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What information can I expect to see in a record? Each person’s record contains:

• Name
• Full date of birth
• Address
• Marital status
• Occupation

Most people are recorded as a member of a household. Some people are recorded as a member of an institution. In this case, they are classified with one of 5 letters:

• O – Officer
• V – Visitor
• S – Servant
• P – Patient
• I – Inmate

What can I expect to find out about the occupation of my ancestor?

You can find out very precise details about the occupation of your ancestor. If they were a farm worker, you can find out what kind of farm they worked on. If they worked in a factory, you can find out what the factory produced. You can find out whether your ancestor made the goods they sold, if they worked in a shop. If they worked in medicine or the law you can discover what branch they specialised in.

The 1939 Register required people to explain exactly what they did. The notes that came with the form were very precise about how to note the occupation. General terms, often found on previous census documents, such as Foreman, Overseer, Doctor, Mill-hand, Porter or Farmer, were not acceptable. Instead, people were asked to be as specific as possible, giving details of the trade, manufacture or branch of a profession.