Historic Electoral Registers

Historic Electoral registers (registers over 10 years old) are a list of names of people entitled to vote during a lifetime of the register (usually one year).

Key dates

When researching the electoral registers for family history, it is important to note down some historical key dates that may help you in your research.

• Electoral Registers were introduced in 1832 after the first Reform Act (Representation of the People), however, only men over 21 who owned land or property were eligible to vote
• 1867 - extended the vote to men living and working in urban areas
• 1918 - the vote was given to all men aged over 21, and most women aged over 30
• 1928 - extended the vote to all women over 21
• 1969 - extended the vote to both men and women over 18.

What the historic electoral registers can tell you

• The people registered to vote at a given address (although some people deliberately did not return their electoral registration forms and do not appear on the registers. For instance, this has found to be common in the 1980s to 1990s as people thought it would be a way to avoid paying Poll Tax)
• Sometimes, from the layout you can guess the family structure (although later the entries started to appear in alphabetical order).

What the historic electoral registers can't tell you

• No one under 18 (21 before 1969) is listed unless someone comes of voting age during the year
• When people move - no list of where they have moved to or from
• Date of birth of registered people
• Elections were not held during both world wars, so there are no lists in 1916 and 1917 (1918 - 1919 covers the absent voter's list), and between 1940 - 1944.

How to research using the historic registers

• Historic Electoral Registers are in bound volumes from 1870 - present
• Between 1870 - 1886 each volume is separated into Townships: Eccleston, Parr, Windle and Sutton
• They are listed in alphabetical order by surname, not by street name, so looking up certain family members will need to be done individually.
• From 1886 - 1974, the registers are sorted by ward. Please use this guide to locate the lists of wards
• If you are searching for an address in Billinge, Newton-Le-Willows, Rainford, Rainhill, Haydock and part of Eccleston, the registers only list those areas and all Eccleston after the local Government reorganisation of 1974
• Registers were completed twice in 1920 to 1925 (spring and autumn).

Burgess and Parliamentary Rolls

• Burgess rolls were small registers that listed individuals who were eligible to vote in town or borough councils only. These often-contained people who were not yet allowed to vote in national elections such as women and working-class men (depending on the year)
• Parliamentary rolls were registers that listed people who could vote in national, parliamentary elections, mostly men (expanding to working class, urban living males from 1867)
• From 1915 onwards, these registers merged into the modern, single Electoral Register.

How to access the historic registers

• Eccleston Library and St Helens Archive Service holds the registers from 1870 to 2001 (1978 - 2001 only at Eccleston Library)
• Registers after 2001 are held at St Helens Archive Service
• St Helens Archive Service holds Burgess Rolls, and Parliamentary Rolls (incomplete) from 1870
• A declaration form must be signed before viewing the historic registers
• You do not need to sign a declaration form if the register is over 100 years old
• The registers that are under ten years old are available to view in the Archive Service Search Room. No photography is permitted and must be handwritten notes only
• Please visit the 'Visiting the Archives' section to contact the archives and/or for further information.

Right to Buys

Please contact either Eccleston Library or St Helens Archive Service if you have a Right to Buy enquiry. There is a charge of £25 per enquiry. This cost is based on staff-led research prices as found in the current Fees and Charges document.