for information on the 1939 National Identity Register may be coming across this, now outdated, post. For the avoidance of confusion, the access details and costs are currently as follows:
UPDATE: 14 September 2011
I've recently become aware that people searching online for information on the 1939 National Identity Register may be coming across this, now outdated, post. For the avoidance of confusion, the access details and costs are currently as follows:
England & Wales - £42 per request
Application details at www.ic.nhs.uk/services/1939-register-service
Scotland - £13 per request
Application details at www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/national-health-service-central-register/about-the-register/1939-national-id-register.html
Northern Ireland - via FOI request
General details at www.proni.gov.uk/index/about_proni/freedom_of_information.htm
For details of a success request see Chris Paton's post: http://scottishancestry.blogspot.com/2010/03/1939-northern-irish-foi-request.html
Application details at www.ic.nhs.uk/services/1939-register-service
Scotland - £13 per request
Application details at www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/national-health-service-central-register/about-the-register/1939-national-id-register.html
Northern Ireland - via FOI request
General details at www.proni.gov.uk/index/about_proni/freedom_of_information.htm
For details of a success request see Chris Paton's post: http://scottishancestry.blogspot.com/2010/03/1939-northern-irish-foi-request.html
