England, Norfolk Register of Electors - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains electoral registers from the county of Norfolk for the years 1832-1915. These registers kept track of the individuals who qualified to vote in the national and local elections every year. Before 1884, registers were arranged by polling district and then alphabetically by surname; after 1884, they were arranged by polling district and then by street.

Electoral registers historically did not have the most widespread coverage. Even by 1867, they included only about 11 percent of the population. Women do not appear on these records at all, as they did not receive the right to vote until 1918.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Electoral Registers contain:
 * Township of registration
 * Full name of voter
 * Voter's place of residence (abode)
 * Why qualified to vote
 * Name and location of property

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Date of the record

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select County
 * 2) Select Division
 * 3) Select Year to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Save or print a copy of the image whenever possible
 * Look at an image of the original record, if possible. The online index entry only lists the most basic information found in a record; the original may contain further information which was not included in the index
 * If in the appropriate period, use the information you have found to find the individual in civil or church records
 * Use the location of the land and the information listed under the “nature of qualifications” to locate land tax assessments and probate records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Try variations of given names and surnames. An individual might have been listed under a middle name, a nickname, or an abbreviation of their given name
 * Vary the search terms. For example, expand the date range or search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of search results
 * Search the records of nearby locations
 * Suffolk to the south
 * Cambridgeshire to the west
 * Lincolnshire to the northwest

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Norfolk.
 * Norfolk Guided Research
 * England Record Finder
 * England Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:"England, Norfolk Register of Electors, 1844-1952." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Citing Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace. Record Office, Central Library, Norwich.

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