Genealogy Chat

I found in my Dads stuff an identity card for an Abraham Van Lier, does anyone know if i can use this in any way to find out who he was, I dont know if it will fit in with my family history as I am only just getting my dads side started (awaiting my grandads b.c.) none of the family have a clue who he is/was, it , or how dad came to have it, it might be totaly insignificant but it is a bit of a puzzle. It has an address on it as well as the official numbers.

Hi Carol. This sounds like a good one. Very exciting - maybe he was a spy!! or led a double life?? Does the address mean anything - the number gives a clue as to where A V L fitted in his family. What was it? Keith

Was it for National Insurance ? They had them in the past and were a Buff colour Joan

Abraham Van Lier is a Dutch name

Have you looked at Van Liers in the 1901 census. There are 5 of them, all living in Levenshulme, Lancashire: Martha 61 John 27 Petronella 26 George 24 Eleanor 22 Any connection with Abraham, I wonder?

Is this the National Identity Card issued during WW2? We all had to have one, different colours for children under 16. Buff colour for adults. The letters and numbers on it were something like NMPU 364 3 . The last number representing the position in the family i.e. the eldest child of two parents. Kathleen

The system lapsed after 1952. I was born in 1953 but I can remember having one as a child. I found this 1939 National Registration Act It is easily forgotten that the only time Britain had an identity card system was between 1939 and 1952. The compulsory issue of identity cards was part of the terms of the National Registration Act 1939, a piece of wartime emergency legislation that received the Royal Assent on 5 September 1939. The Act set up a National Register, containing details of all citizens. National identity cards were then issued to all civilians on it. The Register comprised `all persons in the United Kingdom at the appointed time' and `all persons entering or born in the United Kingdom after that time'. A Schedule to the Act listed `matters with respect to which particulars are to be entered in Register'. These were: 1. Names, 2. Sex, 3. Age, 4. Occupation, profession, trade or employment, 5. Residence, 6. Condition as to marriage, 7. Membership of Naval, Military or Air Force Reserves or Auxiliary Forces or of Civil Defence Services or Reserves. Wonder if these registers still exist? could be useful. Bob

This is getting very strange, been on ancestry(.)co(.)uk and looked up mr van lier, there were messages from 2 other people who have his registration card! same no's same address! Am about to e amil them. The no's are BCDP 157:2, the adress is 89, Sherwood ave, Greenford Middlesex. The date stamped is 22/6 1943.

My national registration identity card no. ended up as my National Health No. after the war. My Dads was BXBM 41/1, my mothers BXBM 41/2 and mine and my brothers BXBM 41/3 and BXBM41/4 respectively. Ron. Frith

I would like to make a point that Identity Cards were also issued in WWI, I have one of my uncles issued in 1915 Ray

Hi Carol. Strange the Van Liers number ended in a 2, as others have pointed out that was normally the number for a wife. Unless there wasn't one living and he is the eldest son.