Marriage 1942 - spinster with no occupation - World War II

[born in a pub]

I have just obtained a copy of a marriage certificate. The bride is aged 34 and her condition is described as spinster. I thought all women had to take part in some sort of war effort/occupation. I have today been speaking to a lady aged 90 about this and she said that all women under a certain age were 'conscripted' ie had no choice.

Does anyone know anything about this?

born in a pub

[Olde Crone Holden]

I don't think that is true at all, there was no "had to" about it, although of course women would be encouraged to work and help with the war effort.

But if a female didn't WANT to roll bandages or help with the WRVS etc, I don't think anyone made her, any more than anyone made her go out to work at all. If she did voluntary war work and no paid employment, then that wouldn't appear on her marriage cert. My mother married during the war and she has no employment given.

OC

[Heather Positive Thinker]

No, they didnt HAVE to, though many woman did do part time war occupations such as clerks for the RAF (my own mum did that as she thought it would give her some insight into dad's service ), or air wardens, ambulance drivers and so on and of course, land girls. I take it there is no occupation at all on the certificate then??

[Oakum Picker]

I think there was some compulsion as my mother worked in a cigarette factory before the war & she was given the choice of going into uniform, working on the land or war work, which in her case was making parts for aeroplanes. This is where she met my father & their 1944 marriage certificate shows no occupation for her although she continued working until the end of the war. She admitted that she gave up work as soon as she was permitted to do so.

[Night Owl]

There's this information on the TNA site which confirms what Glen has said

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/womeninuniform/wwii_intro.htm

World War II brought about major change for women in the services. In December 1941 the government passed the National Service Act (No 2), which made provision for the conscription of women. At first only childless widows and single women 20 to 30 years old were called up, but later the age limit was expanded to 19 to 43 (50 for WWI veterans)

and further on

As part of the conscription requirement women had to chose whether to enter the armed forces or work in farming or industry. By December 1943 one in three factory workers was female and they were building planes, tanks, guns and making bullets needed for the war

[Olde Crone Holden]

Oh, that would explain it then, my mother was married before the age of 20. She did actually do some voluntary work before her marriage but she has not shown this on her marriage cert.

OC

[LangleyValeSue]

My mother-in-law married in June 1939 at the age of 22 and at the time was working for an evening dress manufacturer in London. After war was declared the boss decided to get rid of all the married women and M-i-L left work. My father-in-law was too worried about her travelling to London every day (although it was OK for him to do so!) and she wasn't able to get a job locally so she didn't work. As far as I know she didn't do any voluntary work, apart from knitting socks etc. during the war. She had her first child in September 1942.

My mother trained as a telephonist after leaving school in 1939 and worked in the War Office during the war and didn't marry until February 1945. She was allowed to continue working there after her marriage.

[JudithM]

I shouldn't set too much store by the absence of an occupation on the marriage certificate. My parents married in December 1939. Mum had worked as a book keeper for Fremlins brewery since the early 1920s and continued to work there throughout the war until my brother was on the way in 1945. (She also took her turn fire watching at night during the war). Yet the vicar has drawn a firm line through the "Rank or Profession" column. I guess he was one of the old fashioned sort who didn't see women's work as important.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, had to register - there's famous film clips of her in uniform, maintaining vehicles.
People claimed and were granted exemptions - daughters were "needed" at home to help run the family farm, shop etc My mother married in 1942 - before that she was exempt, because she was in domestic service as cook for a doctor & his partner and was "needed" for the smooth running of the practice. (In those days, the dr was called out at all hrs & so hot drinks/food etc had to be available at late hrs.)

Jay

[Little Nell]

Not having an occupation listed doesn't mean she didn't do anything, just that she didn't say so at the ceremony. Similarly, just because an occupation IS listed, that doesn't mean it was correct.