1939 Register
Two days after war broke out on the 3rd September 1939, the National Registration Act was passed which created a "National Registration Day" on Friday 29th September on which day every-one had to register their name, address, date of birth and occupation. The details were used to issue National Identity and ration cards. In addition, the information was used to control of the movement of the public when military mobilisation and mass evacuations began to happen.
In the week before "National Registration Day", enumerators delivered a household schedule to every head of a household. On Friday 29th each head of household completed the form listing anyone who had spent the night in the house. On the following days, the enumerators returned to collect the schedules and issue Identity Cards. The enumerators transcribed the information into books which can now be seen on websites such as FindMyPast.
Most of Colwall was covered by 3 enumerators. Their routes, calling in at each house, must have taken some time.
Route 1: Started at Colwall Green, up Evendine (right side) along Jubilee Drive to
British Camp Hotel, down the main road to Chances Pitch, Barton Court, Old Colwall, and via Mill Lane to
Brockbury Hall.
Route 2: Started at the Wyche, along Jubilee Drive, down Evendine (right side), along Colwall
Green, up Walwyn Rd (right side) to Linden Lodge.
Route 3: Started near the Church, went up Old Church Rd,
around the Crescent etc: down Walwyn Rd as far as Mill Lane and then back up Walwyn Rd (left side) to West
Malvern Rd, ending up at Beacon Rd.
Overall, the enumerators visited 598 households and registered over 2,400 people. Members of the armed forces were excluded apart from those home on leave. The register gives a snapshot of life in Colwall just 3 weeks after the start of the War. Already, St Nicholas School had been evacuated from Broadstairs in Kent to The Winnings and part of St Georges International School of Switzerland had evacuated to Park House (Queenswood). Other signs of the war were six men who were working at the Rotherwas Munitions factory in Hereford.
Normal life is also recorded. There are farm labourers and builders as well as a large number of gardeners. Nearly every house has a woman whose occupation is "Unpaid Domestic Duties". This is perhaps not surprising since running a house was heavy manual labour and took a lot of time. There are also records of jobs now gone. 11 men are listed as "Quarry Workers" as there were still 5 working quarries in the Malvern Hills. A "Blacksmith", "Saddler" and "Wheelwright" were jobs needed for the working horses around the village. The mineral water factory jobs included "Bottle Wrappers" and a "Sugar Boiler". The fruit factory/cannery was also a main employer, as was the railway.
The register also recorded those who did not live in Colwall, but were staying there that night. The Vernon family from Ireland were staying at the Park Hotel. Their 27 year old son (Robert) was registered as an artist and would later join the French Resistance. He was caught in 1943 and executed in 1945. At the Horse and Jockey, Lord Strabolgi was staying and lists his occupation as "Peer of the Realm". He was the Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords.