Norfolk: Residents voting in other counties Suffolk Poll Books

Many people resident in Norfolk were entitled to vote in elections held in other counties, but they would have had to travel to the polling place to do so.

Of those entitled to vote many held freeholds in the counties that adjoined Norfolk ie. Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely, Lincolnshire and particularly Suffolk which has a shared boundary of over 60 miles.

These polls should not be overlooked as they can help with some family migration and land owning patterns. Later ones give occupiers names.

Some of the poll books printed before 1836 are given here. The transcriptions contain only those entries with a Norfolk link. Some places split between two counties will be found in full eg. Mendham, Rushford and Thetford are all on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. A few other places like Gorleston (in Suffolk but with later ties to Norfolk) have also been included.

Suffolk County elections.

• 1710/1
  • A copy of the poll for the Knights of the Shire for the county of Suffolk, taken at Ipswich, Oct 18th, 1710
    [London: John Barber, 1711]
            (Partial Transcription - Voters names, Freeholds)
• 1727/8
  • A copy of the poll for the Knights of the Shire for the county of Suffolk, taken at Ipswich, Aug 30th 1727
    [Ipswich: John Bagnall, 1727]
            (Partial Transcription - Voters names, Freeholds, Residences)
• 1784
  • The Poll for the election of knights of the shire for Suffolk taken at Ipswich on Wed April 7th 1784
    [Ipswich: C. Punchard, 1784]
            (Partial Transcription - Voters names, Freeholds, Residences)
• 1790
  • The Poll for the election of knights of the shire for Suffolk taken at Ipswich on Tue/Wed June 29/30th 1790
    • [Ipswich: Robert Loder & G. Jermyn, 1790]
              (Partial Transcription - Voters names, Freeholds, Residences)
    • [ISBN-10:095881449X, S.A. & M.J.Raymond, 1995]

Ipswich elections.

  1806, Oct 29th
Voters in these Poll Books would have had to own a freehold in Ipswich or be a Freeman of Ipswich. Generally there are a number of non-resident voters but these are only distinguished when there is another voter with the same name.

  1818, 4th July
The "Voter No." was given to each person at the time of polling so "Day" voted before "Alexander".

  1820, 14th March
Nobody listed as living in Norfolk.

Notes

• 1. Many people living in Suffolk, voted in elections in Norfolk and these are to be found often at the end of the registers. See the transcriptions of the Norfolk poll books which may give some further pointers.

See also the main Voting page.

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Copyright © Mike Bristow.
September 2014