Hi all The following has been received from SAFHS. Regards Les ========================== Lochaber and North Argyll Family History Group - http://tinyurl.com/y6te7n e-mail - landnafhg@fsmail.net ========================== > Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2010 3:41 PM > Subject: 1939 identity cards > > Hi All > this may be of interest > > Family historians have been given access for the first time to > information from the National Identity Register drawn up at the > outbreak of the Second World War. > > In 1939, the National Registration Act ordered a register of everybody > living in the UK – for the purpose of issuing identity cards, ration > books and call-up papers. The register was compiled by the Registrar > General of the time, James Kyd, and his successor still preserves the > original register. It records personal information of great interest to > family historians – name, address in 1939, marital status, age and > occupation. > > The register has been kept secret because the 1939 Act prohibited > publication of the information but thanks to an application under the > Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, that restriction has been > reviewed and details about people who have since died are now being > made available. > > Welcoming the new release of information, Jim Mather MSP, Minister for > Energy, Enterprise and Tourism in the Scottish Government said:- > > “Scotland has an unrivalled reputation for making information > available to family historians. This release of information from the > 1939 register will give a starting point for people who do not have a > record of their recent family history. It is a good example of the way > that the Scottish freedom of information legislation is unlocking > records which have up to now been secret.” > > So how do you make an application? Simple - send a request to the > following address: > > Extract Services > General Register Office for Scotland > New Register House > 3 West Register Street > Edinburgh > EH1 3YT > > You will need to enclose a fee of £13 (cheque payable to the General > Register Office of Scotland) and evidence of the death of the person > who is the subject of the enquiry. For those who have died in Britain, > a simple date of death will suffice as the GROS can easily corroborate > that from its records, but if it is for a Scot who has died overseas, > you should enclose proof of death from overseas. In return, an official > extract from the register with the GROS seal will be despatched, > including all the details on that individual as recorded in 1939. > > It should be noted that this was not an official census, but a > register drawn up for the purpose of issuing identity cards. Therefore > a record supplied by the GROS will not show a household, just > information for the individual in question. > > I can confirm that the following details will likely be on the > extracts - address, surname and other names, male or female, birth > (day, month and year), single, married widowed or divorced, personal > occupation: > > Regards > Ken