1939 Register and military barracks

[dscriven]

I know that the 1939 register excluded the military but I'm not sure how this applies to civilians (wives) living in military barracks. To be specific in the 1939 Hounslow electoral register my mother and father are listed as living in 'Barracks (Royal Fusilier Quarters)' but I've been unable to find her the 1939 register. (My sister neither, but she was 3 then and is still alive).

If they were omitted was there another register? I know that my mother, who was fluent in many languages, taught the troops French. Would there be a register of her work anywhere?

[Pamelawagster]

The barracks are on the 1939 register.What year did your mother die? Records of people who died after 1991 are officially closed.
If you post the name you are looking for members may be able to help.

[Pam Downes]

I know that the 1939 register excluded the military but I'm not sure how this applies to civilians (wives) living in military barracks. To be specific in the 1939 Hounslow electoral register my mother and father are listed as living in 'Barracks (Royal Fusilier Quarters)' but I've been unable to find her the 1939 register. (My sister neither, but she was 3 then and is still alive).

If they were omitted was there another register? I know that my mother, who was fluent in many languages, taught the troops French. Would there be a register of her work anywhere?

It may make a difference which site you're looking at to find your mother as I believe FMP and Ancestry have different criteria for opening closed records. e.g. with FMP, if you know where someone was living and send a copy of their death certificate then FMP will open the record for you.
On the other hand, I'm assuing that your mother was born before 1920, i.e. over a hundred years ago, and I thought both companies automatically opened records once someone became 100 years old, so it becomes a bit of a mystery as to why your mum's entry is still closed - or unfindable.

Have you tried looking for other people, especially females, on the same electoral roll? They would have to be a minimum (or within a couple of months) of twenty one to be on the electoral roll, so therefore would all have been born before 1919. Some of them may have been daughters, and I think in a search on FMP the married name would appear first with the maiden name in brackets. Try find some slightly more uncommon names to search for.

When you searched for your mother, did you put in her full date of birth, or just a year, or year +/- so many years? Mistakes were made - both on the actual Register, and in the transcription. Either of which will prevent you finding her. I couldn't initially find my cousin because she'd been indexed with her mother's birthdate. (Cousin died young so entry should have been opened, but her mother was still alive and her entry was closed.)

Pam

[dscriven]

I tried with the next two names in the barracks listed in the electoral register (Ancestry). No luck, so either those names were never entered in the 1939 register or Ancestry has messed things up (again). I'll try FMP this weekend. My mother died in 2011 aged 99. Her 'official' birth date (UK records) was not the same as the date on her (European) birth record which was a few days off her actual birthday! Right year but different months, days.