Rules on old electoral registers

[Nick Carver]

Does anyone know if electoral registers are archived anywhere centrally and if so, what are the rules on making their contents generally available? I believe that it is possible to be on the register but not to have your name (and hence address) made public knowledge. Obvious follow up questions if the answer is that the information is held somewhere is to see if anyone knows if the register was compiled annually and if so, from when? One might imagine the rules changing after universal suffrage, but perhaps all that happened was that more people were added to the register, but the rules themselves did not change.

I'm sure someone will know the answer to this. I'm not sure of its value in genealogy, but feel that an annual record of adult inhabitants ought to be able to fill in a few gaps left behind by the census.

Thanks

[casalguidi]

Hi Nick

Yes, they are available but like all local records - coverage and survival depends on the area.  They are also open records.

Previously known as poll books - there were qualifing factors to be able to vote ie. land owner in the early days.

First step - enquire at the local archives or library for the area concerned for electoral registers and poll books.

They are better from 1918 when women over 30 and every male over 21 had the vote.

If you are lucky enough to find your ancestors in early 18c/19c poll books - you even get to see who they voted for!  It will (should?) give qualification ie. held land in ............. also.

Street directories are also good - give all heads of household - but only from say c1870s (that's my area in Kent so may vary throughout the country).  They are usually in alphabetical order as well as street order whilst electoral registers are in chronological order only unless they have been published.  Some early poll books have been published - by county.

Good luck

Casalguidi