ELECTORAL ROLLS: background information

1894 Local Government Act: parish councils in rural areas. Single women who were qualified and married women who were qualified (by occupancy) could vote, but, as husband/ wife could not be qualified by the same property, few married women qualified to vote. Parochial electors existed even in small villages like Trusham, with only a parish meeting, because they elected guardians of the poor. District councils were elected by parochial electors for parishes comprising the district.

Until 1948 when one person, one vote was established, electoral registers usually included codes against electors indicating why they qualified for the vote.

1918: Two codes against each person: (i) Parliamentary Election qualification; (ii) Local Elections qualification.  A dash indicates the voter could not vote in that election.

R: Residence qualification

BP: Business premises qualification

O: Occupational qualification (occupation of a property not employment)

HO: Qualification through husband's occupation

NM: Naval or military voter

1928:
R: Residence qualification (man); Rw: Residence qualification (woman)

B: Business premises qualification (man); Bw: Business premises qualification (woman)

O: Occupational qualification (man); Ow: Occupational qualification (woman)

D: Qualification through wife's occupation; Dw: Qualification through husband's occupation

NM: Naval or military voter

J: Eligible to serve as juror

a: Absent voter

Representation of the People Act 1918: Before1918 only 58% of the adult male population and 0% of the adult female population were eligible to vote in parliamentary elections. The Representation of the People allowed women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification to vote (“entitled to be registered as a local government elector by occupation of land or premises of a yearly value of not less than £5 or of a dwelling-house, or is the wife of a husband entitled to be so registered.”). Property and other restrictions for men were abolished. The vote to was extended to most men over the age of 21 (men in the armed forces from the age of 19).

Equal Franchise Act 1928: Women achieved the same voting rights as men.

Electoral Rolls

1920       Spring        Autumn

1921       Spring        Autumn

1922       Spring

1923       Spring        Autumn

1924       Spring        Autumn

1925       Spring        Autumn   

1926            Autumn

1927            Autumn

1928            Autumn

1929            Autumn

1930            Autumn

1931            Autumn

1939        Registration

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