Genealogy Chat

Is it possible to look up registers or have you got to go to the library in the town.I have names and addresses?Thank you.

Hi Louise.
The majority have to be searched in person, but there are exceptions, namely London and Birmingham - there may be others, but I am not aware of any.
Jan

Thank you brummiejan

Presumably you are refering to Historical ones?

As you say, with the exceptions Jan has mentioned, they do have to be manuallly searched. If you can't visit the archive or library in person, the staff will do so on your behalf but are likely to make a charge.

Bear in mind that universal sufferage didn't occur in the UK until 1928. Before then, in the main, it was males who were entitled to vote. The age of majority was 21 which in the UK dropped to 18 in 1970

No Electoral Rolls are available for the war years 1914-1918 and 1939-1945

Thank you DetEcTive it is 1938/1942 Manchester registers I wanted to check.

You'd find the 1938 & 1939 as those would have been compiled before war broke out, but then nothing until 1945.

There is something around about applying for NHS/NI/ID cards for individuals which might give an address, but probably not say who else was living there. It was quite expensive, about £40?

The 1939 register is being processed by brightsolid and should be available in a couple of years. Find out more at::

http://www.1939register.co.uk/

That will be very helpful but confused how come they can release that under the 100 year rule and not the 1921 Census which will be so useful to everyone.

Electoral registers don't come under the 100 year rule. Anyone can go to the local library and look at any of them, right up to this year's. Although since 2002 there have been two versions, one public and one restricted.

Censuses have a lot of personal data on them, while the electoral roll only has name and address of people eligible to vote.

There are some old electoral rolls on ancestry up to the 1960s, depending on the area

The 1939 register was not actually an Electoral Roll.


The 1939 National Registration Transcript Books are a record of the civilian population of England & Wales as at 29 September 1939. The books are arranged in National Registration Number order and are based on the actual whereabouts of individuals on the night concerned. Thus, if an individual was not at his/her usual place of residence, e.g. in hospital or at a hotel, he/she will not appear at that address in the books

This is the link for applying for info from it

http://www.hscic.gov.uk/register-service

Why don't you contact the library for the area?

Many of them are very helpful and will look up info for you

I e-mailed one last week, and they said they would look for info for me.

Will do that Jacqueline.Thank you.