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Poll books can be used like the trade directories of the 19th century to localise individuals and to trace their life spans, as well as to discover their political affiliations. | Poll books can be used like the trade directories of the 19th century to localise individuals and to trace their life spans, as well as to discover their political affiliations. | ||
Many poll books reveal a voter's connection between two places, showing both his address and the place in which he owned his freehold. This may be an important indication of migration. Entries of non-resident voters in 41 poll books in the period 1702-1807 were indexed in a typescript ''Index to voters residing in a county other than that in which their freehold was situated'' now at the Society of Genealogists [not in | Many poll books reveal a voter's connection between two places, showing both his address and the place in which he owned his freehold. This may be an important indication of migration. Entries of non-resident voters in 41 poll books in the period 1702-1807 were indexed in a typescript ''Index to voters residing in a county other than that in which their freehold was situated'' now at the Society of Genealogists [not in FS Library]. Similarly, the listing of non-resident freemen in the polls of freemen boroughs may well indicate the place of training and/or origin of those who have moved away from the town. Poll books for the City of London are usually arranged by City Company and provide a most important link between a man and his Company when, as is so often the case, the trade he follows bears no relationship to that of the Company to which he belongs. | ||
Those books that show the occupiers of the freeholds similarly provide an important link between the names of landlords and their tenants not easily found in other sources. These may lead to mention of the tenants in the wills and/or account books of the landlords. The place of abode of the landlord may occasionally also indicate or give clues to the tenant's place of origin. | Those books that show the occupiers of the freeholds similarly provide an important link between the names of landlords and their tenants not easily found in other sources. These may lead to mention of the tenants in the wills and/or account books of the landlords. The place of abode of the landlord may occasionally also indicate or give clues to the tenant's place of origin. | ||
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Most manuscript poll books are found in county or local authority record offices with the printed books either there or in a local studies library. There are large collections in the British Library, Guildhall Library, Bodleian Library and at the Institute of Historical Research at London University. The collection at Guildhall Library was destroyed by enemy action in 1940 but another has since been assembled and a catalogue printed (1970) that indicates those that include addresses and/or occupations. | Most manuscript poll books are found in county or local authority record offices with the printed books either there or in a local studies library. There are large collections in the British Library, Guildhall Library, Bodleian Library and at the Institute of Historical Research at London University. The collection at Guildhall Library was destroyed by enemy action in 1940 but another has since been assembled and a catalogue printed (1970) that indicates those that include addresses and/or occupations. | ||
An avid collector of printed poll books, Harry Anderson Pitman, who was one of the founders of the Society of Genealogists, gave a large collection to the Society in 1939, bequeathing further volumes at his death in 1942. Anthony Camp published a list of those held in 1961 and the librarian, John Sims, produced a full catalogue in 1964 (last revised in 1995). When John Sims moved to the Institute of Historical Research he organised an exchange of photocopies that added much to both collections. Later still he compiled the definitive ''Handlist of British Parliamentary Poll Books'' (University of Leicester, 1984) [ | An avid collector of printed poll books, Harry Anderson Pitman, who was one of the founders of the Society of Genealogists, gave a large collection to the Society in 1939, bequeathing further volumes at his death in 1942. Anthony Camp published a list of those held in 1961 and the librarian, John Sims, produced a full catalogue in 1964 (last revised in 1995). When John Sims moved to the Institute of Historical Research he organised an exchange of photocopies that added much to both collections. Later still he compiled the definitive ''Handlist of British Parliamentary Poll Books'' (University of Leicester, 1984) [FS Library 942 N4h] listing known printed poll books and describing their physical arrangement. The book by Jeremy Gibson and Colin Rogers, ''Poll Books 1696-1872: a directory of holdings in Great Britain'' (The Family History Partnership, 4th edition, 2008) [not in FS Library] shows by year both manuscript and printed polls. Neither lists poll books for Ireland. | ||
==== '''Bibliography''' ==== | ==== '''Bibliography''' ==== | ||
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*John Sims, ''Handlist of British Parliamentary Poll Books'' (University of Leicester, Occasional Publication No. 4, and University of California, Riverside, 1984). | *John Sims, ''Handlist of British Parliamentary Poll Books'' (University of Leicester, Occasional Publication No. 4, and University of California, Riverside, 1984). | ||
*Jeremy Gibson and Colin Rogers, ''Poll Books 1696-1872: a directory of holdings in Great Britain'' (The Family History Partnership, 4th edition, 2008). | *Jeremy Gibson and Colin Rogers, ''Poll Books 1696-1872: a directory of holdings in Great Britain'' (The Family History Partnership, 4th edition, 2008). | ||
*N.J.N. Newington-Irving, ed., ''Directories and Poll Books, including Almanacs and Electoral Rolls, in the Library of the Society of Genealogists ''(Society of Genealogists, 1995) [ | *N.J.N. Newington-Irving, ed., ''Directories and Poll Books, including Almanacs and Electoral Rolls, in the Library of the Society of Genealogists ''(Society of Genealogists, 1995) [FS Library 942.1/L1 D23so]. | ||
*''A Handlist of Poll Books and Registers of Electors in Guildhall Library'' (Guildhall Library, 1970) [not in | *''A Handlist of Poll Books and Registers of Electors in Guildhall Library'' (Guildhall Library, 1970) [not in FS Library]. | ||
[Adapted from Anthony Camp's article 'The history and value of genealogical records: Poll Books' in ''Practical Family History'', Number 61 (January 2003), pages 8-10]. | [Adapted from Anthony Camp's article 'The history and value of genealogical records: Poll Books' in ''Practical Family History'', Number 61 (January 2003), pages 8-10]. | ||
[[Category:England Electoral Records]] [[Category:Wales Electoral Records]] | [[Category:England Electoral Records]] [[Category:Wales Electoral Records]] | ||
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