voters rolls may solve a mystery

[monica meg]

Having dipped out of research for a while, I am trying to solve a mystery. My 2nd cousin sent me a death cert , this is only because of rootschat, I did not know about her and we have been happily sharing information all due to this site.

Can I  ask if anyone has advice how to search voters rolls as I have no experience of this. I have a death cert stating the informant was the son, residence in June 1953 was  72, Clarendon road Swinton Manchester. The initial J , I have found no son J and no one in the family has heard of one, because of the slim chance this could be a living person I was unsure to add the surname.
Any idea's or advice would be greatly appreicated.

Cheers Monica Meg

[CaroleW]

Hi

Could he have been a son in law rather than a son or is his surname the same as the deceased?

[dawnsh]

The information used to compile the lists is collected once a year. The dates are always included when you look at them.

The downside is that an eligible voter may move in after one date and be gone before the next one.

Relationships are not shown and in 1953 only those over 21 were eligible.

However, they are very useful sources of information.

Very few are online, they are compiled by constituency, ward and street address. If you can get to the British Library at St Pancras, they have an almost complete set of post ww2 registers. You have to give 48 hrs notice as they are stored off-site.

[monica meg]

Thank you both for your thoughts and info.
I live in Scotland  dawnsh so not possible to take your advice,  however never say never.

Thanks Carolew I did consider inlaw, but the surname is the same, the deceased is my great grandfather he had 4 sons none J , 2 had died by then and I remember the other 2, no possibility to shorten name to fit in. His wife died over 20 years previously, I have looked for another marriage and births but found nothing.

Although he died in Manchester I know he lived in Cheshire during WW2 so I have checked both area's with no luck. If he had another child without a 2nd marriage for the son to be named with his surname I thought I would have found the birth.

As a footnote due to rootschat and my new found 2nd cousin contacting me through this site, I now have a photo of my great grandfather which I have been searching for for over 4 years 

Thanks again if I solve this mystery I will let you know

Monica Meg

[dawnsh]

Hi

I was at the British Library yesterday and the er's I ordered on Monday were there.

So as you are hesitant about posting the name of the family you are looking for, can you send me a personal message and I'll let you know the names I found at the address.

Dawn

[monica meg]

will do straight away
Many thanks
Monica Meg

[monica meg]

Just wanted to say via a PM dawnsh has gone to considerable trouble on my behalf checking the rolls, as always rootschatters have gone that extra mile.

The mystery deepens as the names of residents do not match any family or branches of it.
My brother thinks the J is an error the writer starting to write J then changing it to a T which would have been my grandfather ( the chaps son). However he has never lived at the address on the death  cert.

All strange, however I will try a suggestion from dawnsh concerning the correct ward for the time.
Of course I will post any developments if or when I solve this.

Cheers Monica Meg

[LizzieW]

Perhaps if it is T (and not J)  who was the son of your grandfather, perhaps he was staying with your grandfather at the time of his death, so he just put down his father's address instead of his own.

[dawnsh]

The names I found on the electoral register do not match with the information Monica Meg has given me.

I've asked her to clarify with the local archives, the consituency and more importantly the ward for the address just to make sure I'm looking at the right street.