Absent Voters Lists

[Blackblue]

Can anyone please explain to me where these are held and how to go about researching whether a man is listed?

Rgds

Tim D

[6th Shropshires]

As a rule they are held at County Libraries, for example Shropshire Absent Voters is held at Shrewsbury in the Research Library. A lot of Counties no longer seem to have their Absent Voters lists anymore, I say seem because some have them with out knowing, when I first went to look at the Shropshire list the staff did not know it exsisted, but luckly they asked the head chap there who took me straight to it.

What County is your man from at time of war.

Annette

[Blackblue]

Hi Annette,

Quedgeley in Gloucestershire.

Rgds

Tim

[Coldstreamer]

Hello

I would certainly call or email the library before you go.

I have not once found a library who has them or even know what they are! Might just be my bad luck...

Ian

[eviltaxman]

Out of interest, what is on the list? Is it a list of men that were out of the country whilst serving or a list of people in general that "weren't at home at the time"?

Les.

[6th Shropshires]

Ian I do not think Tim will visiting Gloucestershire's county library as I think he comes from the land down under

Tim hopefully someone from Gloucestershire will know if they exist for this county and if they do exist then tell you where they are held.

Les I can only go by the Shropshire ones, they are 95% service men away from home whether that's out of the country or stationed in UK. There is the odd person who does not seem to be a service men but they may be on Military or goverment work.

Annette

[eviltaxman]

Annette,

Thanks for the info. The reason I asked was because I'm looking into my paternal G-Grandfathers history - mainly for the family tree. He would have been approx 40 years old in 1914, so may have been called up in the "big draft" of 1915. He lived in Bristol as per the 1901 census, but any other later census (when released) wouldn't show he was "away" from home.

There's too many William Arthur Turner's showing up on the online MICs so I think it's time to visit the Central Library me thinks. (There's 2 William Arthurs - neither are him, but there's way too many William A's).

Cheers,

Les.

[John_Hartley]

Les

You may have some luck. In my experience, AVLs in urban areas will tend to show battalion and service number, whilst in rural areas it just shows that they were "away".

If you find several with the same name, you'll probably have to cross-reference to the main voters list to see who else was living at the property (and eligible to vote - i.e. men over 21). That might identify the right one, if you know of other family names.

John

[eviltaxman]

John,

There's 43 William A Turners showing up on the MICs. It looks like a wild stab in the dark, but I'll have to track down any local ones through the AVL and, as you suggest, cross reference them with the voters lists.

There are 2 possibilities on the 1901 census - as William Turner, no middle name/initial - one of 'em being my G-Grandfather. He's showing up aged 27 as a Engineers Brass Founder. Once I have the spare cash, I'll have to update my "subscription" to the census and get the info.

This is all based on the assumption he served in the first place!!!!

Les.

ps...... sorry Tim, looks like I've hijacked your thread - sorry!

[Terry_Reeves]

The information in the Absent Voters lists varys considerably from area to area. Don't take no for an answer though. This is exactly what happened to me. I was told that none were available, however I checked myself and found that servicemen serving abroad had been incorporated in the main electoral register, and not separately. In my case they were simply annotated N or M; Naval or Military. However, the address against his name did tally with the papers of a man I was searching for thus solving the problem.

Terry Reeves

[Blackblue]

Thanks very much for the replies. I will e-mail the Gloucester Records Office.

Rgds

Tim

[Blackblue]

Thanks very much for the replies. I will e-mail the Gloucestershire Records Office.

Rgds

Tim

[Brian Buck]

With regard to the Absent Voters List, at the time of the Great War were all males over the age of 21 eligible to vote?

[iristaylor]

Can I suggest that anyone looking for Absent Voters Lists tries the British Library in London. You can email them. It goes to an automatic reply and then you get an answer in about 5 days. I succeeded with one of my requests - I've yet to go up there though !

[Kath]

Try Access to Archives:

http://www.a2a.org.uk/

The site is being updated which is involving the National Archives.

EDIT: I now can't find an archive that I know is there!

Kath.

[Stebie9173]

Northamptonshire Records Office have a complete run for Northamptonshire for 1918 split by Districts: Northampton, Kettering, Wellingborough, Daventry and Peterborough.

Leicester Records office couldn't find the one for Leicester that they are supposed to have but there is definitely a microfilm copy at the British Library.

Steve.

[jay dubaya]

I have the full Pembrokeshire AVL (1918) should anyone need a look-up,

Jon

[centurion]

Thanks for the info. The reason I asked was because I'm looking into my paternal G-Grandfathers history - mainly for the family tree. He would have been approx 40 years old in 1914, so may have been called up in the "big draft" of 1915.

What is this? Conscription was not introduced until 1916. If he enlisted in 1915 he was either a volunteer or a reservist called back to the colours.

[Tyneside Chinaman]

Hi

Just to assist pals to understand the AVL system I am posting these scans.

Each soldier was given an ARMY FORM W 3940 on which he completed his personal details and the address of his local registration district. In this case 44158, Private, Lewis Jones of 2/South Wales Borderers, age 30, qualified for a vote for 29 & 30, Chapel Street, Carmarthen.

The form should have been signed by an officer but in this case hasn't.

It was posted at Field Post Office 1.Y which at that time was in use at HQ 87 Brigade, which 2/SWB were part of.

When the registration officer recieved all the cards for his district the list were compiled. In some areas they are alphabetical and in others such as large towns by street then house number.

Some AVLs that exist such as Darlington and Hexham have been annotated by the registration officer with new details as the man reregistered or was killed or missing or transferred as can be seen in scan three.

Whilst not related to Gloucestershire I hope this helps pals understand what was going on.

Too big try again

here is the AVL

[Tyneside Chinaman]

Just an addition

Many of the AV Cards for Carmarthen and Buckinghamshire have survived and are in Postal History Collections, I have another for Carmarthen for a lad in 11 East Lancs and one for Buckingham for a man in the RFA.

regards

John