New Records for Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Quakers the 1939 Register and More

1939 Register Additions

117,965 new records have been added to the 1939 Register collection.  These were all previously redacted due to privacy laws. If your ancestor’s record was previously closed, or if you struggled to find known relatives in this resource, then make sure to check the collection to see if they are now available.

What is the 1939 Register?

On 3 September 1939, the United Kingdom declared war on Nazi Germany, and only weeks later, the 1939 Register was taken across the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The original purpose of the register was to produce national identity cards, and in 1940 it was used to produce ration books.

With the 1931 Census being destroyed in a fire, and of course the 1941 Census not taking place due to the war, the 1939 Register is an incredibly valuable resource in bridging the gap between the 1921 Census and the 1951 Census, which won’t be released for another 30 years.

Yorkshire Baptisms

Findmypast have added over 10,000 new Sheffield baptism records to their Yorkshire Baptisms index.

These new records are from Neepsend, St Michael & All Angels Church, and span 1867 to 1922. You can find the full parish list for this collection here.

These records are likely to give you rich biographical detail, including both parents’ names, father’s occupation, and address. This can help you flesh out your family tree with more insights into your ancestors’ lives.

St. Michael’s & All Angels Church was opened in 1867 and closed in 1952, when the Neepsend parish united with Holy Trinity, Wicker.

Northamptonshire Baptisms

Also newly released are over 60,000 baptism records from Northamptonshire, covering 82 churches. These new additions span the years 1538 to 1921, so no matter which generation you’re researching, it’s definitely worth a browse.

These records will usually give you age, baptism date, both parents’ names, and sometimes their denomination.

Quaker Deaths 1810-1918

This brand new collection, from the Friends Historical Library Dublin, comprises over 27,000 Quaker death records.

Known for their excellent record keeping – as well as their involvement in women’s suffrage, and their opposition to slavery – Quaker’s were a denomination of religious dissenter that broke away from the Church of England. They often suffered prejudice at the hands of the public even after the Toleration Act of 1689.

This record collection, however, describes in great detail the extraordinary lives of many Quaker members. While many records simply hold standard biographical information – name, death year, position within the Society – notable names or esteemed members have obituaries written about them that often take up two or three pages.

These memoirs are incredibly in-depth, going into the lives of the Quakers even before they entered the Society. They can detail everything from childhood, family, achievements both within and outside of the church, political activism, and more. You will rarely get a page or two without finding yourself lost in someone’s obituary, making this collection almost more like a storybook than a set of records. Whether or not you have Quaker ancestors, it’s worth a browse, if only for the remarkable insights that these memoirs give into seemingly ordinary people’s lives.

Dorset Monumental Inscriptions

14,537 inscriptions containing records that reach as far back as 1294 have been added to the Dorset monumental inscritions dataset.

These records offer a wealth of detail, including final dedications, death year, and often next of kin. As well as this, you may be able to uncover where exactly they were buried, and locate the exact site of the monument. Not only can this bring you closer to your ancestor, but visiting local areas can help enrich the information you already have on your relative.