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The 1939 Register: “The Wartime Domesday Book”

2 November 2015 was an auspicious day for family and local historians. The 1939 Register, known colloquially as The Wartime Domesday Book, was released. The Register was a reaction by the British Government to the threat of war. Forty-one million people were listed by 65,000 enumerators. Their records showed the name, full date of birth, address, marital status and the specific occupation of the vast majority of the population. It was in effect an interim census. The so-called ‘Hundred Years’ privacy rule means that unless an individual noted in the Register died after 1939, their details cannot be viewed if they were born after 1915. This means that in the example and the schedule below, if the record of a household has a note that the details of a member or members are officially ‘closed’ and have been redacted. This refers to individual(s) who are aged twenty-four or under. The Register was used to issue National Identity cards, for rationing and, when WW2 ended, to set up the National Health Service. As a consequence, some details such as addresses were updated. Single women who married between the summer of 1939 and around 1945 also had their details altered. For example, in the piece below, my aunt Margaret (‘Maggie’) Wray’s name has been altered to Whitby after she married Ron Whitby in the latter part of 1939. Likewise, my mother’s name was also altered from Mills to Wray after her marriage to Dad in 1945. Below is a sample of the Register which shows the residents at Chequers Cottages, Preston including my father, Sam Wray, and his mother, Emily.

The reasons that folk were so enthused by the release of the Register were that the 1921 census will probably not be released until 2022; the 1931 census was destroyed; there was no census in 1941 with Britain in the grip of war and the 1951 census will not be available for more than thirty-five years. Therefore, the Register is an important snapshot of who lived where at a time when there are as yet no census details, albeit it is basically a searchable data base like a national electoral register which includes occupations and full dates of birth. In the case of Preston, I have copies of several years of electoral registers. These include the records from 1930 and 1951. (The electoral registers for the mid-1930’s are at the British Library, not Hertfordshire Archives.) By checking these registers it is possible to say where most of the inhabitants of the village were living in 1939. As viewing fifteen households costs almost £55 - and there were more than seventy households at Preston in 1939 - it is cheaper to drive to the National Archives (where the full details of the Register can be viewed for free!) than downloading the entire Register of the village now to discover the occupations of villagers. Here is the complete 1939 Register of the people of Preston who were living within the parish boundary of 2025 (there were fifty-one names redacted probably because they were born after 1915):

WATSON WATSON ALLBON WOODCOCK DALE DALE DALE PETERS PETERS JEEVES JEEVES JEEVES PALMER PALMER WRAY WRAY WRAY/WHITBY ARMSTRONG ARMSTRONG NEWELL SMITH SMITH HAMMOND HAMMOND SAUNDERS FOX FOX JENKINS JENKINS JENKINS JENKINS JENKINS JENKINS JENKINS JENKINS JENKINS CURRELL BLANCHARD BLANCHARD RUNDLE SUNDERLAND SUNDERLAND SUNDERLAND BROWN BROWN BROWN/FULLER BROWN BROWN Vacant BURR BURR BURR BURR AUBURN AUBURN AUBURN AUBURN INBREY INBREY INBREY/SENTENCE INBREY HEDLEY HEDLEY HINE WALLER WALLER MIDDLEDITCH MIDDLEDITCH MIDDLEDITCH MORRISS MORRISS HANDLEY/HOLTON MORRIS WEBB WEBB HEDLEY HEDLEY MILES DAVIS DAVIS/PALMER NASH NASH WARDELL COE PRYOR PETERS CANNON CANNON WORTHINGTON WORTHINGTON WORTHINGTON WORTHINGTON HODGES DEWAR/MULLINEY MOORE/TYLER CHALKLEY CHALKLEY SMITH AYRES WHITE WHITE TOMLIN TOMLIN BIRKMAN BIRKMAN AYRES HUTCHINS HUTCHINS BERRY BERRY PETERS BUNYAN CURRELL CURRELL CURRELL CURRELL/PEARCE CURRELL CURRELL/FOLBIGG PHIPPS PERRY PERRY PERRY PERRY/ROE DOBBS DOBBS DOBBS DOBBS CHRISTMAS DOBBS/CHRISTMAS JENKINS JENKINS JENKINS JENKINS GARNER GARNER GARNER PETERS PETERS PETERS SHARP SHARP SHARP PETERS WHITING WHITING WHITING GRICE CROOK CROOK CROOK BAIRD BAIRD BAIRD DARTON DARTON COPP DARTON DARTON WHITE COLEMAN ROBERTSON CARR CARR PETERS PETERS PETERS SEEBOHM SEEBOHM PATERNOSTER COOPER/BAKER ANTELL/BESLEY PEPPER/WOODS POWLEY SARGENT SARGENT PEACHMENT HAIN GARNER GARNER GARNER LAMBERT LAMBERT BURCH/WILLIAMS KIMBER KIMBER/GILHAM KIMBER KIMBER FEW FEW NESBITT BROWN BISHOP FROST ANDREWS ANDREWS CRAWLEY CRAWLEY/MARLOW SHARP SHARP GARNER GARNER GARNER WOODHAMS WOODHAMS WOODHAMS JACKSON JACKSON MOODNICK/MOODY FOWLER HAMMOND HAMMOND HAMMOND HAMMOND/WALKER HAMMOND HAMMOND WALKER WALKER WALKER WALKER STEVENS LONGLEY LONGLEY BRYAN WHITE PETERS PETERS PETERS/BISHOP STONE/DARTON PALMER PALMER PALMER PALMER/SALISBURY PALMER/RAYNER PALMER HALL CRAWLEY CRAWLEY RICHARDS RICHARDS HARPER HARPER HARPER HARPER/NEWMAN HARPER MAYBRICK MAYBRICK ROGERS ROGERS KING KING KING KING PRAIN WILTON BEAUMONT WOOLDRIDGE LUCKY FRUNGHAM PARK NEWT PARKS/JONES CARTER

