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1918 Absent Voters List

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  • 1918 Absent Voters List

    I am still trying to track down my Grandfather's military information, and believe that these lists can sometimes help. Unfortunately I only have a rough idea of where he would have lived which is in Nottingham. FMP have the lists for Nottingham, but it seems you cannot search by name. I do not have a sub for FMP, and am not asking anyone to look in detail, but wondered if someone could just have a quick look and let me know what is actually on these records. I'm hoping that sometime soon FMP will have one of their month for a pound offers, so I will be able to trawl through them in the hope of finding him.

    Many thanks
    Linda


    My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

  • #2
    The absent voters’ lists are registers of eligible voters who were absent from their homes. The lists are of particular importance for those whose ancestors fought during the First World War. After Parliament passed the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which radically reformed the electorate in Great Britain and Ireland, men between the ages of 19 and 20 who were serving in the armed forces were given the right to vote and could register as absent voters for the first time. Absent voters lists also contain the names of anyone whose work was recognised by the Admiralty, Army Council or Air Council, such as merchant seamen, fisherman and those working for the Red Cross. The registers also include the names of many women over the age of 30 who were serving overseas with the Women’s Auxiliary Army and other women’s services that were supporting the war effort.

    Applications for an absent vote were to be submitted by August 1918 for the autumn and by February 1919 for the spring. The registers were printed twice a year. The names of absent voters were sent to the Adjutant General’s Department of the War Office. The War Office then arranged to send voting cards to men in the UK and ballot papers to those in France. Some were left out because of the hurried process and some details given may be inaccurate.

    Lists were completed by August 1918 and then published that October. Subsequently, the lists may include names of men who were killed, missing or taken prisoner in the period of time between the compiling of lists and the publication of the register. After an election, the counting of votes was delayed by up to eight days to ensure the receipt of the absent votes. This practice occurred during the First World War and for twelve months after.

    Between 1918 and 1939, absent voters were listed separately, often in foolscap typescript lists rather than printed registers. For a few years these contained additional information, such as a serviceman’s rank, unit and number. While today this is a boon to researchers, it was irrelevant for electoral purposes and the practice was soon dropped


    ?What can these records tell me?

    Each record includes an image of the original record and a short transcription describing the document. The amount of information found in each entry can vary, but most will include the following:

    •Name


    •Qualifying premises – the column will only list a house number when the register is segregated into streets by street or full address when listed by parish


    •Description of service


    •Ship, regiment, number, rank, rating, or recorded address


    Transcription Box

    This is the small text box on the left-hand side of the screen. It will provide you with the following information:

    •Constituency


    •Year


    •Season – after 1919, registers were printed twice a year, either spring or autumn


    •Register type – explains whether the document is a parliamentary borough or county register


    •Polling district or place – This will include polling districts or wards. Civil parishes are not indexed and will need to be searched by keyword.


    •County


    •Country


    •Archive and British Library shelfmark


    •Image number


    Searching PDFs is a different experience to searching other indexed records. Use our Search Tips provided below as a guide.


    ?Discover more about these records


    The absent voters’ lists are registers of eligible voters who were absent from their homes. The lists are of particular importance for those whose ancestors fought during the First World War. After Parliament passed the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which radically reformed the electorate in Great Britain and Ireland, men between the ages of 19 and 20 who were serving in the armed forces were given the right to vote and could register as absent voters for the first time. Absent voters lists also contain the names of anyone whose work was recognised by the Admiralty, Army Council or Air Council, such as merchant seamen, fisherman and those working for the Red Cross. The registers also include the names of many women over the age of 30 who were serving overseas with the Women’s Auxiliary Army and other women’s services that were supporting the war effort.

    Applications for an absent vote were to be submitted by August 1918 for the autumn and by February 1919 for the spring. The registers were printed twice a year. The names of absent voters were sent to the Adjutant General’s Department of the War Office. The War Office then arranged to send voting cards to men in the UK and ballot papers to those in France. Some were left out because of the hurried process and some details given may be inaccurate.

