Search new additions to the 1939 Register and more

Here's what's new the Findmypast Friday:

1939 Register Update

To mark the 80th anniversary of the 1939 Register, we have made over 79,000 closed records searchable for the first time in association with the National Archives. In the three years since the Register was first launched, Findmypast has matched millions of ‘closed records’ to multiple data sources to correctly confirm the date and location of death for individuals whose information was redacted. These new additions are currently exclusive to Findmypast, the official home of the 1939 register.

Dubbed ‘The Wartime Domesday Book’, The 1939 Register was the most comprehensive survey of the population of England and Wales ever taken. On September 29th 1939, just after war had been declared, 65,000 enumerators were employed to visit every house in England and Wales to take stock of the civil population. The information recorded was used to issue Identity Cards, plan mass evacuations, conscription, establish rationing and co-ordinate other war-time provisions. In the longer term, the Register went on to play a central role in the establishment of post-war services like the NHS. Search these records to discover what your ancestors did for a living, their exact date of birth, who they lived with, maps of the local area and even who their neighbors were.

Scotland, Forfarshire (Angus) Dundee Poor Lists 1821-1840

Did your Dundonian ancestors fall on hard times? Explore this collection of more than 2,400 poor relief records to find out. In mid-19th century Scotland, the plight of the poor was intolerable and the assistance they received was minimal.

Prior to The Poor Law Act (Scotland) of 1845, responsibility for administering funds lay with the church. To be eligible for relief, claimants had to meet certain criteria, they had to be destitute and disabled either through age or incapacity. They included orphans, the sick, disabled or the insane. Able-bodied unemployed were classed as vagrants and told to seek work. If they were found begging they could be sent to correction centres.

Scotland, Forfarshire (Angus), Dundee Militia Lists 1801

Search returns by constables and schoolmasters listing men between the ages of 19 and 30 who were liable for service in the militia in accordance with the Militia Acts in Forfarshire. Each transcript will reveal a combination of your ancestors name, occupation and address.

The "Militia" were Britain's principal military, defensive forces during the 18th century. Records were kept of these forces, and the men were selected by ballot, (ie, conscripted) to serve for various periods. From time to time, the government would provide uniforms, weapons and training.

Irish Parish Register Archive, ffolliott Collection

Explore three new collections of Irish baptisms, marriages and burials compiled by the renowned genealogist Rosemary ffolliott. These records mainly cover the counties of Cork, Limerick, Dublin and Monaghan, however there are also records from more than half the counties of Ireland. Each record includes a transcript and index image of parish registers, mostly Church of Ireland (Episcopalian), dating between the 1950s and 1990s.

The records were created from registers or from transcripts that were held at the Public Records Office in Dublin, now the National Archives. Rosemary ffolliott was Ireland’s premier genealogist and played an integral role in preserving and indexing many of the essential Irish documents we rely on today.

International Records - Spain

Explore your Spanish heritage with over 12 million transcripts of baptisms, marriages and burials spanning the years 1502 to 1950. These records will provide you with important dates, locations, the names of family members, and will generate hints against the details stored in your Findmypast family tree.

British & Irish Newspaper Update

This week we have added 73,766 new pages to our collection, with the addition of three brand new titles. This includes Liverpool based publication, the Northern Daily Times, with pages covering the mid-nineteenth century and one thousand issues added as well as two new Scottish titles, the North British Daily Mail and the East of Fife Record.

We have also made updates to existing titles including the Aberdeen Press and Journal and the Aberdeen Evening Express, adding the year 1996 to both titles. We have also added new pages to the Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. This short-lived publication appeared on Tuesday and Friday mornings and was founded by Samuel Franceys in 1832. This newspaper took a conservative, Protestant tone, and closed some twenty years later after its first issue was published.