Sydney W Doris K Lizzie Pamela Frank T Gladys John P Thomas Annie M Amos George Sarah Arthur Lizzie Emily Sam Margaret Henry J Gertrude K Leonard T Leonard C Ada L Katie Herbert W Dennis John Thomas Lucy J Herbert Phyllis Frank Maggie Willie Ernest Lizzie Richard Violet Frank Frederick O Eva Constance Gladys D Frank T Lucy K Edward M John B Phyllis R Jocelyn R James B Edith L J Frederick Daisy Ellen Eric H Betty A Arthur B Melinda Sydney B Owen F Arthur Alice Joan Evelyn J Thomas E Alice R Harry Bertram G Phyllis J Philip D Ethel M Roger J Owen A Ellen W Rosie V Michael O Ephraim R Elizabeth E James E Martha L William K Evelyn M Elizabeth E George W Bertha E Mary Raymond Ralston de Vins Annie C Ernest F Florence M Harry Margaret E Rose M I Allan Jeanette I Josephine J Irene May William A Harriet Emma Rosa M Arthur W Mary L Harold Nora M Henry Peter Arthur Reginald C T Eva C B Arthur J Kate George H Ellen Arthur Annie Patricia E M Violet M Alec A Margery Donald Ernest Kathleen A George J S Edith M Arthur Agnes D Dorothy R Frederick A Walter H Doreen L William Minnie Arthur Horace George W Nellie George D Hubert T Eliza James A Percy J Lucy J L Doris L E Nora E Frederick G Francis A Thomas F Jack Harold R Alice S Primrose William Jeanie George William A Emily Roy C Charles E Gladys Gladys Una Mary Robert E Joan Leonard C William J Florence E Hugh E Marjorie Ellen Edith M Dorothy M Barbara W Lesley W J Stanley E Lily Jeanette A Leonard H John Thomas Daisy William A Reginald G Beatrice M Olwen G Thomas Minnie Reginald T Thomas S May C A Alan J Emily E Hannah M Lilian Clara S Frederick W Daisy M George Lilian M Herbert Emily Sydney John Ivy C Robert William J Mary Brian William John Clara S Joseph Gilbert R Ernest W Evelyn J Walter A Monica Kenneth E Pamela Frederick Alice Violet A William F Percy Alfred B T Caroline Clarice M Edwin J Walter C Philadelphia C Queenie Joan A Arthur J Alice M William C Reuben L Winifred A Kathleen M Samuel Robert Louisa Cuthbert R Lily Eckett Frank Narid Edward A Doris Cynthia E Frederick H Clarice Constance M Kenneth F Arthur W Ellinor Catherine Anthony W A Walter Lewis Vyvyen A Cynthia M Marjorie Alison Elizabeth A Margaret E Helen Alison

1898 1899 1863 1922 1907 1906 1925 1853 1898 1872 1900 1874 1869 1865 1863 1906 1910 1883 1880 1911 1891 1890 1911 1913 1929 1861 1874 1879 1875 1905 1911 1913 1863 1875 1908 1910 1880 1894 1894 1917 1879 1878 1911 1885 1895 1922 1924 1932 1885 1888 1916 1926 1886 1878 1906 1914 1869 1881 1919 1921 1898 1892 1882 1907 1907 1896 19031 1936 1902 1908 1913 1934 1880 1886 1872 1874 1860 1881 1920 1883 1879 1856 1934 1863 1881 1879 1879 1880 1875 1910 1872 1893 1912 1908 1900 1884 1866 1876 1883 1883 1911 1911 1913 1924 1866 1882 1907 1881 1877 1870 1879 1895 1894 1924 1927 1930 1932 1929 1914 1914 1923 1918 1890 1893 1921 1925 1929 1929 1862 1872 1902 1912 1892 1894 1921 1870 1876 1912 1897 1897 1922 1902 1908 1905 1928 1913 1882 1885 1919 1901 1906 1935 1900 1906 1922 1902 1900 1891 1921 1921 1913 1915 1871 1904 1905 1869 1879 1887 1900 1908 1923 1903 1909 1908 1888 1929 1889 1886 1915 1896 1899 1901 1883 1891 1921 1923 1905 1912 1938 1860 1906 1863 1888 1897 1905 1915 1874 1874 1900 1903 1931 1911 1913 1939 1867 1871 1929 1930 1886 1893 1920 1925 1926 1931 1884 1885 1910 1913 1914 1871 1876 1921 1929 1896 1896 1927 1916 1891 1891 1918 1919 1921 1922 1869 1870 1869 1916 1916 1899 1899 1937 1922 1925 1903 1875 1914 1928 1894 1897 1924 1931 1895 1903 1890 1908 1890 1903 1903 1905 1917 1930