    Lists were completed by August 1918 and then published that October. Subsequently, the lists may include names of men who were killed, missing or taken prisoner in the period of time between the compiling of lists and the publication of the register. After an election, the counting of votes was delayed by up to eight days to ensure the receipt of the absent votes. This practice occurred during the First World War and for twelve months after.

    Between 1918 and 1939, absent voters were listed separately, often in foolscap typescript lists rather than printed registers. For a few years these contained additional information, such as a serviceman’s rank, unit and number. While today this is a boon to researchers, it was irrelevant for electoral purposes and the practice was soon dropped.

    Vera
    Last edited by vera2013; 05-01-19, 13:50.

    Comment


    • #3
      It looks to be searchable by name. I will take a look if you wish

      Vera

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Vera, thanks for that offer, I really appreciate it - however you might not wish to do so when you find out that his name was Harry Brown (or he might have used Henry!) I'm sure there will be quite a number of them. He had no middle name. I think he was back home by June 1919 at the latest as his son was born in March 1920. Let me know if you need any more info.

        Thanks Linda
        Linda


        My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

        Comment


        • #5
          Looking at 1918 Nottinghamshire Harry Brown

          6 Storer Street
          268693
          2nd Pl Res Depot
          RAF

          Manvers Ward, Polling Dis C, Division II, East Division

          83 Park Street
          265270 Pte 7th Sherwood

          Castle Ward, Polling Dis F, Division II, South Division

          34 Briar Street
          24179 Sgt RGA

          Meadows Ward, Polling Dis C, Division II, South Division

          20 St Stephens Road
          3931 Pte 23rd RFA

          Trent Ward, Polling Dis B, Polling division 1, South Division

          41 Northumberland Street
          543356 Pte 484 Agric. Coy. Labour Corps

          St Anns Ward, Polling District A, Polling Division 2, Central Division

          Vera

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks so much Vera - I know he wasn't RAF, and don't think he was RGA or RFA, and definitely wasn't Sergeant, which means only 2 for research.. Fingers crossed I can track him down.
            Linda


            My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

            Comment


            • #7
              Well it's definitely not the one who was in the Labour Corps which just leaves Pvt Brown of the 7th Sherwood Foresters, 265270. However I cannot find anything for that number. Rats.
              Linda


              My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

              Comment


              • #8
                Have some more to post ie Henry 1918. Will then look at 1919

                Vera
                Last edited by vera2013; 05-01-19, 19:14.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Henry Brown 1918

                  Notts Central Division

                  128 Ewart Road
                  24651 Pte Lab Co MT ASC

                  Forest Ward, Poll Dis F, Division 2

                  28 Caroline Street
                  24179 Sgt H Batt RGA

                  Robin Hood Ward, Poll Dis D, Division 2

                  East Division

                  110 Blue Bell Hill Road
                  263652 Gnr RFA

                  Manvers Ward, Poll Dis B, Division 1

                  18 Crown Street
                  96111 Gnr RFA

                  Manvers Ward, Poll Dis D, Division 1

                  South Division

                  42 Kingston Street
                  213950 Pte 731 Lab Coy.

                  Trent Ward Poll Dis C, Division 1

                  Vera

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks again Vera, have checked all the numbers and the ones that have records are not mine, sadly. Still you never know, he may turn up one day.

                    Linda
                    Linda


                    My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I had a thought and sent off for the birth cert of my aunt who had been born in 1915 to see if the address on the cert matched any that you had found. Bingo! 20 St Stephens Road, so he was in the RFA. Finally making progress, thank you so much for your help.
                      Linda


                      My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Just out of curiosity is there any more information on the Absent Voters list for my Harry?

                        Thanks
                        Linda


                        My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          No additional info Linda.

                          If you would like the document, let me know

                          Vera

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Thank you Vera, will PM you.
                            Linda


                            My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

                            Comment

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