OAP searches in the 1861 census

By 1913 searches were being made in the 1861 census (as well as the 1841 and 1851 census as discussed in a previous blog) to establish the age of claimants of the Old Age Pension. To begin with it was only used for the the most urgent cases. The reason for this is that time was needed to rebind the enumeration books, as the covers were thin. Conducting too many searches would be damaging to the books.

 Here is a letter from the Local Government Board dated 20th June 1913 to The Registrar General, New Register House.

 "Sir,

 I am directed to thank you for your Memorandum of the 27th ultimo giving the results of references made in the Census Returns of 1861.

 With reference to your letter of 10th instant on the general question of the availability of the Census Returns of 1861, the Board note that systematic reference cannot be undertaken for some time. I am, however, to append a further selected list of cases where an early search in the Returns of 1861 would prove most useful, and to say that if you can see your way to cause such a search to be made, the Board will be greatly obliged.

I am,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant

[signed] David Brown

Assistant Secretary"

A few pages on in NRS item number GRO5/779 we find the cases mentioned in the letter. I have transcribed four for you to see, there are a number more.

Click to view larger image

Interspersed with these more urgent cases are references to the need to update ‘Pensions form 16’ to include a section where the claimant can say where they were when the 1861 census was taken. An example of both the form in use until this point and the ‘new’ up-to-date form are included in these papers.

The search continues...

In search of the Old Age Pension records - Part Two

Following on from my post “In search of the Old Age Pension records - Part One” I am going to write today about some of the surviving Old Age Pension (OAP) records I have found.

In various local Scottish Archives, such as the Dumfries and Galloway Archives at the Ewart Library in Dumfries, there are Old Age Pension Committee Registers. The example (which I have viewed) held in Dumfries is that of Moffat Town Council (reference CB842/1/2/9). It is entitled “Town Council Old Age Pension Committee : Register” and runs from 1908-1948. 

The headings in this register are as follows:

Consecutive number 
Full Name of Claimant, or of Pensioner in regard to whom a question is raised 
Address of Claimant, or Pensioner 
Date on which claim received when made direct to Committee 
Date on which claim referred to Pension Officer 
Date on which claim or question and report received from Pension Officer 
District and Station of Pension Officer 
Number in Pension Officer’s Register 
Date or dates on which claim or question considered by Committee 
Date (of any) on which Claimant or Pensioner (or person appearing on his behalf) heard by Committee 
Decision of Committee and Date (If claim disallowed, give reason) 
Date of notification of decision to (a) Claimant or Pensioner 
Date of notification of decision to (b) Pension Officer 
Date of receipt of notification of appeal 
Name and Address of Appellant (If the Claimant, pr Pension, or the Pension Officer s the Appellant, insert “Claimant,” “Pensioner,” or “Pension Officer,” without address 
Date on which documents relating to claim or question sent to Local Government Board [in correspondence this is often referred to as the LGB] 
Date of notification to Claimant or Pensioner of appeal having been made 
Decision of Local Government Board and date of receipt 
Date of notification of decision of Local Government Board to (a) Claimant, or Pension or other Appellant 
Date of notification of decision of Local Government Board to (b) Pension Officer 
Amount of Pension and date on which Pension becomes payable 
Date on which documents relating to claim or question sent to Pension Officer 
Remarks, e.g. : Note of disqualification or death of Pensioner, or reference to any later entry relating to the same person. 

There are two things I would like to note here. Firstly, relatively few of these registers survive: the only examples held in Dumfries and Galloway Archives seems to those for Moffat and Langholm. Up and down Scotland and in even at The National Archives in Kew there appear to be a few similar examples, but covering only a small fraction of Scotland.

The second thing is that they do not tell us a lot from a genealogical standpoint. There are no dates of birth, for example. They do give addresses, which could occasionally be useful, but it is likely that this information could more readily be gleaned from other sources, such as valuation rolls.

In summary, if you are reading this blog whilst studying the history of the welfare state in the UK these volumes might well be of interest to you. If you are researching your family tree, however, you may find their usefulness is minimal.


UPDATE: Read part three