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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: neelawson on Wednesday 12 March 25 18:05 GMT (UK)

Title: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: neelawson on Wednesday 12 March 25 18:05 GMT (UK)
I wondered when the 1948 electoral register would have been compiled. The reason for my inquiry is that I am trying to discover when my aunt Lucy Eleanor Lawson (1921-1968) would have signed up to be on the 1948 electoral register at 31 Eastborough, Scarborough.

I think back then forms were sent out to people around autumn (in this case autumn 1947) then councils would spend the next couple of months visiting properties from which no form had been returned.

However there must have been a cut-off date for inclusion on the register that applied all over the UK, does anyone know what that date was?  I'd like to be able to at least know with some certainty that my aunt must have been registered at the property by a certain date at the latest.
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: rosie99 on Wednesday 12 March 25 18:14 GMT (UK)
I presume you have found that information online. Have you tried going backwards to the beginning of the register where it may give the cut off date plus the date it  becomes effective
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: Comberton on Wednesday 12 March 25 18:22 GMT (UK)
Lucy is on image 204, information needed is on image 199.
Qualifying date 30th June 1948, Register dated 15th October 1948.
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: neelawson on Wednesday 12 March 25 18:35 GMT (UK)
Lucy is on image 204, information needed is on image 199.
Qualifying date 30th June 1948, Register dated 15th October 1948.

I don't know what images you are referring to but that can't be right surely. Registers we're compliled in order for councils to know who was entitled to vote on the first Thursdat in May.
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: neelawson on Wednesday 12 March 25 18:36 GMT (UK)
I presume you have found that information online. Have you tried going backwards to the beginning of the register where it may give the cut off date plus the date it  becomes effective

No I didn't discover  it like that so can't see what you suggest
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: rosie99 on Wednesday 12 March 25 18:46 GMT (UK)
Ancestry have registers for North Yorkshire in 1948 and the information given to you by Comberton is correct. 
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: Comberton on Wednesday 12 March 25 18:48 GMT (UK)
Thank you rosie99, I've been trying to put an image/images on but not succeeding.

ADDED
Seems it worked partly.

Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: Comberton on Wednesday 12 March 25 18:50 GMT (UK)
(http://)
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: coombs on Wednesday 12 March 25 18:53 GMT (UK)
This one does seem to be qualifying date June and coming into force in October 1948.

I was recently looking at electoral registers in Cromer, Norfolk, in 1966 and it says qualifying date October 1965 and coming into force in February 1966, so some electoral registers may vary. A friend of mine was born December 1944 and is listed in the Oct 1965 registers but with an asterisk next to his name, meaning he will be eligible to vote for the next years registers, as said in a note below. In Oct 1965 he was not yet 21. A few others the same age range (still must have been only 20 in Oct 1965) also had the same asterisk and note.
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: neelawson on Wednesday 12 March 25 19:05 GMT (UK)
Thanks Comberton and apologies for doubting you and thanks Rosie for confirming
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: Jon_ni on Wednesday 12 March 25 19:09 GMT (UK)
Will find several other similar questions on qualifying date on RootsChat.
Here is one where I pasted info from the British Library's guide as that guide was lost in a cyberattack. Continued on reply #10.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=885517.msg7588213#msg7588213
Qualifying date of 30th June for the 1945-49 registers applied throughout the UK and is itemised at the start of the Ward or District for all the Post-WW2 registers I have consulted, earlier ones 1920-39 tend to just have the In Force or Effective date at the start or end of the Ward with the town clerks name.
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: hanes teulu on Wednesday 12 March 25 19:10 GMT (UK)
14 Aug 1948 newspaper item
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: neelawson on Wednesday 12 March 25 19:24 GMT (UK)
14 Aug 1948 newspaper item

I wonder if there were A, B and C lists in Scarborough too and if so which applied to my aunt?
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: hanes teulu on Wednesday 12 March 25 20:28 GMT (UK)
11 Aug 1948 Bristol
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: Chris Doran on Thursday 13 March 25 06:54 GMT (UK)
Here (Beckenham, Kent) A, B, and C lists appeared in rolls in force 1948-9, 1952-3, 1955-6, and 1977-8, with a slew of supplementary pages in 1996-7.

From 1952, a "Y" indicated young electors, who could only vote after 1st October. From 1970, the actual date from which they were eligible was given, useful if you only have the year.
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: neelawson on Thursday 13 March 25 13:13 GMT (UK)
thanks to Whitby library who gave me the following link https://electoralregisters.org.uk/codes in which it says

"In the late 1940s to take 1948 as an example, the register was drawn up based on the National Identity Card register on 30th June, was published on August 9th with two weeks available to appeal if your name was omitted. The register came into force on 15th October 1948"

So the accuracy of the 1948 register depended on inclusion on  the National Identity Card register so how was that register maintained?
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: hanes teulu on Thursday 13 March 25 14:26 GMT (UK)
Leeds Mercury, Oct 1939
NOTIFY ANY CHANGE OF ADDRESS - or you may not get a ration card
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: neelawson on Thursday 13 March 25 14:30 GMT (UK)
Leeds Mercury, Oct 1939
NOTIFY ANY CHANGE OF ADDRESS - or you may not get a ration card

Thanks, I never knew that. I gather that register was destroyed  unfortunately otherwise we could have seen exact dated when ppl were at different addresses
Title: Re: What time of year were old electoral regsiters compiled?
Post by: hanes teulu on Thursday 13 March 25 14:56 GMT (UK)
Leeds Mercury, Oct 1939
NOTIFY ANY CHANGE OF ADDRESS - or you may not get a ration card

Thanks, I never knew that. I gather that register was destroyed  unfortunately otherwise we could have seen exact dated when ppl were at different addresses

Are you aware of the '39 Register? see para 2
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/1939-register/#:~:text=The%201939%20Register%20was%20taken,1940%2C%20to%20issue%20ration%20books.