Genealogy Chat

Does anyone know if you can still apply to have a closed record opened on the 1939 register? After my Dad died in 2006 I applied to have his record opened (death certificate required), now I would like to see my Mum’s record too (she passed away in February). I can’t seem to find any option to do this on the Find My Past website. Thanks :-)

Did you do the request onFMP

National archives says it through FMP website still

Can’t see any link

Maybe try emailing them


mailto:[email protected]

Or national archives

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/PaidSearch/FOI1939Register

Click on the closed line to highlight

Open the "More actions" header - you can then Report an error or Open a Record

Click on Open a Record and fill in the form

Thanks everyone, unfortunately I don’t know where my Mum was living at the time of the register so I can’t even find the closed record. She and her younger sister had been moved from the family home to live in the country, possibly near Morpeth in Northumberland and neither could remember the name of the family they lived with.

Has her youngest sister passed .maybe you can find her

We've had this problem with my mother-in-law's record. She died in 1994 and we have the death certificate but the closed record we thought was her turned out to be a cousin whose death cert we also had. My mother-in-law was only fifteen in 1939 so we thought she'd be at home. We now have no idea where she was so can't have the record opened. We're hoping that the hundred year rule will see her make an appearance there in 2023. Obviously, this isn't an option for you.

Annie

Shirley, no my aunt is still alive, now 87, Mum was 93 when she passed in February. It was my aunt who told me that they were moved to somewhere near Morpeth, Mum couldn’t or didn’t want to remember.

This sounds as if you don't need to know where your mum was living in 1939.

" If you have proof of death but cannot identify a specific record, you can request a search of the 1939 Register for a fee using The National Archives Freedom of Information (FOI) request form.
Non-Findmypast.co.uk subscribers should also use The National Archives Freedom of Information (FOI) request form to request a search of closed records from the 1939 Register. If the record can be opened, we will send you a full transcription of the information held in the record. The opened record will be available to view on Findmypast.co.uk ten working days after the notification of a successful request. Please note there is a fixed charge of £24.35 for this service."

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/1939-register/


Shirley has already posted the link to the FOI form, but here it is again for ease:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/PaidSearch/FOI1939Register


EDIT:

BUT I see the FOI form says the 1939 address IS required - so the statement that you can request a search even if you "cannot identify a specific record" doesn't make sense.

Thanks ArgyllGran, I will look into this. I recall doing something similar to have my father’s record opened, however I don’t remember there being a charge to do so.
I’ve noticed too that an address is required but all individual address information is optional on the form.