National Register at Rushden
Voluntary Workers Busy
Distributing The Papers

On Registration Monday, August 9th, the Rushden workers, fully equipped for their work, began their task of numbering the inhabitants. The preparation had taken place a week previously under the supervision of Mr. George S Mason, clerk to the Rushden Urban District Council. The clerical staff consists of Mr. W. W. Rial and Mr. E. L. Brightwell (assistant secretaries).

The town of Rushden has been divided into 21 registration districts, and the books of the enumerators were prepared in accordance with this arrangement. An excellent staff of enumerators has volunteered their services. The enumerators for the nine districts in the northern division of Rushden are: Misses Mason, Watson, Hollis, C. Scholes, and Packer. Messrs. F. Woodward, Arthur Mantle, E. L. Brightwell, and J. W. Lloyd. In the southern division there are 12 enumeration districts, and the enumerators are: Mrs. Norman, Misses Madin, E. Colson, Nellie Groome, Osborne, and Hanger. Messrs. W. L. Beetenson, R. Tusting, Herbert Lack, H. Hales, V. Carrington, and C. W. Wing. Each enumerator takes a separate district, and in some cases they are being assisted by other helpers.

The Enumerators

Were gathered together on Saturday last at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. G. S. Mason, and an opportunity was given of considering all points of difficulty likely to occur in the process of enumeration. The party included Mr. T. Swindall, J.P. (chairman of the Rushden Urban District Council), who has taken an active interest in the work of numbering Rushden’s residents.

The work of the enumerators being voluntary and the registration being, as most people will readily recognise, of national importance, the people of Rushden may be trusted to make the enumerator’s task as light as possible by taking due caution in the filling in of the form. Especially people are urged not to fold the papers, and they should put the surname first, in bold letters. For example, it should not he “John Smith,” but

Smith, John

The task of enumerating is proceeding apace in the urban district of Rushden. The 21 districts are large, some containing nearly 200 houses, but they are being rapidly canvassed; indeed, one of the enumerators – Mr. E. L. Brightwell – was able to report that he had completed the delivery of his papers by tea time on Monday – after 5½ hours’ hard work. Up to the time of writing, only two houses in Rushden have been found to be unoccupied. The enumerators report that on every hand they have met with a favourable reception for the most part, and there is a willingness on the part of the inhabitants of Rushden to render the enumerators the assistance requisite for their work. The forms should in every case be quite ready for collection next Monday morning, when the enumerators will call.

National Register at Rushden
Excellent Work by Voluntary Helpers

National Registration work has been carried out expeditiously at Rushden under the efficient management of the hon. Secretaries, Mr. W. W. Rial and Mr. E. L. Brightwell. The collection of the forms commenced on Monday morning last by a staff of voluntary workers. The residents of Rushden filled in their forms very carefully indeed and kept them clean, and in the great majority of cases they obliged the workers by not folding the papers. One collector, Mr. E. L. Brightwell, once again to the fore, had collected all the papers in his district by dinner-time on Monday; in the afternoon his papers were coded; the certificates were written out the following morning and were all delivered by tea-time on Tuesday, which surely must constitute a record. Out of the 21 districts into which Rushden was divided, the delivery of the certificates is now practically complete in five, and in the other districts the work is proceeding apace.

The coding of the papers is keeping the staff busy. The principal return – the one for which the Government is waiting – is being carefully prepared from the forms collected by the enumerators, and will probably be completed some time next week.

Only four empty houses were found in Rushden, out of a total of about 2,980 houses.

Registered persons who have now received their certificates will notice a number written in. This number refers, not to the age of the registered person, as some have supposed, but to the occupational group, males being divided into 46 groups and females into 30. For instance, No. 30 on the female cards means “Of no occupation.”

The headquarters staff, located in the Council committee-room at the Council Buildings, are now working at great pressure, and a number of workers have come forward voluntarily to assist in the copying of the certificates and other clerical work. Miss L. Hanger, Miss C. M. Watson, Miss F. Partridge, Miss C. Scholes, and Mr. Saddler are among those who have whole-heartedly given their services to this work.

Fortunately there have been but few unpleasant receptions given to the enumerators, and in consequence the work has been much enjoyed. Happily there were no cases which required to be treated drastically, but there were just a few cases in which the enumerators were treated in a manner so surly as to make them dislike going near the house to collect the form, and this is very much to be deplored. We are glad to state that so far as can at present be ascertained Rushden has a clean sheet in the matter of registration, and we do not anticipate that any case for legal proceedings is likely to arise in connection with the registration of Rushden, a fact upon which the town is to be congratulated.