Preston House, 1 Chequers Cottages, Chequers Lane 2 Chequers Cottages 3 Chequers Cottages 4 Chequers Cottages 5 Chequers Cottages Elm Cottage, Chequers Lane 13 Council Cottages, Chequers Lane 14 Council Cottages New Bungalow, Chequers Lane Castle Farm 17 Chequers Lane Rose Cottage The Wilderness Pond Farm Offley Holes Farm Offley Holes Lodge Temple End Wellhead Farm 1 Holly Cottages, Back Lane Greenfields, Back Lane Keepers Cottage, Kings Walden Road Ye Olde Bakery, Church Road St Martins Place, Church Road Red Lion inn Crunnells Green Laburnum Lodge The Laburnums Fig Tree Cottage Vine Cottage Estate Office 1 Crunnells Green 2 Crunnells Green 3 Crunnells Green 8 Holly Cottages 7 Holly Cottages 6 Holly Cottages 5 Holly Cottages 4 Holly Cottages 3 Holly Cottages 2 Holly Cottages 1 Hitchwood Cottages 2 Hitchwood Cottages 3 Hitchwood Cottages 4 Hitchwood Cottages Hitchwood Cottages 1 Hitchwood 2 Hitchwood 1 Home Farm, Dairy 2 Home Farm Kiln Wood Cottage Crunnells Green House No 1 School Bungalow No 2 School Bnglw Poynders End The Garage, Poynders End Poynders End Farm The Lodge 1, Temple Dinsley The Lodge 2, Temple Dinsley Old Post Office, (aka Spindle Cottage) The Chequers Inn 12 Council Cottages 11 Council Houses, Chequers Lane 10 Council Houses, Chequers Lane 9 Council Cottages 8 Council Cottages 7 Council Cottages, Chequers Lane 6 Chequers Lane 5 Council Cottages, Chequers Lane 2 Council Cottages 4 Council Cottages, Chequers Lane 3 Council Cottages 1 Council Cottages Wain Wood Cottage Preston Hill Farm Preston Hill Farm Cott Princess Helena Coll.

SURNAME FORENAME Yr Brn ADDRESS OCCUPATION

Sub-branch manager, insurance (Flying Officer WW1) Police constable Ag lab retired Jobbing gardener General farm labourer Roadman General farm labourer Capstain lathe operator (aircraft) Gardener Sub postmistress Agricultural tractor driver Woodman and farm lbr Railway porter Retired coach builder Pigman Agricultural estate labourer Domestic worker Leather dresser Horseman Road labourer Farm labr General manager - Manufacturing Prvte Secrtry/book-keeper Carpenter Carpenter chargehand S/E Farmer Farm labr Farm labr General labr Bread baker Calf rearer/pig breeder S/E Farmer Dressmaker Upholsterer Chauffeur and tractor driver, ARP  AFS Schoolmaster Bricklayer ARP Warden Gamekeeper Master baker Delivering bread Retired grocer and PO wrkr Licensee Builder/foreman retired Housekeeper Drapery shop assistant Self-emplyd bricklayer Old age pensioner Land surveyor retired Housekeeper Farmer retired ARP S/E haulage contractor Shopkeeper Secretary on ag estate Secretary on ag estate Gardener/poultry man Household duties Household duties Pig herdsman L.N.E.R labr Incapacitated Gardeners boy Farm labr Bank Manager Sheet metal wrkr Timber carter Builders labr Shop assistant General labr Van boy - wine mrchts Shop assistant -rfrshmts Cowman Dom Servant Baker’s assistant Rtrd farm labr Gardener Farm labr Cowman Plumber Gardener Gardener Cowman Book Binder Prting Wrks Domestic duties Cowman Lorry driver (agrcltrl) Cowman Student of singing Head herdsman Farm foreman At school Tractor Driver Frm Housekper Land Army Land Army Radiographic Stdnt Milk delvry driver Farm lbr Gardener Herts banker Unpaid dom services Cook Parlour maid House maid Kitchen maid Schoolmaster LCC Chauffeur/handyman School cleaner Farm foreman Dairy maid Joiner Chauffeur Domestic worker Domestic worker Water engineer Drilling m/c operator Apprentice Retired Gardener Gardener Gardener Woodman Builders labr Retired gardener Heavy worker Farm carter General labr (HCC) Invalid Horseman Sheet metal worker Retd estate electrician Confectionary Shop Asstnt First hand grocery dept Dairy maid Steam roller driver News vendor Disabled Bricklayer Capstan lathe hand Game keeper Hairdresser Farmer Cowman Cowman Head mistress School teacher Bursar/secretary School teacher House keeper School matron School matron Cook Cook Student

Note: married names of females are shown after the forward slash