RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Katharine F on Tuesday 23 June 15 22:40 BST (UK)
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I thought that I saw access to some of the older electoral rolls somewhere, did I, or is it wishful thinking? ???
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Hi
Ancestry lists the following...
⌷ London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965▼ Census & Electoral Rolls 159,232,274
⌷ Midlands, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1955▼ Census & Electoral Rolls 6,275,582
⌷ West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962 Census & Electoral Rolls 22,593,895
⌷ UK, Poll Books and Electoral Registers, 1538-1893▼ Census & Electoral Rolls 4,677,818
FindMyPast only has 2002 to 2015 for UK
Cheers
Kev
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Oh thanks for that Kev, I was sure they were on there but couldn't find them when I looked earlier. Must not be looking properly.
I knew FindMyPast only had the later ones.
Katharine
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The British Library has a virtually complete set of registers after WW2.
Registers upto 1996 are in storage at Boston Spa and require 48hours notice to read them in London, those after 1996 are available at the the reading rooms at St Pancras.
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I thought that I saw access to some of the older electoral rolls somewhere, did I, or is it wishful thinking? ???
familysearch has some Norfolk ones.
BugBear
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Not only does the British Library have a comprehensive set to view, they are also free. Many reference libraries have extensive sets of electoral registers. Always worth asking. Bear in mind though that constituencies change so a parliamentary seat is often different in extent today even though it might have the same name. When I lived in Doncaster I lived in 3 different parliamentary constituencies between 1970 and 2007 without moving house once.
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SoG has been indexing them too www.sog.org.uk
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Thank you all for your help.
Katharine :)
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"Registers up to 1996 are in storage at Boston Spa and require 48 hours notice to read them in London, those after 1996 are available at the the reading rooms at St Pancras."
This is true, but the infuriating fact, for those of us who live nearer to Boston Spa than London, is that although they are stored at Boston Spa they cannot be accessed there!! They have to be retrieved from Boston Spa and sent down to London, they cannot be read in the reading room in Boston Spa, a few yards from the storage point, even by people who have a reader's pass for both venues. Crazy! :'(
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Ancestry also has
Surrey 1832-1945
Dorset 1839 -1922
Rosie
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Have you asked why they can't be viewed at Boston Spa?
It might be to do with data protection policies which cover the later registers but shouldn't affect the earlier ones.
I'll ask next time I'm as St Pancras.
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Yes, I only discovered this when I could not find them in the catalogue. I 'phoned Boston Spa and was told that they are only stored at Boston Spa because there is not enough room for them in London. Apparently they will 'probably' become available in Boston Spa at some time in the future if/when London get over their 'dog in the manger' mentality. (Not stated to me in so many words!)
I have visited Boston Spa, done the tour of the storage & retrieval system (which is very impressive), attended a lecture there on using the system & reading room (given by a senior official from St Pancras who did not know much about Boston Spa), and I have talked to members of staff there. I have a very strong impression that London are keen to preserve their dominance and reluctant to grant any concessions to Boston Spa. A shame but nothing the public can do except complain... which I have! Strongly!!
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Similar attitude to the BMD information which is now stored in a "secret location " in Christchurch!
One day we might even live in an open society!
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Yes, but these are available for everyone to see... so long as they can get to London!
I can imagine a scene in which I drive past Boston Spa just as the daily lorry containing, among other material, the Electoral Registers I need is pulling out and keeping pace with me all the way to St Pancras! Except, of course, the lorry will have somewhere convenient to park when he gets there!! Grrr!
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You'll be up during the night then, the lorry leaves so that it can arrive in London for the items to be in the reading rooms for a 10am start having been booked in to St Pancras and then shuttled round to the correct reading room.
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Hmmm. "I think I'd better think it out again!"
Maybe I could wear a 'kerchief over my face and shout, "Stand & deliver", as the lorry returns to Boston Spa... and run into the reading room with the spoils?
No more ridiculous than transporting the books 200 miles south when they are required 200 yards east! And at what cost?
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Hmmm. "I think I'd better think it out again!"
Maybe I could wear a 'kerchief over my face and shout, "Stand & deliver", as the lorry returns to Boston Spa... and run into the reading room with the spoils?
No more ridiculous than transporting the books 200 miles south when they are required 200 yards east! And at what cost?
Only the British could be so bonkers! ::)