Annotations on 1939 Register

[Nickster]

I have been researching a person who appears on the 1939 Register. However, in the column named "O, V, S, P or I" is written "(MDA)". Does anyone know what MDA stands for?
Thanks.

[Bob White]

All sorts of documents are called a register. Please get more specific about what document you are examining. Better to try to help you.

[eventide]

It stands for residents in hospitals, asylums or prisons with the letters O, V, S, P and I, standing for Officer, Visitor, Servant, Patient or Inmate.

[Nickster]

Bob White Thanks for your reply. Sorry, I thought you would know what I meant by the "1939 Register" (I thought this massive census was known by all and was similar to saying something like the "1921 Census" etc). The 1939 Register was a census like registration taken of everyone in the UK shortly after WW2 was declared. You can read more about it here.

[Nickster]

eventide Thank for the reply! I already knew what OVSPI stands for. But in that column, instead of writing an O, V, S, P or I, they have written "MDA". But I don't know what "MDA" stands for.

[eventide]

Sorry, I misread your question. I'd be curious if the annotation appeared for just the person you are looking at or for all or just some. Have you looked at the enumerator instructions for the Register? Perhaps it was some administrative annotation, mistake or the enumerator was making some abbreviation only known to him.

[Nickster]

eventide Thanks. Those are good ideas. Here's a screenshot so you can see what I mean.... (name redacted).

[Blaise A. Darveaux]

Perhaps it has something to do with the added Birth date.

Just an after thought. Perhaps it is the initials of the enumerator making the birthdate change.

[Nickster]

Blaise A. Darveaux Thanks. Good ideas. I don't think it is the enumerator's initials. But I do think you are right and it has to do with the added birthdate. Strange to have two birthdates on there... another mystery.

[eventide]

Nickster Unlike census records the 1939 register was considered a working document and was updated. You can find out more about that here: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...1939-register/

[C Deckert]

Here is an old blog item from the website blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk
1939 Register .png

[Blaise A. Darveaux]

If you haven't done so already, look elsewhere (usually towards the bottom of the sheet) for an explanation of that particular abbreviation. I have seen notes like this on some US Federal Census sheets.