Poll Books Portsmouth 1815

[dorbrin]

Hi

Can anyone tell me if there are any poll books etc etc for Portsea/Portsmouth around 1815. I am looking for a family called Nightingale who were living at Frederick Street at that time. John Nightingale was a sailor.  Any help much appreciated

Dorothy

[Little Nell]

There are poll books around and can be found at the various main libraries in Hampshire (Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester) as well as at the records Office in Winchester.  However, at that time, not everyone was entitled to vote.  Only if someone owned or leased property were they allowed a vote.  Was your sailor sufficiently high up in the Navy to qualify?

Directories also tend only to list those who could afford to have their names included in such directories - tradesmen and gentry.

Frederick Street was very close to the Royal dockyard at Portsea.  Many dockyard workers - shipwrights, blacksmiths etc  -lived in this area.  It has now been swalloweed up by the dockyard itself.

Nell

[dorbrin]

Thanks Nell

 I am not sure, but I don't think he was an officer in the RN.

It is my only clue really to what happened to them, that they had twins born in Portsea July 4th 1815 and John was a sailor on HMS Nestor. That is all I know about him, except he married Mary in Whitby in 1807.  I don't know where John Nightingale came from, as he wasn't born in Whitby. As I am having trouble finding the crew list fo HMS Nestor, I thought I would try and find another Avenue.

Thx for your help much appreciated

Dorothy