Genealogy Chat

I have an ancestor born on 6/8/1872 who died on 6/11/1937. I have his death record and his probate record. The strange thing is, both he and his wife appear on the 1939 register. His wife died in 1929 and her date of birth is correct too. Very strange!

Annie

This sounds a bit like fraud! I don't know how the register was compiled, but if you didn't have to be there in person, then could an adult child have been claiming for them? It wouldn't be the first time this has happened, although as you had to register with one particular shop to get your rations, I don't think they would have got away with it for long.

My hubby said it may have been fraud. Both couples even lived in the same street and kept a shop! Far too much like coincidence I would say! I should have said at the top I'd found someone's ancestor because they are not mine, it's a tree I'm looking at for someone else. Only thieves and bigamists in my family. I think I'll check the prison registers.

Annie

There's a description here of the step-by-step process of compiling the Register:

https://www.familyhistory.co.uk/1939-register/

A form was delivered to each household, the householder filled it in, and the form was collected later.
It doesn't sound as if any proof of identity was required, so fraud would have been easy.

How i s the record open then as a later death would be needed to open up the record

Shirley,

Because of the 100 year rule.

Rose