Jon Miller Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 Over the last day or so, I seem to have come across numerous references to the 1918 Absent Voters List. I would very much appreciate it if someone could spend a couple of minutes explaining to me what it is (that seems fairly obvious), how I could come by the version local to me, and what help it gives research that other sources cannot. Thank you, in expectation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Burgoyne Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 Hi Jon Not all parts of the country seem to have them. Most of the ones that are avilable are mostly hold at local research Libraries in my case Shrewsbury. My local Absent Voters lists (Shropshire) records name, rank, number, unit (my area in most cases records battalion ie 2/K.S.L.I. ect.) and the absent voters home address. Annette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 This thread should help. AV Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Miller Posted 12 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 12 April , 2004 Thanks to you both; from Annette's posting, and John's link I am presuming AVLs, if you can get hold of them, will give you the battalion, and home address of servicemen currently serving wherever, in Feb 1918. And as my area is completely rural, there is every likelihood that there isn't any AVL for my locality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 Jon As you'll have seen from the linked thread, there is likely to be either a separate AVL for your area, or soem information recorded in the ordinary voters list (assuming your local records office still holds them). My experience from the rural area which I have researched, the info only recorded that they were absent and did not record the unit they served with. Still useful to confirm an identity and family, though. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Miller Posted 12 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 12 April , 2004 Thanks John. The discovering of the whereabouts of my local AVL will be the newest addition to my pet projects list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRICOURT Posted 14 April , 2004 Share Posted 14 April , 2004 All the AVL's for Leeds were co-ordinated into one bound volume a few years ago by Alan Cole. A great labour of love and an excellent reference tool, kept in Leeds Central Library. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Samson Posted 30 August , 2004 Share Posted 30 August , 2004 Does anyone have a largish scan of the postcard/form soldiers on active service filled out to be included in the Absent Voters register? I'd like to add an image of this card to a webpage I'm putting together listing the absent voters for Woodchurch and surrounding villages. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 30 August , 2004 Share Posted 30 August , 2004 This thread is also useful in addition to the one mentioned by Raster Scanning: Absent Voter Lists. Leeds AVL is available on line at Leeds AVL The sequence of dates which led to the production of the AVLs is as follows: * 6 Feb 1918 - Act of Parliament - allowed servicemen to register in order to obtain a vote in the constituency of their home address. Men had to be over 19 (n.b. voting age of 21) and they provided their own details * 18 Aug 1918 - AVL compiled from all applications received up until this date * 15 Oct 1918 - AVL published * 15 Apr 1919 - second AVL published from applications received until 15 Feb 1919 * 15 Oct 1919 - third AVL published If you are looking at the 1918 AVL you are therefore getting the home address of servicemen serving in the spring/summer of 1918. As such it is not a bad roll of the British Army, Royal Navy and RAF/RFC, as well as VADs, munitions workers etc. etc. The geographical info is very useful, but it should be treated with care as the error rate (misspelled names, wrong numbers etc.) is higher than CWGC, SDGW and Medal Roll data. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 1 September , 2004 Share Posted 1 September , 2004 Does anyone have a largish scan of the postcard/form soldiers on active service filled out to be included in the Absent Voters register? I'd like to add an image of this card to a webpage I'm putting together listing the absent voters for Woodchurch and surrounding villages. Gary Gary I have this. It appears this was sent to men to show what was recorded for them, I have never compaired the card to his entry in the Bedford AVL. Interestingly the address on the envelope has been changed from a reserve to an operational unit so it appears the information was already out of date. John. Envelope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 1 September , 2004 Share Posted 1 September , 2004 Card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 1 September , 2004 Share Posted 1 September , 2004 Other side of card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Samson Posted 1 September , 2004 Share Posted 1 September , 2004 Many thanks indeed for these scans, John. Extremely interesting and very much appreciated. Thanks too Charles for the extra information on the timeline for the compilation of the AVLs. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 1 September , 2004 Share Posted 1 September , 2004 John - Many thanks for the scans - first time I have seen a picture of the card used. Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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