Norfolk: Thetford Voting Registers

(& Voters in Thetford)

There are very few registers of voters for the election of members of parliament for this borough. Two members (also known as burgesses) were elected from at least 1529 to 1868 when it was disenfranchised.

For information on who was elected to serve and election dates see the Wikipedia Thetford_(UK_Parliament_constituency) page and the History of Parliament website (with links to other dates).

The following dates are significant for this borough.

• Up to 1832 - 2 MP's elected by a corporation of 31 people.
• 1832 - No of electors increased by addition of 124 £10 householders.
• 1868 - Lost its right to elect any MP's.

County elections

Freeholders in the town (part of which is in Suffolk) voted in the county elections of Norfolk and Suffolk depending on where their freeholds lay.

County of Norfolk elections

The following is a list of elections which have been transcribed. Others polls and registers can be found in main list of county elections. As well as people living in Thetford there were others voting because of a freehold held there eg. in 1734 we have Roger Wright in Warwickshire.

• 1714/5
  • Copy of the Poll for the election of two knights of the shire for Norfolk taken at Norwich on Feb 18th 1714/5
    • [Norwich: Henry Cross-grove, 1715]
              (Transcription - Voters names, Freeholds, Residences)
• 1734/5
  • Copy of the poll for the knights of the shire for the county of Norfolk, taken at Norwich, May 22, 1734
    • [Norwich?: Unknown: 1734]
              (Transcription - Voters names, Freeholds, Residences)
• 1768
  • A copy of the poll for the knights of the shire for the county of Norfolk, taken at Norwich, March 23, 1768
    • [Norwich: J. Crouse, 1768]
              (Transcription - Voters & Occupiers names, Freeholds, Residences)
    • [Norwich: W. Chase, 1768]
              (Transcription - Voters names, Freeholds, Residences)
• 1802
  • The poll for knights of the shire for the county of Norfolk, opened Monday, July the Twelfth, and closed Tuesday, July 20th, 1802
    [Norwich: Stevenson & Matchett, 1802]
            (Transcription - Voters & Occupiers names, Freeholds, Residences)

County of Suffolk elections

The following is a list of only those polls which have been transcribed. In each there are entries under Thetford (in Suffolk) and also people residing in other places but voting because of a freehold held in that part of Thetford in Suffolk.

• 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)

Notes

• 1. The Patron of this borough was the Duke of Grafton and hence many of the Fitzroy family are found elected unopposed (see Wikipedia entry above).
• 2. The number of voters (who elected the Thetford MP's) in 1831 was 31. The Corporation was comprised of the Mayor, ten aldermen (or principal burgesses) and the Commonality (twenty men). These burgesses elected two people to serve in parliament. This privelege was confirmed in the reign of Elizabeth I.
• 3. See the British History pages for more information including a list of MPs.

See also the main Voting page and the Thetford pages.

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Copyright © Mike Bristow.
September 2014