The 1915 National Register
The Forgotten WW1 Record Every Family Historian Should Know About
GENEALOGY RESEARCH
Laura Newheiser
9/14/20263 min read
When we think about historical records for family history research, the 1911 Census and 1939 Register are probably among the first that come to mind, but there is another fascinating record that sits between them — the 1915 National Register.
Created during the First World War, the National Register was an important wartime attempt to record Britain's population and workforce. For genealogists, it can provide a valuable glimpse into an ancestor's life during one of the most significant periods in British history.
What was the 1915 National Register?
The National Register was created following the National Registration Act 1915 and registration took place on 15 August 1915. Britain was in the middle of the First World War, and the government needed a much clearer understanding of the country's population. It needed to know:
Who was living in Britain?
Where did they live?
How old were they?
Were they married or single?
What work did they do?
Who was available for military service?
Which people were working in occupations that were important to the war effort?
Around 29 million registration forms were distributed across England, Scotland and Wales. The register covered people aged 15 to 65, although members of the armed forces were excluded because they were already recorded through military systems.
What information did the register contain?
Unlike a census, where one person generally provided information about the entire household, the 1915 registration forms were completed by individuals themselves.
Depending on the surviving record, you may find information such as:
Full name
Address
Age or date of birth
Sex
Marital status
Occupation
Employer
Employment information
Details relevant to military service
This means the register can potentially give us a snapshot of an ancestor during the middle of WW1. Imagine finding your great-grandfather's address and occupation in 1915, just a few months before conscription was introduced. It could help bridge an important gap in their story.
Why was the register created?
The First World War created an enormous demand for manpower. Britain needed men for the armed forces, but it also needed workers to keep essential industries operating. The government therefore needed a much better understanding of the population and its workforce. The National Register helped provide that information. It was also closely connected with the increasing pressure for military recruitment and the introduction of compulsory military service in 1916.
For genealogists researching a man of military age, the 1915 register can therefore sit at a fascinating point in the story between civilian life and military service.
1915 National Register and conscription
The register was created before the introduction of general compulsory military service. The Registration took place on 15 August 1915.introduced conscription for certain men, and the information collected through National Registration provided authorities with valuable information about the population.
So where can you find the 1915 National Register?
Unfortunately, this is where things become frustrating for family historians. Unlike the 1911 Census and 1939 Register, there isn't a complete surviving national collection of individual 1915 registration forms available to search online. Most of the original forms were destroyed. However, some records survived in local archives and other collections. This means that finding a reference to a 1915 National Register doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to type your ancestor's name into a database and instantly find them.
Instead, you may need to investigate the local authority or archive responsible for the area where your ancestor lived in 1915.
And this is one of those occasions where local archives can be absolute goldmines for family historians.
Genealogy research tip
If you discover that your ancestor lived in a particular town or county in 1915, check the relevant local archives catalogue for references to:
"National Registration 1915"
"National Register 1915"
"National Registration Act 1915"
You might just discover that your ancestor's area has records that survived. And that's when this forgotten WW1 record becomes particularly exciting for family historians.