Add-on Handout 3.3: Using electoral records
UNITED KINGDOM
Not until 1929 could everyone vote in the United Kingdom. Knowing who could,
where and when may provide another research source for you.
In 1696 Poll Books were published as a result of an Act of Parliament. Sheriffs were
responsible for compiling poll records in the county elections and for returning
officers to make the records available for all to see. The Poll Books recorded votes
in Parliamentary elections. People’s names were reported and how they voted right
up to the Ballot Act of 1872.
Poll Books record the name, address and sometimes the occupation of the voter. It
may record the address of the freehold that gave the right to vote. Occasionally it
also adds details about religion or ‘paupers’. Voter’s lists and Freeholders Registers
do not record how they voted. Sheriff’s Lists list annually names and residences of
every male freeholder in the county, and were used to summon juries.
Prior to 1872 voters had to stand up to declare their vote publicly. Fear of opposing
landlord’s allegiance would lead to landlord’s being elected or their candidate being
returned. Poll books were printed by private entrepreneurs assured of profit from
sales beyond those with political interests.
The 1832 Reform Act hugely widened franchise, ensuring the annual publication of
qualified voters in Electoral Register. Nevertheless, voting rights in boroughs
remained restricted to men owning land with a rateable value over £10, and
townsmen leasing property worth over £10. Only one in seven males was thus
qualified. The size of constituencies ranged from 300 to 11,000. The registers were
not compiled in the war years of 1916-1917 and 1940-1944. They began arranged
alphabetically but eventually were recorded street by street within electoral wards.
Often printed six months after recording they may include voters by then dead.
In 1867 all householders in boroughs resident for over one year, and all lodgers
paying over £10 a year rent could vote. In the counties, all occupiers of houses
rated at £5 or more could vote. In 1884 counties and borough all enjoyed the
borough rights, giving some 59% of males the franchise. Women could only vote if
they had the relevant property qualifications. In 1918 the property rules were
abolished with all men over 20, and women aged 30 and over enfranchised.
Universal suffrage over 21 only came in 1929. Voter’s Registers would contain
names and residence with pre-1919 registers often including the qualification too.
Poll Books are useful to family historians as they may offer an insight into how our
ancestors voted plus their occupations and addresses. In addition early rates books
will provide lists of residents and their addresses in towns and cities
The British Library has a complete set of electoral registers for the entire UK from
1947. It also holds other registers prior to that date.
UNITED STATES
In the USA only men were permitted to vote until 1920. Records that exist include:
 Voter Registration Records
 Affidavits of Registration
 Naturalized Voter Registrations
 Great Registers
Great registers were special records produced by local governments such as
Arizona, California and Hawaii, dating as early as the 1860s and containing names,
ages, birth place, occupation, residence, naturalization and date of registration.
These can be located by contacting the relevant county courthouse or bureau of
elections, city or state archives or libraries, local or state historical societies, family
history library or nearest branch centre for US voting records.
IRELAND
In Ireland things are complicated by religious affiliation. From 1727 to 1793 only
Protestants with 40 shillings or greater freehold could vote. From 1793 to 1829
Roman Catholics meeting the same qualification could also vote. In 1829 the
qualification was raised to £10. In 1918 all men over 21 gained the vote and in the
1920s women over 20 were enfranchised too.
Irish Freeholders Registers contain much the same as Poll Books but do not reveal
how they voted. Other Irish records include Freemen Records, Voters’ Registers or
Lists, and Poll Books.
Telephone - http://www.cyndislist.com/finding.htm#Telephone
BT puts old phone books online
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Burial records from 1538 available too...
By John Oates • Get more from this author
Posted in Telecoms, 29th November 2007 12:14 GMT
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BT is putting its entire archive of old phone books online for genealogists, or
anyone else, to browse, and a commercial genealogy company is opening up
access to all UK burial records since 1538.
The phone books date back to 1880 and contain 280 million names. They can
be used to track down relatives, but you can also use the service to find out if
your house has ever had any famous, or infamous, residents.
The first phone book contained 248 names but no numbers - callers were
expected to call the operator to get connected.
Early editions also included advice on using the phone and phone etiquette:
"Answer promptly and announce your identity at once upon receiving a call."
The phone book to cover the whole country was published in 1896 and had
81,000 numbers.
The first telephone exchange was in the City of London and had seven
subscribers. Within a year this had rocketed to 6,000.
All books before BT's privatisation are public records. The service is available
through ancestry.co.uk.
If 1880 is too recent a period for your searches, another genealogy site has
today opened up access to all UK burial records dating back to 1538 - the year
that Henry VIII was excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
A spokeswoman for findmypast.com said: "Previously, we had records from
the central births, marriages, and deaths register which dates back to 1837.
Before that it was done parish by parish and those are what we are
transcribing."
More from findmypast.com. ®