North Yorkshire, Electoral Registers, 1832-1971

About the North Yorkshire, Electoral Registers, 1832-1971

General collection information

This collection includes images of electoral registers dated between 1832 and 1971 from North Yorkshire County in northeastern England. The registers include the names of registered voters in the county and their place of residence. The format of the registers changed over time, and how the place of residence was stated varies. There could be a full street address, the name of a house, the name of the street, or the name of the polling district. Registers weren't produced in 1916 and 1917 or from 1940 to 1944 because of the two world wars.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:

The records in this collection can be used to discover if your ancestor was a registered voter in North Yorkshire. The information in each electoral register, produced annually, provides a snapshot of where your ancestor lived at a specific time. By searching for your ancestor in registers produced over several years, you can establish a timeline of their mobility, determining if their address stayed the same for a long time or if they moved frequently.

Collection in context

The electoral registers in this collection were created by municipal officials in North Yorkshire County. The registers are high-quality primary historical sources. The original documents are housed at the North Yorkshire County Record Office.

Voting rights changed during the 140 years covered by this collection, which is reflected in the registers. Some demographic groups weren't represented in the registers because they didn't have the right to vote, including men who didn't own property and women. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the electoral registers were limited to men who owned property. Universal male suffrage was instituted in 1918. That same year, women 30 and older, as well as younger women who had attended a university, were given the right to vote. In 1928, voting rights were extended to all men and women aged 21 and older. In 1969, the voting age was lowered to age 18.

Bibliography

British Library. "UK electoral registers." Accessed 3 October, 2023. https://www.bl.uk/collection-guides/uk-electoral-registers.

Family Tree Resources. "About Electoral Registers And How To Use Them in Genealogy." Accessed 3 October, 2023. https://www.familytreeresources.com/electoral-registers.html.

North Yorkshire County Record Office. "Welcome to our online catalogue." Accessed 3 October, 2023. https://archivesunlocked.northyorks.gov.uk/CalmView/default.aspx.