"GUARD CARD" - Pension Card

[Matlock1418]

Image courtesy of Western Front Association / Fold 3

What does "GUARD CARD" mean?

:-) M

[David Tattersfield]

5 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

What does "GUARD CARD" mean?

These are like the "stop cards". They are in the alphabetical run and were intended to direct the clerk to the "alternative" card, as detailed on the top of this example. 

[Matlock1418]

35 minutes ago, David Tattersfield said:

These are like the "stop cards". They are in the alphabetical run and were intended to direct the clerk to the "alternative" card, as detailed on the top of this example. 

Thanks for your reply David - but am still puzzled

In the case example provided THOROWGOOD appears to be the true name [a Roll, MIC and CWGC also have this] and the THOROGOOD an alternative on this PC - so this THOROWGOOD spelling appears should be the most authoritative - so why go looking elsewhere for an alternative?

[OK, the other alternative file may perhaps have the most records - but surely it would more logically be the other way round and if everything was eventually under the true name?]

Can't find anything else in pensions under either surname [obviously anything else could now be lost]

????

BTW: There is another current thread for this man

:-) M

[David Tattersfield]

1 hour ago, Matlock1418 said:

Thanks for your reply David - but am still puzzled

 

I don't have a definite answer, but in my head it works a 'safeguard' for the clerks who worked in the Ministry of Pensions.  Imagine over 1000 drawers and each containing hundreds of cards. Some cards had 'alternative' names (some aliases - others alternative spellings). There had to be a way of telling the clerk - you are looking for a soldier called Simon Yetigooscreature but you need to look under Yetigoosecatcher. Therefore to stop the clerk thinking there was no record for Yetigoosecatcher a x-ref would be inserted at the correct point in the alphabetical sequence to get the clerk to look for the 'correct' card.

 

I'm probably not being at all clear, but as I say - as far as I can see it's just to 'divert' the clerk to the 'correct' card before such things as digital search engines with wildcard options were invented !

[Matlock1418]

5 hours ago, David Tattersfield said:

I'm probably not being at all clear, but as I say - as far as I can see it's just to 'divert' the clerk to the 'correct' card before such things as digital search engines with wildcard options were invented !

Clear, as ever David - I see your explanation - I can see the point in a Guard Card as a stop / signpost to elsewhere [and what I had sort of imagined from the outset, but ... ???]

Moving slightly off original topic towards the man involved in the other thread [see post #3]:

Your suggestion potentially suggests the surnames were perhaps really the other way round compared to that this PC might originally suggest from its headline of "Thorowgood" [and this was part of my original concern, but not previously fully voiced]

Just seems strange here pointing the clerk from Thorowgood to Thorogood  [Rather than a case of directing from Thorogood to a current seemingly/potentially considered true of Thorowgood - As used in the other thread]

However, without more genealogy I can't for certain say which is which really - All I can note is that the Roll, MIC and CWGC have a common "Thorowgood" which might thus create a nominal 'true' for now, but ... ???

There is reasonably commonly a certain degree of potential 'incestuousness' between military documents, especially Rolls and MIC, thus ... ???

Certainly variations in spellings can prove a challenge for a number of surnames and this could easily be such a case

MIC appear to have 11 x Thorowgood compared with 275 x Thorogood

And CWGC have 4 x Thorowgood compared with 53 x Thorogood - both sources rather suggesting the latter, "Thorogood", spelling was perhaps the more 'normal' in the population, but ... ???

As for correctness here [and perhaps elsewhere] = ???

Time may yet tell more for this chap - True naming could yet be clarified

I am off to quickly look at GRO - but all that is really beyond this thread I think - perhaps worthy of inclusion in the other thread [???] - time may tell!

Thanks.

:-) M

 

EDIT: That GRO search didn't take long! - should have thought of going there earlier - Surname there seems pretty clear really.

	Name:	Mother's Maiden Surname
	THOROWGOOD, SIDNEY  NESTOR	JEFFERYS
	GRO Reference: 1898  J Quarter in CAMBERWELL  Volume 01D  Page 937
So rather makes one wonder why Thorogood might have had such significance at MoP

FURTHER EDIT:  Or does it? - Just noted there is another pension card, which I obviously missed earlier, in the surname of THOROGOOD [amended from Thorowgood - dated 20.9.29 it would appear]   Still leave a bit of a puzzle as why the change of surname - but for the other thread I think - hope the other OP appreciates this new info [OK, just further noted, not so new as it appears someone else beat me in letting him know! Hey ho!  :-/ ]

Even further edit: From the other thread Thorowgood is considered the correct spelling by his family!?!

However/regardless it certainly now does make better sense overall of the "GUARD CARD" notation in line with our original thinking = Stop and look elsewhere  :-) M        

Edited 12 July , 2020 by Matlock1418
EDIT - Update from GRO and Further edits