England, Cheshire, Register of Electors - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of electoral records from the county of Cheshire for the years 1842-1900.

In 1832, the Reform Act created electoral registers. These registers recorded individuals who qualified to vote in the national elections for representation in parliament. The qualifications changed over the years. There were also electoral registers that covered local elections. Boroughs of large cities had their own electoral registers and their own qualifications for being listed in the registers. In 1878, boroughs combined their registers for the national and local elections. Other places combined their registers by 1885. Registration was suspended and no electoral registers were created during the World Wars: 1916–1917 (1915–1917 for Scotland) and 1940–1944. In the early years, registers covered only about 7 percent of the population. By 1867, they covered about 11 percent. Until 1918, the registers list only men because women were not allowed to vote. Until 1971, the registers listed only those 21 years of age or older. If an individual’s name did not appear in the register, he or she could not vote.

Registers have been published annually with few exceptions from 1832 to the present. Before 1884, they are arranged by polling district and then alphabetically by surname. After 1884, they were arranged by polling district and then by street.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
This index provides:
 * Given name and surname of each voter
 * Jurisdiction
 * Jurisdiction level

If possible, look at an original record. The original may have more information than the indexed record, such as:
 * Place of abode
 * Nature of abode (ownership, rent, etc)
 * Description of property

Sample Record
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How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching, it is best to know the following information:
 * Name of the person
 * Date of the record

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

 * These registers establish residence and location. Use this information to search in census, church, and civil records in the area
 * Continue to search the index others with the same surname that could be children, siblings, parents, and other relatives

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
 * Names were often spelled as scribes heard them. Pay attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try spelling variations that could have that pronunciation
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name, surname, or expand the date range to return broader list of results
 * Search the records of nearby parishes. For this particular collection, this step may require finding records in the bordering English counties of Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire or Shropshire to the south, or in the Welsh counties of Denbighshire and Flintshire to the west
 * Consult the England Record Finder to find other records

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.

"England, Cheshire, Register of Electors, 1842-1900." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace, Record Office, Chester.
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