Chat GPT says:
Short answer: that was (probably) normal. In 1939–40 Scotland there were separate registers and different legal qualifications for the right to vote at Parliamentary elections and for the right to vote in town/council elections — so a name could appear as entitled to vote at one type of election but not the other.
Why that happened (common reasons)
Separate franchises / separate registers. Parliamentary and local government electors were often compiled from different qualifications. Being on the parliamentary register did not automatically mean you were on the town-council register. The 1918 Representation of the People Act and subsequent laws set out different tests and registration rules for different elections.
Property/business qualifications (plural or non-resident votes). Until later reforms, people could qualify for a parliamentary vote by virtue of owning or occupying business premises (or having other non-residence qualifications) and so be on the parliamentary roll for that constituency — even if they were not resident electors for the local burgh/town council. That produced cases where someone could vote in a general election but not in the local council elections for the town where the household register was kept.
Different local rules in Scotland. Scottish local government was reorganised by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 and had its own arrangements for burghs and town councils; small-burgh practice could differ from county practice and could affect who was entitled to the burgh (town council) franchise.
Wartime/temporary provisions. From late 1939 the government introduced temporary measures affecting local elections and the registers because of the outbreak of war; Scotland had particular provisions affecting town-council elections discussed in Parliament that year. That could explain odd annotations or exceptions on registers compiled around 1939–40.
What to check on your register (practical tips)
Look at the column headings and any marginal notes on the register sheet — registers usually record the type of qualification (e.g. “residence”, “householder”, “business premises”, “owner/occupier”, or abbreviations) and may mark whether the name applies to Parliamentary (P) or Local (L) electors.
If a person is listed because they occupy business premises (or have a rateable value qualification), that will usually explain entitlement to a parliamentary vote but not a town-council vote.
Look for annotations like “Burgh only”, “County only”, or wartime annotations — they often explain the discrepancy.
If you want, scan or photograph a page (or transcribe a single entry) and I’ll help you read the abbreviations and interpret it.
If you’d like, I can:
Help decode the abbreviations/columns on a page you have (upload an image or transcribe one line), or
Look up the specific Motherwell / Lanarkshire local-government rules that applied in 1939 if you want a deeper legal/history dive.
Would you like me to look at a photo of the register (I can read the headings and any abbreviations) or shall I search for the particular Motherwell burgh practice in 1939?
Zaph
