Genealogy Chat

does anyone know if electoral registers are available to browse for the same time spans as the census please?

Angela In theory, yes - but they wont be much use to you as only a few people were eligible to vote before 1875 and ordinary women did not get the vote till 1929. Olde Crone

Not online as far as I am aware. Usually means someone going to a library or the CRO in the area.

Sorry, I didnt realise you meant browsing on the Internet LOL!..No historical Electoral Rolls on the internet as far as I know. OC

You CAN search electoral registers, but you need to go to the records office/library/local history centre which has the ones you want. I've found some relatively easy, as they are bound and on a shelf. Others, more frail, have to be ordered from the strongroom and handled carefully. You DO need an address if possible. If looking at the same time period as the censuses, check the census form, as the parliamentary ward is written on the top of the page. Electoral rolls are arranged alphabetically by street, within wards. The information is limited though - only those eligible to vote, and it doesn't give occupation or relationships. nell

Examples of usefulness - I found a couple of female lodgers with my grandparents pre-WW1, but post-1901 census. Examples of inaccuracy - Like everything else, electoral rolls can have mistakes. My grandfather Jeuel Gray is recorded as Jule (Oooh, Sandy!) Example of emotion - finding my Dad on the roll when he was just 21 and eligible to vote for the first time. nell

Thanks for the help. I have an address in 1911 on an old insurance certificate - i cannot find this via the census so I will investigate further in chelsea/westminster. I believe they lived there in 1901 as well.