Did your ancestor vote in a Georgian or Victorian election? More than 33,000 names have been added to TheGenealogist's collection of historic London and Westminster poll books.
The newly digitised records cover elections in 1768, 1774, 1818 and 1841, spanning the reigns of George III and Queen Victoria.
Unlike modern elections, voting was not conducted in secret. Poll books could record the names of electors alongside the candidates they supported, providing a fascinating insight into political life.
For family historians, these records can be particularly valuable because they may identify an ancestor's place of residence, occupation and electoral participation at a specific point in time.
The books contain the names of tradesmen, professionals, property owners and other men who qualified to vote under the electoral rules of the period.
As voting rights were closely associated with property and status, inclusion in a poll book may also reveal something about an individual's position in their community.
These records can be especially useful when tracing London families before the introduction of regular census returns.
The new poll books have been indexed and digitised, allowing Diamond subscribers to search for individual names and view images of the original pages on TheGenealogist.
